Oktoberfest (2016)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Oktoberfest (2016)Oktoberfest (2016)
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Märzen
ABV:
6%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.99 | pDev: 9.77%
Reviews:
202
Ratings:
638
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 01, 2021
Added:
Apr 26, 2016
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  129
We've partnered with Mahrs Bräu, one of Germany's most highly regarded brewers, to create a golden-hued festival beer right here in the USA. Using traditional techniques, heritage German barley, and the Record hop varietal---a nearly forgotten German-grown hop---we've created the most authentic take on the style this side of the Atlantic.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by andrewjraab:
Photo of andrewjraab
Reviewed by andrewjraab from Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - crystal clear golden yellow featuring a bone white head that reduces to a thin cap all the way down.

S - Malts, grass, grains, bready, dank.

T - Crisp and light feel makes this easy to quaff back. Malts, grains, yeasty, bread dough, slightly bitter, but well balanced.

O - A nice traditional take on the Oktoberfest - easily drinkable and not too sweet.
Sep 13, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.64/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Writing up yesterday's 2021 review led me back to reviewing this one from a six pack five years ago.

Pours the usual caramel, autumn light brown color with ample clarity, 1/2" off white head, good retention. Top tier appearance stuff. Mixture of fall like leaves, caramel, toffee kind of chill of an early fall.

Taste imparts a light remnant of a breakfast plate left out overnight, some leaf, syrup remainder, toffee and caramel experience with minimal breadiness to give it virtually no heft but plenty of smooth riding equinox time. This collaboration is milder in its hopping rate and bitterness effect in the mouth feel than the solo Oktoberfests Sierra Nevada has done. Very light brown sugar fall like sweetness abutted by some light raisin skin to it. Amber waves of grain are abundant.

I did my '21 consumption last night in the old Tumbler pint glass. I'll pretty much always be down for a 6 pack of this every year because 1) I like it 2) others like it who don't like hoppy, sour or stouty beers.
Oct 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.12 by BradtheGreat7 from Ohio

Aug 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.01 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Jan 16, 2020
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.67/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Bottled 7/26/16; drank 9/10/16 @ the Yarchives.

See-through pale yellow appearance; champagne bubbles throughout.

A rough pour yielded a huge, noisy white head; frothy lace. A

utumn leaves & roasted corn notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Autumn leaves & faint brown sugar flavors up front; roasted corn notes on the finish.

A touch light in the loafers for a marzen, but easy to drink. Mildly enjoyable.
Jun 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.94 by Kolb from Montana

Apr 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Feb 20, 2019
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Similar to the previous year's collaboration Oktoberfest and almost as good, just a touch sweeter and less complex. I eagerly await these every autumn and buy it up, hoping that ach year will be about as good as before and so far there has been no disappointment, although each year it varies noticeably in minor details (varying sweetness/bitterness, some thicker, some lighter, some leaner. etc) but all have been similarly outstanding, complex, balanced and drinkable.

Dark gold, big white head.

Lots of toasty bread, grain, some raisin, plenty of lemony herb hop.

Tastse is more malty and sweeter than the previosu year, touch more full and oily in the feel. Still, though, plenty of hop bitterness to carry the heavier malty sweetness.
Nov 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by heerboth from Pennsylvania

Sep 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by DigitGrowler from Kentucky

May 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by quaffinganale from Maryland

Dec 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by PatrickCT from Connecticut

Nov 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.56 by adamdanger from Pennsylvania

Sep 13, 2017
Photo of WoostaBia
Rated by WoostaBia from Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
perfect Marzen beer.
Sep 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Sep 03, 2017
Photo of WesMantooth
Reviewed by WesMantooth from Ohio

3.74/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Apparently forgot to review this one last year, but I had a 6 pack of it. It was a lighter, more blonde version with a lot more floral hops from beginning to end and not nearly as malty as the first version. The head retention wasn't as impressive either. Good beer, but not great.
Aug 20, 2017
 
Rated: 2.7 by Benjolovesbeer from Michigan

Aug 12, 2017
Photo of bump8628
Reviewed by bump8628 from Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
The release of Sierra Nevada's 2017 Oktoberfest reminded me to go back and log my review of the 2016 version.

I thought this was a remarkable version of a fest beer. Complex layers of malt flavor yet still fairly crisp and easy. The lighter gold color was deceiving in the level of malt-driven intricacies this beer had. Hops were just a bit stepped up as one might expect from Sierra Nevada. Firmly bitter and herbal but still in balance with the rest of the beer and not overwhelming. Dry yet still full to the palate. The only thing it was missing was that thick, long-lasting head of foam that screams Oktoberfest. This one fizzled out a bit too quickly.

So far this Oktoberfest collaboration has been working out excellently for Sierra Nevada.
Aug 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by TrojanRB from Texas

Jul 23, 2017
Oktoberfest (2016) from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 638 ratings