Oktoberfest
Yuengling Brewery

 

It's decent, but not the greatest Oktoberfest out there. The taste profile is not nearly as full as the well known Sam Adams Oktoberfest. In fact, there are many other traditional märzen brews that have richer taste. That said, it's also not horrible. It's crisp while not overwhelming in terms of spice and flavor. Yuengling Oktoberfest ranks as a good mid-grade offering in my book. Cheers!

 

 

 

Nice amber color. Nose of bready malt. Taste: Caramel, malt, and coffee? Finishes with a bit of a spicy kick. Not as sweet as other more traditional Marzens I have had but not a bad representation of the style.
Would pair well with a nice brat while watching the game.

Tapping into the next Oktoberfest offering, this time from the legendary Yuengling brewery. I really enjoy the traditional lager, and believe it or not, this Oktoberfest beer is a touch similar to me, with just some minor differences. It's advertised as a German Marzen, but in my opinion it falls a bit short of that, flavor wise. I respect the effort by Yuengling, and although I wouldn't put it up there with its Munich counterparts, I still enjoy drinking it. So here we go with the official review.

A medium-strength pour into a pint glass resulted in a very nice looking copper colored lager with a two finger compacted white foamy head. Head retention time was satisfactory, but not excellent. Nothing to report on lacing. Carbonation was light to medium. On the aroma, the backbone is malty breadiness, a little bit of sweetness with a coriander spiciness there in the background. It is light on the aroma, so nothing really stands out too much. It tastes pretty much like it smells...although light it is malt heavy, bready sweetness up front with the spiciness coming through in balance on the backend. It isn't very bitter on the finish, but there's a touch of bitterness within that spicy note. It finishes semi-dry with a short-lasting slightly spicy sweet bready note. It's balanced well. The flavor doesn't jump out at you, but it is a pleasing tasting brew. It's very drinkable. The mouthfeel is smooth and light-bodied to me. Just a notch better than the traditional lager. For just under $2 for a 12oz can, it's a decent value for what you get. However, I stand by my opinion that it doesn't stack up to the Munich Fest Biers, or even some domestic versions of an Oktoberfest offering.

 

My go to beer after Labor Day. Very similar to their Lager, but sweeter and has a bit more going on. Pairs well with a good horror film and snacks.

 

 

I was torn on this beer for a while, but find myself stocking up on it every fall. As a beer snob, it does not meet my expectations of a classical märzen. That said, this is one of the best fall beers on the market. Yuengling achieves a lovely spice naturally through the hop mixture and malt selection as opposed to additives like so many other brewers. The only thing questionable with this beer is the branding as an “Oktoberfest” as opposed to a “Fall Seasonal”. That would set expectations upfront for what people are drinking, but over all it is a great brew with Yuengling’s signature drinkability.

It's okay. Yuengling beers in general aren't my favorite, but this one's fine. However, there are maybe nine gazillion other Oktoberfests that are better.

 

One of my favorite seasonal beers. Has a good, rich flavor, heavier on the malt side, as I would expect. While not a full-fledged marzen, it's a solid, sweeter beer that tastes great while everyone else is sipping on their chemical pumpkin spice lattes.

2024 Update: I got my shipment in of Yuengling's Octoberfest yesterday (it's that hard to find), and my review of the flavor is the same, but wow, this year, it's so, well, ORANGE. I don't know if Y has added food coloring or what. The nice head is still there, but there's no smell at all this year. It doesn't need to be that orange to be festive.

 

Copper colored with excellent clarity. There’s a fingernail of brown over the top. There’s a slightly bready to caramel note in the aroma. I’m tasting sourdough bread. Good lord! This will pair well with pretzels. The mouth is crisp and snappy.

Has a nice dark amber color but smell and taste I'd say are middle of the road. Nothing really spectacular but nothing offensively bad about this beer. Definitely just go for a Yuengling Traditional Lager or Golden Pilsner instead of getting this.