Oktoberfest
Sly Fox Brewing Company

OktoberfestOktoberfest
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From:
Sly Fox Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #266
ABV:
6.1%
Score:
83
Ranked #25,470
Avg:
3.66 | pDev: 12.02%
Reviews:
211
Ratings:
417
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 26, 2022
Added:
Oct 26, 2004
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  25
SCORE
83
Good
OktoberfestOktoberfest
Notes: Ein prosit! This seasonal gem is best enjoyed under a humongous tent while you and thousands of your closest friends sing enthusiastically. Or anywhere, really. It’s all about the gemütlichkeit, baby!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.66/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Clear amber appearance with a nice size off white head and light lacing. Malt focused aroma with a toasty edge. Earthy, moderately sweet that has some caramel pokes through. Hops are understated but still add depth. Dry, decently carbonated, medium bodied mouthfeel.
Sep 26, 2022
Photo of rclangk
Rated by rclangk from West Virginia

3.77/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
9/2022 Wegman’s, Warrington PA
Sep 26, 2022
Photo of BitteNochEinWeissbier
Reviewed by BitteNochEinWeissbier from Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Glassware: 0.5 L Festmug
Temp at Pour: 49.2
ABV: 6.1%


Look:
Medium and clear copper with a very slight hint of gold. Initial 2-finger head is off-white in color and dissipates to a thin but consistent cover. A goodly amount of bubbles in the brew.

Smell:
Sweet bready malts along with toasted toffee and some toasted caramel. Light notes of hay in the background.

Taste:
Very lightly sweet but incredibly dry bready malts. Reminds one of toasted bread crusts. The toasted caramel is here, though restrained, along with some nuts. The hops wait until near the end of the sip to show up and they don't show up in force. They provide a lightly spicy note and a mild bitterness that hangs around into the aftertaste.

Feel:
Crisp and smooth. The body is medium.

Overall:
A solid amber Oktoberfest. Much dryer and not as sweet as most American amber Oktos while not as toasty as the German ones. I like it.
Sep 22, 2022
 
Rated: 3.78 by saymike32 from New Jersey

Sep 09, 2022
Photo of Scrapss
Reviewed by Scrapss from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from the 12 oz. can into a large dimple-stein at 38 degrees.

A: Pours a deep copper color, clear with a nice 2" white head poured straight down the middle. Sprightly carbonation.

S: Wonderful aroma of deeply toasted malt, caramel hits, toffee, big nose on malt, very slight herbal hop note hiding at edges.

T: The classic dark fest beer taste, deep toast, slight toffee, some hint of caramel sweetness. Herbal noble hop at swallow.

M: creamy and medium full. Carbonation keeps it nice, dry-ish ultimate finish.

O: Yea, you wanna try this if you like the Marzen/darker Oktoberfest beers.
Aug 26, 2022
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Oktoberfest (2021) from Sly Fox Brewery. Picked up at Shangy’s, Emmaus, PA. $ 2.11 (Including tax)/12 oz can ($ 0.176/oz) on 18/09/21. In reefer at store, stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 08/07/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on bottom of can “BEST BY 12/20/21”. Served at 42.0 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 49.6 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Pale Gold (SRM 4), slight chill haze.
Body – Deep Gold (SRM 18), clear. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), floral white, high-density, short retention, diminishing to a 0.2 cm bubble ring and surface scum and rocks.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 – Initially weak fruity malt. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins slightly bitter with fruity malt. No ethanol (6.1 % ABV, as marked on label) aroma or taste. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, just short of creamy, lightly fizzy carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.5 Another unremarkable Märzen.
Jul 08, 2022
 
Rated: 3.01 by crobinso from Colorado

Jan 01, 2022
 
Rated: 3.56 by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

Oct 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Sep 27, 2021
Photo of Spade
Reviewed by Spade from Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz. can into a shaker glass.

Slightly sweet malt flavor with minimum hop presence. The sweetness lingers into the finish but is subtle.

