Blended Oxtoberfest | Oxbow Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Oxbow Brewing Company
Maine, United States
oxbowbeer.com
Style: French Bière de Garde
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.00%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
Sour, smokey biere de garde. A blend of multiple vintages of barrel-aged Oxtoberfest.
2015 Blend = 2012, 2013, 2014
Added by yourefragile on 03-10-2013
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 60 | Reviews: 12
4.15/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I had this '11/12/13' blend at the brewery on their 5th anniversary (08/16/16), during our annual family vacation to Lincoln County, Maine.
It was poured in a 5 oz. taster.
L: Copper orange with deep, amber red hues; little haze; rapidly vanishing head.
S: Smoky, with a pervasive musty and barnyard-like, horse stable smell; old leather and tobacco.
T: Black pepper upfront; mostly tart, slightly sour or vinegary (?) raspberry midway; subtle and smooth cheesy finish, almost reminiscent of a creamy blue.
F: Medium body; medium carbonation; tingly.
O: An unusual, yet interesting rendition of the bière de garde style; a pleasant cold(er) weather, slow-sipper; a definite sharer among friends.
698 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I had this '11/12/13' blend at the brewery on their 5th anniversary (08/16/16), during our annual family vacation to Lincoln County, Maine.
It was poured in a 5 oz. taster.
L: Copper orange with deep, amber red hues; little haze; rapidly vanishing head.
S: Smoky, with a pervasive musty and barnyard-like, horse stable smell; old leather and tobacco.
T: Black pepper upfront; mostly tart, slightly sour or vinegary (?) raspberry midway; subtle and smooth cheesy finish, almost reminiscent of a creamy blue.
F: Medium body; medium carbonation; tingly.
O: An unusual, yet interesting rendition of the bière de garde style; a pleasant cold(er) weather, slow-sipper; a definite sharer among friends.
698 characters
3.63/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
500 mL bottle. Clear amber body with a small off-white head. Smell is an interesting combination of smoke and acidity. Acidity is a touch vinegary, but it seems to work with the smoke. Tastes smokey primarily with a nice dose of sourness behind it. Again, just a tinge of vinegar in the sourness. Some maltiness. Oily mouthfeel. High carbonation. Interesting, as always, from Oxbow.
391 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
500 mL bottle. Clear amber body with a small off-white head. Smell is an interesting combination of smoke and acidity. Acidity is a touch vinegary, but it seems to work with the smoke. Tastes smokey primarily with a nice dose of sourness behind it. Again, just a tinge of vinegar in the sourness. Some maltiness. Oily mouthfeel. High carbonation. Interesting, as always, from Oxbow.
391 characters
4.13/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Dark Amber. White fluffy head, looks like a solid BdG. S: Smokey, that BdG funk, some basement with a touch of lemon. T: Smoke at first, then a touch of biscuit maltiness, finishing with a salty lemon. M: Pillowy, almost creamy, medium feel. O: First oxbow beer and it's great. Just a great representation of the BgD style. Very impressed
341 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Dark Amber. White fluffy head, looks like a solid BdG. S: Smokey, that BdG funk, some basement with a touch of lemon. T: Smoke at first, then a touch of biscuit maltiness, finishing with a salty lemon. M: Pillowy, almost creamy, medium feel. O: First oxbow beer and it's great. Just a great representation of the BgD style. Very impressed
341 characters
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12/13/14 btl
12 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12/13/14 btl
12 characters
4.5/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml blend 12'/13'/14' into a Cantillon balloon pours a beautiful slightly opaque reddish brown with a very short lived eggshell head and minimally light lacing. It smells of charred smokey heart of the cedar tree. A rich turpentine is found naturally in the heart of a cedar and has an incredibly pleasant earthy aroma that reminds me of my childhood growing up rural. Truly one of the few things I can name that tastes exactly as it smells, of a beautiful smoked wood and citrus on the back end. The brew is well carbed and floats around the mouth and goes down with an awesome tingle. This isn't for everyone, but I'm in love with it. Pair this one with bbq, thanksgiving dinner, or a nice cold night to welcome the weekend. Well done!
739 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml blend 12'/13'/14' into a Cantillon balloon pours a beautiful slightly opaque reddish brown with a very short lived eggshell head and minimally light lacing. It smells of charred smokey heart of the cedar tree. A rich turpentine is found naturally in the heart of a cedar and has an incredibly pleasant earthy aroma that reminds me of my childhood growing up rural. Truly one of the few things I can name that tastes exactly as it smells, of a beautiful smoked wood and citrus on the back end. The brew is well carbed and floats around the mouth and goes down with an awesome tingle. This isn't for everyone, but I'm in love with it. Pair this one with bbq, thanksgiving dinner, or a nice cold night to welcome the weekend. Well done!
