Oktoberfest
Barley John's Brew Pub

 

 

Appearance:
Clear dark red with a slowly settling foamy head. Leaves a great lacing on the glass.

Smell:
Very sweet malt and small amount of hops. Can really smell the alcohol in this one.

Taste:
Heavy sweet caramel, slightly roasted and nutty. Heavy alcohol which makes it even sweeter. Hops is just enough to cut the syrupy flavor of other "too sweet" beers. Enjoy this one slowly and savor the complex aftertaste.

Mouthfeel:
Small amount of carbonation and high alcohol fills the mouth with a warm tingling. Very smooth and almost creamy. Finishes cleanly and only leaves behind flavor.

Drinkability:
Served just below room temperature. A great sipping beer because it is so strong. I will definitely be going back for a second glass but be warned to pace yourself.

Comment:
Picked this one up on a recommendation from one of the bartenders (don't remember the name but everyone at Barley John's has been great). I had just missed the Maibock release and was warned to not miss this one. I couldn't agree more, this is truly great and I would suggest anyone within a reasonable commute to go grab a growler. On the other hand, hold off a day or two so I can fill the rest of my bottles...

Also, the food at the Brewpub is also worth the trip with some very non-typical, high end eats at a not-so-high-end price.

The 2009 edition of Oktoberfest is reported at 7.5 % ABV.

Pours a clearish copper with good head, nice lacing. Aroma is quite malty with slight hop bittering, would be better if a little more assertive. I feel like the body should be a little fuller, but otherwise good body and carbonation is just right. Taste is yummy yummy yummy. Malts are delicious here, caramel malts come off lightly toasted, slightly fruity maybe, noble hops divining a beautiful roundedness to a thoroughly drinkable beer. Don't usually dig this style that much, but this is an excellent fest beer.

Copper Colored but some haziness….awesome sweet malty aroma…maple and molasses..a slight bit of heat…malty taste but more subtle than the nose leads you to expect…some apple like fruitiness…a splash of vodka like alcohol…smooth and rounded medium bodied, lower carbonation…slides down easy…tasty…an excellent o-fest….taste and drinkability scores hover between 4.0 and 4.5…..

Now this is an Oktoberfest!! Double Decoction Mash. Lagered for 4 months. Detail was paid attention to this beer and it shows.

The beer pours a nice looking clear auburn tone. Thin beige head leaves adequate amounts of lace. Aroma is thick and malty. The taste is pure delight. Such great malt tones to this one. Clean and rich. Toasted maltiness adds an extra layer to the bready munich-like maltiness. And hops add just a tough of dryness to the finish and a little earthiness underneath it all. This is a dandy. One of the best (if not THE best) Oktoberfests I've had the pleasure of drinking.