Mecktoberfest
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

16oz canned on 09/01/2021. Sample from the brewery.

I had originally ticked this beer back in 2013. Time for a proper review.

Clear, bright copper with amber-orange hues and thick foamy head. Nose is toasty, a bit biscuity, and herbal. First sip is very smooth, a bit creamy, with a slight carbonation bite. Layers of rich, semi-sweet, malty goodness follow. We're talking toasty, honey, caramelly, and grainy notes. It's a bit nutty too with an astringency that carries into the finish. Mild bitterness with more herbal notes and a tea-like edge. Hint of browned apple. Clean, bone-dry finish that creates an urge to drink more.

At the time of this review, Mecktoberfest is the #2 ranked Märzen. It's definitely one of the finest examples of the Märzen style that you're going to find from an American brewer.

 

 

Marzens are my favorite style of brew and I sample many of the local craft versions in my area. A friend brought this back to me from his trip to Charlotte. This beer is definitely worth it's high ranking. It has the bready, malty taste you're looking for in this style. A hard pour produced a two inch white head that hung around for awhile. The color is copper bronze. Beautiful beer to look at. The drinkability is what sets this beer apart from other Octoberfest style offerings. Goes down very smooth with very little alcohol taste lingering. The only problem is that my friend only gave me a sixer.

Amber color with a lot of rising bubbles and a thin white head. Light bodied but sharply carbonated. Biscuit malt flavor, noticeable fruity ester as well. Finish is quite dry.

 

 

 

 

 

Clear copper-orange. Frothy tan head.
Ton of toasted bread aroma, super malty flavor, but not heavy drinking. Just enough body to give it a light creamy fullness on the back end.
Dry, crisp finish with a significant floral bitterness and some grains in the aftertaste.
Probably the best American version I’ve had. Definitely right there with Von Trapp at the top.

 

 

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this one yet. Bottle of 8/29/2019, poured into a pint glass, a clear ruby orange. A half finger head moves to thin rim of lace fairly quickly before the first sip. Aroma is sweet malt, toasted grains, and maybe some nut/almond. The taste is balanced, picking up some malts, a little bitter yeast, some of the noble hops. Medium mouthfeel and a medium amount of carbonation. A well made Marzen from a Charlotte local brewery.

This beer is just good. A must have.

On tap at a neighborhood bar

Clear copper orange with two fingers white head. Full curtain of lacing, surface ring.
Malt, light pear scents
Caramel, floral hops, bread, light hop bitterness
Slightly sweet, easy to drink by the liter,
A joy.

Olde Mecklenburg sticks to the original Mecklenburg when it comes to producing real German Bier right here in Charlotte, NC also a bit of irony there too!
4 things make a real bier. Water, Malt, Hops and yeast. Period. I have been to 3 Oktoberfest's in my life. All of them in Germany.
This is the real thing. You will not get closer to a real Oktoberfest unless you visit. But luckily Olde Mecklenburg comes through with an authentic Marzen as you will find outside of Munich. That, you can take to the bank.

Thanks to nc41 for this one, from NBS BIF #8. 12oz bottle poured into 14oz teku. Poured a clean, clear bright copper color with about 1/2 inch of light khaki head that good retention and light lacing.

Very good grain scents greeted the nose, with just some light floral hops in the background. Very much the same on the tongue, a nice blend of malt and hops.

The body was smooth, even, and a touch creamy. Drinkability was very nice, the beer went down quite easily. Overall, a very nice version of the style. Stands up well with any I've had, Worth trying if you see it.

On tap from a Taste of Carolina sampler flight at the Charlotte airport.
I can see why Mecktoberfest is so highly rated in its style: a pleasant malt, balanced with modest hops. Finishes clean and crisp, but still knows how to tweak the salavaries.
I wish I did't have to catch my other flight otherwise I would savor a full glass. This may be my best O-fest for this season. Do we have another classic ?

My first from OMB, they seem about 10 years old but are very traditional in their approach to lagers. No frills, just the four ingredients. Maybe that is what it takes to become a classic... although it would be nice if they distributed their O-fest to Chicago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a clear orange/amber with medium head and persistent lacing.
Smell is caramel, sweet malt with a hint of fruit.
Taste is sweet caramel malt. Bready with a mild apple/fruit flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice strong nose and flavor, especially for a lager. Exactly what I think of when I imagine a German Oktoberfest beer. Clean dry finish with some great hops that hang on for a few extra seconds. It's honestly more of a true Marzen than a Festbier.

This is a terrific beer. I had it on tap at the brewery, served in a dimpled mug.

it is a deep amber/orange color with a tall off white head. The beer has quite a big aroma of bread and caramel; very little on the hop, just the faintest floral hop presence. The flavor is big and bold, lots of bread/biscuit and caramel as hinted at in the aroma. There is just a bit of hop bitterness that helps offset the moderately sweet maltiness. This is a very balanced beer all the way around. The beer is medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation. Supremely easy to drink.

I think this may be one of OMB's best beers; it stand out head and shoulders above most other domestic attempts at the style. This beer is much more akin to its German counterparts, without suffering the ill effects of the journey from there to here.