Oktoberfest
Ram Restaurant & Brewery

maybe slightly on the bitter side on the swallow, like they ran a little heavy handed on the hops, but this is solid lager, light to drink still, full of flavor, and pretty darn repeatable, a nice fall brew, suitable for sipping or all out pounding, the first new one i have had from these guys in ages, although its admittedly been awhile since i have visited. nice and clear, lighter than orange, so on the lighter side for the style, but i still get the nutty and sweet malt layers here, a german authenticity, and a familiar old world lager least more or less expertly deployed. i dont smell much of the hops, so the bitterness is especially striking on the swallow, like it comes out of nowhere, but i kind of like the kick it gives this, seems noble and right still, just robust. cleanly fermented, on the dry side for the style, no malt heft or linger, a light body too, and very good carbonation from the tap, this is solid top to bottom, is distinct enough with the hops to stand out from the crowd, intentional or not, and i enjoyed a couple more of these than i probably needed over the weekend. good to see a few new ones over here, need to be more regular on my rotation...

Sample @ Hoptober Freshtival. A beautiful malty, smooth and slick marzen reminiscent of my autumns in Germany. Pretty true to the original style, and a nice break form all of the hops at this event.

 

I had this beer on-tap in a pint glass at the U Village location.

Appearance: rich orange hue with a clear body and a thin layer of ivory foam; there's a nice lace left on the glass too. Love the color!

Smell: very toasty malt aroma, with maybe a little biscuit as well. It is not bad, although maybe not to my taste.

Taste: very toasty with a little bit of a floral character that results in a little soapiness. It's a bit messy for the style but otherwise decent.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation and a nice creaminess. I like it.

Overall: this beer is decent, if a bit soapy and muddled.

 

 

Crisp, almost dry with a slightly sweet finish. Actually pretty refreshing. Easy drinkability. Smooth feel and copper appearance.

 

 

 

 

A: Poured a deep orange color with a little bit of haze. Some pretty good head retention from the fluffy white cap.

S: Nutty with some vanilla, oak, and sweetness. It smells really rich.

T: The initial taste says nuts, vanilla, oak and a heavy cloying sweetness. A bit syrupy and long. The finish is a bit sweet, long and syrupy

M: Medium bodied, well carbonated, a bit sweet, sticky and heavy for the style.

O: Not bad taste wise but not great on the mouthfeel due to the heavy syrup and sweetness.

 

 

 

A good take on a Marzen. Ordered on tap in their 18-ounce pint glass. Restaurant lighting did not allow full review of color - but it looked proper. The head had settled to a half inch prior to being served. Not much lacing. Nice malt flavor and aroma.

Served in a frosted pokal at the Schaumburg brewpub.

Figured I'd grab a glass o' this while it was still around. It pours a clear copper-amber topped by a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises light toffee, green apple, light orange zest, and caramel. Things would be just fine here, but that distinct green apple character really bogs things down for me. The taste holds notes of toasted rye bread, light orange zest, dry caramel, and a twinge of grassy bitterness near the finish. It's definitely toastier than your average O-Fest, but it ain't half bad (certainly an improvement over the smell). The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, a solid, if fairly unexciting O-Fest. 'Nuff said, really.

 

 

Poured a wonderful orange-copper sparkling with a bit of nice head and some decent lacing. Wonderfully heady scent with great thick sweet caramel malty aromas. Crisp and thick flavors with a nice sweet caramelness and a bit of nice spicy hops underneath at the end. Goes down very smooth indeed.