Octoberfest
North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery

A seasonal offering by NXNW.
You'll have to forgive a little vagueness in this review; I had this beer last night and didn't take notes. Paired the beer with a cedar plank salmon that blew me away.
The beer was on target across the board for appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel. If the salmon serving size wasn't so generous, I would probably still be there drinking the Octoberfest that just came available. They really are within style for the Oktoberfest notes of lighted toasted malt, and full, but clean mouthfeel. If you are in the area, stop by and sample this one before it's gone. I was pricing kegs, but the manager was reluctant to let one go. I had to compromise on a growler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the brewpub during North by Northwest's 2011 Oktoberfest party.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of toffee and bread notes with a little bit of grass and some sugary sweetness. The flavor is has a little bit of toasted and caramel malt and some nuttyness, as well as some earth and grass from the hops. There is a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of alcohol. A very easy drinking Oktoberfest, definitely a beer you can have more than one of. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Reviewed 10/19/2007 (Tap @ NxNw Brewery, Austin, TX):

Pours a pale amber-orange colored body, clear. White foamy head. Malty aroma. Good malt taste, not acidic. Roasted, red flavor. Slight acidic aftertaste. Clean & refreshing. Okay taste. Lagery after it warms up.

Light clear copper with a small white creamy head. Smell is of apple juice. Taste begins w/ a fair amount of tartness, some light sweetness in the form of a toasty malt, and mild bitterness in the finish. Nice and refreshing. A good example of the style, and a touch hoppier than expected which I really liked.

Appearance: Medium copper color, quite clear, with moderate carbonation, a thin white head, and thick, glass-coating lace.

Aroma: Sweet, slightly spicy aroma, not as malty as I would have expected. The hop presence is slightly spicy.

Taste: Toasted malts at the open, less so midway through the taste. Finishes with a fairly strong herbal and spice note. The malt character lack the depth usually associated with this style .

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, a bit thin, with mild carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Pleasant, although not as malty or full as I would have expected. Certainly good, just not outstanding for the style.

Had this today at the North by Northwest's O-Fest. This one just doesn't do it for me for the style. It's not a bad tasting beer, but not nearly malty enough for the style. This brew has a very hoppy almost a litte harsh, especially in the beginning. It has a hint of pumpkin and maybe a touch of malt, but still not nearly malty enough to balance out the hops. As I grew more used to it with further sips, it became a little better. An average stab at best at an O-Fest brew. NXNW brews much better beers than this.