Oktoberfest (2017)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

The clear medium copper tinged golden color beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1” off-white head that slowly but visibly recedes to leave a ring of foam, a fair amount of lacing, around the glass. Eventually there's a thin layer of foam over much of the liquid with a thicker island of foam near the middle. Sipping creates scattered small patches and legs of lacing.

The aromas include some lightly toasted bready malt. There are also some slightly spicy, grassy hops way in the background that integrate quite well with the malt.

The flavors are somewhat as expected from the nose with the lightly toasted bready malt and some sweetness being up front very early on. They are then joined by the grassy bitterness with its touch of spicyness. The initial sweetness almost disappears, but remains behind in a background role while that light grassy bitterness seems ready to close out the show. But then the malt sweetness reasserts it self again, but remains in the background into the lightly bitter and semi-dry ending.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium bodied with a soft crispness from the slightly prickly persistent carbonation. The long finish begins as the sweetness and malt flavors move to a backseat letting the spicy grassy hops and their very light bitterness move to the back of the palate until the semi-dry end.

This is a beer that seems well worth drinking and that I'll be having again. While my initial reaction has been that I preferred the 2016 collaboration, I suspect this beer is one that may grow on me after a few more bottles.

RB transfer

(review from August 2017) See previous reviews of various versions of SN Oktoberfest. Maltheads rejoice! Lighter Ofest than previous SN versions & less caramely but just as refreshing & satisfying.

Great collaboration beer again. Clear, amber color. Nice, white head. Aroma of toasted bread, caramel malt, and herbs. Sweet, malt-forward taste with just enough hops to make it refreshing and crispy.

Rated 7-18-2018. Really liked this beer, as I like Oktoberfest beers. Some taste more like German Oktoberfest beers than others. Sierra Nevada Brewing brews some of the better ones outside of Germany, because of their Collaboration with German breweries.
30 IBUs

Sux pack from WinCo. Textbook märzen, done extremely well. Deep golden, clear, foamy head fades to skin. Sweet malts dominate the aroma, sugar cookie, vanilla. Taste too is bready, sweet, but had a nic dry, bitter bite at the end. Makes me miss Germany all the more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours orange red with a small white head. Smells of dark roasted grain, similar to other Oktoberfest beers. Tastes of sweet grain with slight fruitiness. Beer is light bodied and very easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, an a good beer.

This pours a pleasing caramel amber color. Bready caramel malt aroma matched on the palate with a sticky hop kiss. Crisp and smooth. Sharp finish surprises. I thought this was excellent.

So far, the best of Sierra Nevada's collaboration Oktoberfests in my opinion, and they have all been outstanding. This is an increidble exaple of this style.

Gold, big white head slowly shrinks, some wisps and lace.

Aroma is herbal hops, complex, with underlying bready maltiness.

Taste is light malty-bready sweetness, a touch raisiny but lean with complex herbal hop bitterness that just dominates.

Feel is zesty, lively, and engaging.

Incredibly drinkable, balanced, characterful.

 

I had this stashed away and tried it after having the recent release poured chilled in a pilsner glass

the color is golden honey amber with light off white head
the smell has a lot of malt with light toasted grain and nuttiness with a dried fruit sweetness in the smell with woody hop scent.
The mouthfeel is great, smooth as velvet with a light hop spice and lager yeast textures with carbonation substantial and mostly dry finish
The flavor is malt with bready quality and lightly fruity yeast with slightly herbal hops that balance with a earthy taste. The yeast adds a mild mineral aspect with a nice toasted malt flavor as it finishes.
This is an excellent example of the style -very drinkable and hardly any alcohol is detected with a refreshing yet dry malt quality

While a great tasting beer, never came close to tasting like a real Oktoberfest.Think it’s overrated at 4.25 exceptional.On the other hand,it’s a good beer on it’s own,just not up to Oktoberfest standards.