I've always liked this take on the Märzen style and purchase a pack every Oktoberfest season.
Sep 25, 2021
Photo of brewme
Reviewed by brewme from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Drank a single twelve ounce can left in a fridge on a group trip. Best by date of 12/15/21. My first brew reviewed from these guys, but have had before. Not my favorite style, & not a great interpretation of that style.
Sep 25, 2021
Photo of BJB13
Reviewed by BJB13 from Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
12 ounce can poured into a dimpled mug.
Best by 12/20/21

L: Clear, medium amber/copper, one plus finger off-white head with good retention that eventually fades to a ring
S: Doughy bread, mild alcohol, small aromas of spicy and citrus hops
T: Low, bitterness and sweetness, other than caramel the full malt is kind of non-distinct, woody and spicy hop flavors, it has a slight medicinal quality coming at the end that I don't like
F: Soft medium weight body, slick but not creamy, slightly warming, small bite from the medium carbonation
O: OK except for the medicine-like flavor I am getting
Sep 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.79 by Nyarko-San from Pennsylvania

Sep 11, 2021
Photo of 57md
Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a light copper color with a finger of head. The nose has notes of caramel and spice. The flavor also has floral and caramel notes accompanied by some nuttiness. The body is slightly light for the style.
Sep 05, 2021
 
Rated: 3.28 by bucksbeerman from Pennsylvania

Aug 08, 2021
Photo of SierraNevallagash
Reviewed by SierraNevallagash from Maine

4.01/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thank you Jeremy for this one! Let's dive right in.

12oz can - BB 12/23/20 - poured into a Märzen mug at 40°F.

Pours a very clear unfiltered light amber colour, topped by a finger of very loose, webby, off-white head with poor retention and no lacing. Plentiful strwaminf effervescence. Maybe a bit light for an Oktoberfest, but still looks nice.

Nose: Toasty amber malts bring some dark bread, light toffee and brown sugar, with some really nice underlying baking spice notes - nutmeg and allspice, with some bright lemon zest, and some herbal, spicy hops.

Palate: The beer greets the palate with striking minerality first and foremost. The malt is toasty, bready, and hearty, yet somehow quite dry, imparting very little sweetness. Notes of dark bread, crust, and nutty, toasty barley malt form the base, before some spicy, herbal hops that really deliver that classic German Nobel flavour, and a bit of resinous bite too. The finish really highlights these earthy, spicy Nobel notes, and it concludes with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is light-bodied, but not thin or watery, with the malt lending a balanced perceived weight. Effervescence is lively with a slow pour, but it settles down after a while. Semi-dry feel, slightly drying finish. Very clean, crisp, and refreshing. 8th

Overall: This is a very fine take on an Oktoberfestbier from an American brewery. I feel like this is a slightly better representation of a German Märzen than some other American offerings. Dry, clean, crisp, with a nice hop profile and fantastic minerality. I'd like,a bit more malt, but I'm nitpicking. It's a great beer.
Oct 08, 2020
Photo of RobertB412
Reviewed by RobertB412 from Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12 oz. can BB 12/16/20 poured into a pint glass. Pours a copper, light amber with quickly fading head and minimal lacing. The scent is sweet caramel malt, bread and a little yeast. Malty with some sweetness, balanced with a fair amount of bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, with decent carbonation. Overall, a very good Marzen O-fest beer with some malty sweetness.
Sep 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.89 by Fr33man from Maryland

Aug 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by imperialking from Illinois

Jul 30, 2020
Photo of Wattie83
Reviewed by Wattie83 from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: Golden, light honey color with slightly off white head that falls to a thin cap.
Smell: Malt heavy, some herbal hops, bready, some light toast
Taste: Malt and hops are evident in the sip. There's a good balance there too. Some grape skin noted. Fairly clean with some sweet malt left in aftertaste.
Feel: Medium body, decent carbonation.
Overall: I find this relatively close to the German amber O-fests when compared to other American versions. Much fresher than imports too. A really good lager.
Oct 20, 2019
Photo of peepicheep
Reviewed by peepicheep from Pennsylvania

2.54/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
On tap at Olde Lincoln House in Ephrata.
It's pretty bad when the only word I can think of to describe this beer is bland. Aside from the pretty copper color everything else fades into the background. No head, no lacing, no smell and unfortunately no taste to speak of. Disappointing.
Sep 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by DavetotheB from Pennsylvania