739 characters
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.59/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.2/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 500 mL bottle into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a deep reddish brown color with a finger of suds. This bottle actually gushed a little after I opened it. No big deal though, and I didn't really lose any beer.
S: Smells of a vinous, funky aroma. As I dive my nose into the glass I also catch some prominent smokiness. There is a faint scent of malts that come through as well. Definitely not as strong as the funky, smoky notes.
T: The flavor starts off with the sour grapes/apple flavors and evolve into the smoked malts. This is quite the interesting combination. The flavors are really nice. It's a bit two-dimension, but honestly the flavor that these two dimensions contribute is more than enough. I really like this.
F: This doesn't feel like it's 6% at all. The mouth feel is a bit creamy, but medium bodied. It's not a sipper, but not something I can drink multiple bottles of in a sitting.
Overall: This is an interesting beer from Oxbow. Having had their original Oxtoberfest, I was able to pick out the differences between the original and the blended version. I really think that Oxbow could be on to something here with the blends of different vintages. Reminds me of what the Belgian brewers do with their gueuzes. I think this beer could be really great with some rounded edges. Nice beer overall though.
1,332 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 500 mL bottle into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a deep reddish brown color with a finger of suds. This bottle actually gushed a little after I opened it. No big deal though, and I didn't really lose any beer.
S: Smells of a vinous, funky aroma. As I dive my nose into the glass I also catch some prominent smokiness. There is a faint scent of malts that come through as well. Definitely not as strong as the funky, smoky notes.
T: The flavor starts off with the sour grapes/apple flavors and evolve into the smoked malts. This is quite the interesting combination. The flavors are really nice. It's a bit two-dimension, but honestly the flavor that these two dimensions contribute is more than enough. I really like this.
F: This doesn't feel like it's 6% at all. The mouth feel is a bit creamy, but medium bodied. It's not a sipper, but not something I can drink multiple bottles of in a sitting.
Overall: This is an interesting beer from Oxbow. Having had their original Oxtoberfest, I was able to pick out the differences between the original and the blended version. I really think that Oxbow could be on to something here with the blends of different vintages. Reminds me of what the Belgian brewers do with their gueuzes. I think this beer could be really great with some rounded edges. Nice beer overall though.
1,332 characters
3.81/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Label: "Blended 11/12/13"
Purchased July 2014, opened on Sept 9th 2015
L - Hazy, caramel color. Light off-white head that fades quickly.
S - Vinous, funky, spicy. Love the smell.
T - Tart followed by barnyard. A bit of oak and pepper. Tartness overwhelms.
F - Medium bodied and effervescent.
0 - I was expecting something mellower considering the age. Maybe another year would've done it. Ce'st La Vie!
405 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Label: "Blended 11/12/13"
Purchased July 2014, opened on Sept 9th 2015
L - Hazy, caramel color. Light off-white head that fades quickly.
S - Vinous, funky, spicy. Love the smell.
T - Tart followed by barnyard. A bit of oak and pepper. Tartness overwhelms.
F - Medium bodied and effervescent.
0 - I was expecting something mellower considering the age. Maybe another year would've done it. Ce'st La Vie!
405 characters
3/5 rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I had heard great things about Oxbow Brewing, so I was sorely disappointed to experience this mediocrity as my introduction to their collection.
This beer is essentially an overly smoked sour beer with an off-putting earthy flavor. Probably something that should not have been bottled.
287 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I had heard great things about Oxbow Brewing, so I was sorely disappointed to experience this mediocrity as my introduction to their collection.
This beer is essentially an overly smoked sour beer with an off-putting earthy flavor. Probably something that should not have been bottled.
287 characters
4.49/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Smoke done well. Tartness, a blend of fruit from pear to Quince, Tartness that isn't a distraction. A hybrid without a real style that is incredibly delicious.
161 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Smoke done well. Tartness, a blend of fruit from pear to Quince, Tartness that isn't a distraction. A hybrid without a real style that is incredibly delicious.
161 characters
3.9/5 rDev -0.8%
11/12/13 bottle. Thanks Valdieu!
A: Pours an absolutely clear amber with a nice off-white head.
S: Aroma is funky leather, raspberry, mild caramel malt and yeasty.
T: Smoke makes itself known first, followed by crisp red fruit acidity. Moderately sour, bready malt, more smoke, slight metallic note.
M: Light-bodied with zingy carbonation.
O: Odd at first, but I really like it.
383 characters
11/12/13 bottle. Thanks Valdieu!
A: Pours an absolutely clear amber with a nice off-white head.
S: Aroma is funky leather, raspberry, mild caramel malt and yeasty.
T: Smoke makes itself known first, followed by crisp red fruit acidity. Moderately sour, bready malt, more smoke, slight metallic note.
M: Light-bodied with zingy carbonation.
O: Odd at first, but I really like it.
383 characters
3.86/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Blended Oxtoberfest from Oxbow Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.93 out of
5 with
60 ratings
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