Oktoberfest (2019)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

Pours the prototypical amber color indicative of autumn and oktoberfest. Big 4/5" off white head. Great retention. Poured into a dirty 90s Brewer's glass during a Brewer's game. Aroma of fall, caramel maltiness, light woody aspect despite no wood being used.

Taste is right where you would expect two traditional world class breweries to go with this. The ever lasting caramel waves are actually not heavy on the mouth feel, good carbonation works wonders in that regard. The slightest Magnum and Loral bitterness under the surface. Has the darker more sophisticated breadiness without the heft or stickiness that befalls lesser caramalt kind of beers. Light almond/marzipan like qualities as it warms up.

These are very easy to drink, the six pack I bought was blown through much quicker than expected, almost everyone I associate with likes these kinds of beers. Still works at the ballfield or on the river even if in the words of George Strait, you start to feel the chill of an early fall.

 

 

 

2019:
Appearance: Pours a dark, rich amber color with a strong brown tint to remind me of whiskey. SRM of 15 (4.00)

Aroma: Light on the aroma. Aromas of rich, earthy, bread and caramel. (3.50)

Flavor: Flavors are more bread and caramel. A touch of spice and maple syrup. Very much like french toast. Yet, finishes dry and smoother than I expected. (4.00)

Feel: Medium bodied. Good carbonation. The carbonation cleans off the malt flavors. Very clean on the finish. (3.50)

Overall: Maybe my expectations were too high for this one. Sort of simple caramel malt profile similar to their pale ale. Then a unique maple and French toast component which is pleasant, but still doesn't stand up to some of the German brewers. (Final Rating: 3.78)
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2020:
Appearance: Medium orange, clear, with a soft off-white head. SRM of 10-11. Lighter than I expected. (3.75)

Aroma: Light bread and orange with nothing else there. Severly dissapointing and not what I expected.

Flavor: Flavor is daft too. Some orange, nectar, pine. Mildly bready malt flavors. Drinks like a pale ale with some sweetness and hints of bitterness.

Feel: Medium-bodied. Low carbonation. Sweet, pine and malt finish.

Compared to SN Summerfest 8/23/20: Pours a darker color. More resinous orange and darker malt. Less orchard fruit and pale malt. slightly more bready, and less tart. Overall, very similar. I think we all know who copied whose homework here.

Compared to Bell's Oktoberfest 2020 8/30/20: Pours a lighter color. Stronger aromas of resinous orange and pine. Less smooth bread and cream. More fruity and hoppy. Not very similar, but neither are standard for the style.

Overall: I find myself asking what happened here? Reviewing this beer as an Oktoberfest beer is difficult. It drinks nothing like a Marzen or Oktoberfest bier. I suspect this is their Pale Ale, mislabeled, and rather I am drinking their SN Pale Ale, which is what this tastes like. I don't know what happened, but this 2020 version is a bust, or I have the wrong beer here. Nothing to do with Oktoberfest with this one. Between their Pale Ale, 40th Anniversary, Summerfest, and this one, these beers are starting to meld together.

 

4/12/20...a little late for octoberfest, but nevertheless, pours medium copper amber with very low foam that settles to nothing. Light caramel malty nose. Little pilsy too. Firm mouthfeel, all malt, fades quickly. Little bite. Nice carbonation embedded. Hints of maple and sweetness. Nice/. but not remarkable.

A: crystal clear; copper in color; 1+ finger finely pored off white head that receded to a skim cap; nice lacing;

S: toasted grain, floral, and a touch of spice;

T: toasted grain up front; through the middle, floral comes in; finish is all floral with mild bitterness;

M: medium bodied; moderate, creamy carbonation; dry finish;

O: my favorite of their Oktoberfest collabs so far;

Appearance: Deep amber, with a nice off-whit head of fine suds and fenceposts of lace.

Aroma: Biscuit malty, caramel, toasty. Nice and faithful.

Taste: Sweet, malty, caramel and toasty with floral hops right in balance. Tons of flavor here, easy to drink and as top-tier as expected from Sierra Nevada and Bitburger. As near a fresh Oktoberfest as we Americans can hope to have!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/2/19 bottle @ home

I had this fresh, from a bottle.

This pours a rich amber with a tremendous cap of tan foam. Bready and malty, with a crisp hop snap that draws it into focus on the finish. Not too heavy, not too thin, just about right.

12 ounce bottle, "PKGD 7/9/2019"

Pours out a nice glowing darker amber hue, moderate cap and leaves typical strands of stickage.

Bready malts and maple on the sniff.

On the palate its maple, vanilla, dark bread....malty and delicious...well worth a try...worked great as part of a marinade for chicken thighs

12 oz bottle from the Boise Co-op. Light amber, small foamy head fades to flat. Malty, bready aroma. Taste also features the malts, light caramel, slight bitter edge. Dryness grabs the palate.

 

 

Dark copper colored with a quarter inch of brown on top. The head dissipated to a fingernail around the rim within a few minutes. The aroma is of dark bready malt and marzipan. I’m tasting a light nuttiness and toasted caramel. The mouth is smooth and quaffable.

 

 

IMO this one is a little too caramel forward. Solid Marzen, but not as good as collaboration from last few years.

 

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Crystal clear copper/amber pour with 2 fingers of fluffy white head. Great lacing. Attractive brew.

S: Malty... toasted grains and bread/sweets.

T.F: Sweet and malty up front... toasted bread, caramel, and grains. Earthy hops for balance and some bitterness. Some floral notes at the finish. Medium to light bodied... well carbonated and smooth.

O: A clean/crisp Oktoberfest. Well crafted... great looking beer that's easy to drink.

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a bronze/amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of bready malts. Taste is also of bready malts, enough hops to make their presence felt. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a smooth and easy drinking beer.

 

 

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours red orange with a tiny white head. Smells of fruity caramelized grain. Tastes of fruity caramelized grain, slight caramel, fruit forward, nice combination. Beer is light bodied and very easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.