Oktoberfest
Heretic Brewing Company

i continue to really enjoy pretty much all the heretic beers out there, but i have been especially fond of the traditional german styles, and this really is a fine example of the marzen lager. its got a nice deep rusty orange color to it, decent clarity, and a high rising and long lasting white head from the tap. the aroma is a little sweet up front, but with the european character of the lager yeast and the attendant crispness right there with the malty sweetness the whole way. subtle nuttiness, honey, and fallen leaves to this, really autumnal and slightly deeper than a lot of the other ones i have had so far this year. the flavor is great, obvious german lager yeast all the way through it, especially at the end after most of the malt sweetness has been cleared up, its crisp and drinkable, even refreshing for a grain driven beer. a nice mineral backing to all of this, a cheerio cereal thing, and a light caramelized toffee sort of note. clean to finish, european to me all the way, and just a little denser and bolder on the grain side than many of its peers. an excellent beer, one of my favorites in the style so far this year. these guys make better beer than they seem to ever get credit for from the nerds...