Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier
Hofbräuhaus München

Hofbräu OktoberfestbierHofbräu Oktoberfestbier
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From:
Hofbräuhaus München
 
Germany
Style:
Festbier / Wiesnbier
Ranked #88
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,942
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 15.21%
Reviews:
722
Ratings:
1,783
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 04, 2024
Added:
Nov 12, 2001
Wants:
  39
Gots:
  290
The Oktoberfest originated in 1810 in Munich, Germany, as a wedding celebration for the Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. This product was created especially for this event and is brewed usually for the Oktoberfest, now the largest beer festival in the world. Hofbräu München (HB) is one of a selected group of breweries granted the privileges of supplying the Oktoberfest with their products. Using the highest quality ingredients, HB's Oktoberfest Specialty has its own distinctive and unique taste.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by woodychandler:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I had been down to D.C. to visit my aunt and uncle this past summer and we visited on of their local Total Wine & More locations which is where I came across a 5-L mini-keg (CAN) of this beer. It is the website's policy that if it is not a pressurized mini-keg, then it is CANsidered a CAN, making it a CANdidate for The CANQuest (TM)! Yay! I brought it back to their house and since my mother and uncle were due for a visit in a few weeks, it fell to them to bring it back for me. I then made arrangements to bring it over to a local bottle shop to share as I did not want 5 Liters to myself and it was dated to expire "04.03.2015".

From the CAN: "Imported from Munich/Germany"; "The Original Brew of Bavarian Kings!"; "Since 1589"; "The world['s] biggest festival, the 'Munich Oktoberfest' attracts over 6 million visitors in the course of 16 days. Since 1810[,] this annual event in Munich, Germany, promotes the best in Bavarian food, entertainment and brews. Hofbräu München is an official supplier to this event. It uses the experience and knowledge of its brewmasters to create this special seasonal brew for just this event. It is brewed according to the German Purity Law containing only water, barley malt, Bavarian hop and culture yeast. This is the same product that HB serves in its tent at the Munich Oktoberfest and is now available to you." There were also instructions for tapping, but I am not going to transcribe them here.

Speaking of tapping, I had not had a 5-L mini-keg (CAN) for a while and this was only my third or fourth, so venting was initially problematic as I twisted it more than a quarter-turn, which was too far. When I realized my mistake, I backed it down and got a momentary spray of beer until it pressurized. I pulled out the spigot and readied my glass before twisting the spigot to the left. Beer began flowing unabated! This produced two fingers of fluffy, bone-white head with good retention. Color was Pale-Yellow (SRM = 1 - 2) with NE-plus quality clarity. Nose had a biscuity maltiness. Mouthfeel was medium. Taste was malty, but not cloying as many beers in the style are. Instead, it had a bready, nutty flavor that was a pleasant surprise. Finish was semi-dry, not very sweet at all. Everyone who got a taste agreed that it was less sweet than expected, so whether a result of inadvertent aging or by design, I feel like it was quite worthwhile.

The following bottle review was conducted on Super Bowl L Sunday (07 Feb 2016), but the CAN review trumps all.

Once more, my utmost thanks to tone77 for his outstanding tradesmanship. He (usually) lives locally and stops by Chez Woody with an armload of bottles & CANs for me which I exchange for a CANlection of CANs. Unfortunately, I have fallen behind, especially as bottles are concerned, leading to the Bottle Backlog. I am happy to be winnowing it down to something approaching manageability.

From the bottle: "since 1589"; "Munich Specialty Brewed according to the German Purity Law."; "The Oktoberfest originated in 1810 in Munich, Germany as a wedding celebration for the Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. This product was created specially for this event and is brewed usually for the Oktoberfest, now the biggest beer festival in the world. Hofbrau Munchen (HB) is one of a selected group of breweries granted the privileges of supplying the Oktoberfest with their products. Using the highest quality ingredients, HB's Oktoberfest Specialty has its own distinctive and unmistakable taste."

A Pop! is all that it takes to begin these reviews & so it was in this case. A gentle pour and subsequent swirl raised a finger of foamy, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was Straw-Yellow (SRM = > 2, < 4) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a definite fresh-mown grass/fresh-harvested hay smell underlain by a biscuit maltiness. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium. The taste was very grassy with an accompanying biscuit maltiness. It finished semi-dry, very refreshing and a nice recalibration after so many others that were everywhere. This is really the standard.
Jan 20, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.56 by Plonk from Alabama

Feb 04, 2024
Photo of whitro17
Reviewed by whitro17 from Florida

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look - pale gold, clear
Smell - bready, malty sweetness, spice
Taste - bready, spicy, sweet malt, fruity esters
Feel - lighter body, moderate carbonation, crisp finish
Overall - Bready with a malty sweetness, fruity esters and some spice. Nothing is overwhelming just good balance for a nice easy drinking beer. There's a little fizziness that gives it a crisp finish. Good brew that's best paired with Superman Inside by Eric Clapton.
Jan 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4.04 by Slyde180 from Texas

Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3.92 by Ronan_H

Dec 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.78 by a_pal0 from Italy

Dec 04, 2023
Photo of krh
Rated by krh from Illinois

3.81/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Overall very solid. Not too heavy, but plenty flavorful. Great alone or with food. A "safe" choice for the style.
Nov 25, 2023
 
Rated: 3.62 by Try-em-all from Missouri

Oct 28, 2023
Photo of Caoimhin
Reviewed by Caoimhin from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - Beautiful golden color, very clear, two finger head settles after about 5 minutes to a single layer, moderate lacing on the glass

Smell - hearty bready beer smell

Taste - perfect balance of hops and malt, simple yet wholesome, pleasant bitter aftertaste

Feel - moderate carbonation and medium body, neither sweet and malty or dry; again it is balanced

Overall - this beer is wholesome and basic - a fastball down the middle of the plate. There is nothing unusual about it, but it is unquestionably a quality brew. If a beer could represent the essence of a culture, I would say this one tastes like the essence of Germany.
Oct 26, 2023
Photo of scott451
Reviewed by scott451 from Canada (ON)

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. A one finger bubbly white head on a clear straw. the head diminishes to a thin layer. Some patchy lacing.
Grains in the nose. Some malts.
Malt taste up front. A bit thin. Well hidden ABV.
Light body and medium carbonation.
A decent Festbier. Nothing outstanding.
Oct 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by loch8534 from Illinois

Oct 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.79 by Bk0078 from California

Oct 13, 2023
Photo of highdesertdrinker
Reviewed by highdesertdrinker from Arizona

4.19/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a medium gold with decent head that dissipated fast. Smells grainy, malty, a whiff on hop. Tastes grainy, a touch of hop but not as much as some others like Weihenstephaner for example, a little lemon, grass, solid but not overpowering malt. It's a little dry and a super easy drinker that will appeal to both the well versed geek, and the unitiated. The price is right also as it's 1 to 3 bucks lower per six than some of the other standards. First year having this and I see myself buying a bunch more in the future, cheers!
Oct 10, 2023
 
Rated: 3.86 by Shanex from France

Oct 03, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by lakewy17 from New Hampshire

Oct 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.47 by brother_rebus from Maine

Oct 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by Zylod from West Virginia

Sep 30, 2023
Photo of Chickenhawk9932
Reviewed by Chickenhawk9932 from Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a light golden amber with a bubbly white head.
Toasted bread and caramel malt with butter herb and yeast in the nose.

Taste is light toasted bread with a touch of caramel and a bitter herb dry slightly woody finish.
Sep 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.74 by cabsandking from Ohio

Sep 28, 2023
Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier from Hofbräuhaus München
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 1783 ratings