Sep 22, 2019
Photo of Vetbidder
Reviewed by Vetbidder from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Decent darker golden colored. Nose has some sweetness slight spice and a malty beer undertone. Good smooth flavor with slight spice. Slight hops bitterness builds. Not a ton of carbonation but works well with this beer.
Sep 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by deg from New Hampshire

Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 3.71 by Phoodcritic from Michigan

Nov 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by Timmmmaaayyy from Pennsylvania

Nov 19, 2018
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.74/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can bb 1/1/19 poured into a dimpled mug at fridge temp 6.1% ABV per can. The beer pours mostly bright light copper in color with off white head. The head recedes to a film and thin ring. The aroma is slightly sweet and doughy with a hint of yeast and hops. The taste is toasted bread, not really sweet, but nearly sweet that tapers off to a pleasant floral & mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, adequately carbonated and dry in the finish. This beer is very clean, well crafted and lagered. Overall, very good. Thanks @woodychandler for the chance to try this one.
Nov 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.53 by bankboy66 from New Jersey

Oct 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Oct 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.69 by Curt3 from New Jersey

Oct 10, 2018
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can into a pint glass, picked up at the Giant in Cressona PA. Best by 1/1/19, so plenty fresh.

Clear golden yellow with a vague hint of amber body. Small white head, leaving little in the way of lacing

Very faint malty aroma.

Clean tasting beer. Malt and a little caramel comes through, faint suggestion of bitterness.

Mouth is around medium, finish is malty and a little chewy.

Overall, solid, somewhat understated Oktoberfest beer.
Oct 01, 2018
Photo of HoppingMadMonk
Reviewed by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

3.87/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Orange amber color. Medium light body as well as having just below average carbonation .
Aroma is malt, caramel, bread crust, yeast, an almost vanilla bread pudding smell.
Taste is very similar to aroma, no one particular flavor stands out or dominates. It has a little bit of sweetness as well as a mild hop bitter finish . The taste wasn't overwhelming yet I found it to still have more than enough going on to keep me interested .
Overall it was a decent attempt at the style and I would look for this again
Oct 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.65 by let8it8grow from Pennsylvania

Sep 30, 2018
Photo of jimk1942
Reviewed by jimk1942 from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Served from home draught system using nitro co2 mix which allows for smoother carbonation (which I like). Poured directly into traditional stein at around 45 degrees F establishing a proper head. Some lace, head diminished within a few minutes. I liked the malt / hop balance, slightly to the malty side. Overall enjoyable, could be a session beer within the Octoberfest tradition.
Sep 28, 2018
Photo of larryi86
Reviewed by larryi86 from Delaware

4.14/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thank you thebeers for this
12 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- A clear amber with a small off white head

S- Caramel malts, earthy, slightly nutty, some toasted sweet bread.

T- Toasted sweet bread, earthy, caramel malts, touch of toffee, a little nutty.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A very tasty Oktoberfest, definitely will be picking this up more often.
Sep 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.91 by Lucular from Maryland

Sep 24, 2018
Photo of keithmurray
Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Can dated BB 1/2019

Appearance - Copper colored body with eggshell white head

Smell - toasted malts, toffee, caramel

Taste - Caramel, toasted malts, toffee

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, caramel sweetness upfront, toffee and bready malts in the back end

Overall - very tasty Marzen here, slight sweetness, but not overdone, this kept me coming back repeatedly for sips. Marzen lovers please give this a run.

Price Point - $1.79/12 oz can
Sep 14, 2018
Photo of bret717
Reviewed by bret717 from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can dated best before 1/10/19, reviewed 8/30/18

Look- Pours a clear deep golden color with a billowing soapy head that settles to leave a thin layer on top of the beer; almost no lacing.

Aroma- toasted crusty bread along with floral and grassy hops

Taste- follows the nose closely with toasted bready malt w/an underlying melanoidin note that I get in the back of the throat; floral and grassy hops ride on top of that, providing a nice balance; just a little bitterness, almost unnoticeable

Feel- medium bodied and carbed with a dry finish

Overall- nice drinking marzen that really nails the melanoidin flavor that I love in and Oktoberfestbier
Sep 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by SiepJones from Pennsylvania

Dec 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by PatrickCT from Connecticut

Nov 12, 2017
Oktoberfest from Sly Fox Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 417 ratings