Festy
Carton Brewing Company
- From:
- Carton Brewing Company
- New Jersey, United States
- Style:
- Festbier / Wiesnbier
Ranked #90 - ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #27,032 - Avg:
- 3.77 | pDev: 5.84%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 8
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 01, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 10, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Under the festival tents there are the Oktoberfest Marzens made "in honor of the fest" and the Festbiers made "for drinking at the fest”. As more and more quality Marzens show up at Autumn-fests around NJ, we decided that the drift off the beaten craft opportunity here was to make the “drinking beer of the fest" as traditionally as possible. A floor-malted German-pils malt bill picks up a Festbier touch of autumnal richness through the addition of light Munich and Victory. Then hop spiciness comes in the form of Tettnanger and Strisselspalt for both the kettle and late-hop additions. Drink Festy because these days a commitment to tradition is as far off the path's trend as can be.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut
3.45/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Canned on 8/24/23; consumed on 11/15/23
Pours a foggy, straw-gold hue topped with a finger and a half of fluffy, off-white foam; decent head retention yields a slight layer of cap, modest, sudsy collar, and healthy spatter of soapy lacing caked down the walls of the glass.
Aroma opens with taut minerality and proceeds across a foundation of wildflower honey to Teddy Graham inflections, sporting tinges of sweet bread, fresh flour, and floral undertones throughout.
Taste offers notes of grain silo with a mossy edge and wavering florality as musty honey brings slight sweetness into a white toast finish.
Mouthfeel shows a medium body and a choppy fluff of moderate carbonation, leaving taut texturing of a crisp mid-palate, remaining snappy as a clean, delicately dry finish fades through the swallow.
A peak of attenuated sweetness becomes progressively faded in a murkier yeast overtone, without which this festbier begins to show cleaner glimpses of its full potential in the style; solid overall nonetheless.
Nov 16, 2023Pours a foggy, straw-gold hue topped with a finger and a half of fluffy, off-white foam; decent head retention yields a slight layer of cap, modest, sudsy collar, and healthy spatter of soapy lacing caked down the walls of the glass.
Aroma opens with taut minerality and proceeds across a foundation of wildflower honey to Teddy Graham inflections, sporting tinges of sweet bread, fresh flour, and floral undertones throughout.
Taste offers notes of grain silo with a mossy edge and wavering florality as musty honey brings slight sweetness into a white toast finish.
Mouthfeel shows a medium body and a choppy fluff of moderate carbonation, leaving taut texturing of a crisp mid-palate, remaining snappy as a clean, delicately dry finish fades through the swallow.
A peak of attenuated sweetness becomes progressively faded in a murkier yeast overtone, without which this festbier begins to show cleaner glimpses of its full potential in the style; solid overall nonetheless.
Rated by Navanation from Pennsylvania
3.52/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nice amber color. Small white head that laces down the glass. Balanced. Not as malty as many other Fest or Marzens. Purchased on a whim.
May 24, 2022
Reviewed by Jacobier10 from New Jersey
3.98/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16 oz can. Notes from October 2021.
Pale gold color with a small to medium frothy white head. Nicely balanced aroma and flavor that doesn't go overboard on the malt or hops. Sweet and bready malts with grassy and floral hops. Very clean. I usually appreciate a dry finish but this one is a little overly dry. Still a very nice Oktoberfestbier.
Jan 08, 2022Pale gold color with a small to medium frothy white head. Nicely balanced aroma and flavor that doesn't go overboard on the malt or hops. Sweet and bready malts with grassy and floral hops. Very clean. I usually appreciate a dry finish but this one is a little overly dry. Still a very nice Oktoberfestbier.
Reviewed by SmashAdams from New Jersey
4/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very nice Festbier style from Carton. Their lagers have been dazzling me lately and though this one doesn't have much flair it is a very solid well-made beer that's true to style. yb
Dec 09, 2021
Reviewed by dacrza1 from New Jersey
3.55/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
DATE: October 16, 2021... OCCASION: watching The Office with the family... GLASSWARE: Chilton Mill willibecker... this pours a bright yellow-orange body with sparse bubbles... its head forms as an off-white, half-fingered head... a brisk spiciness and somewhat dank aroma accompanies the expected caramel and toasted bread that is expected of the style... it body is fresh, easy-drinking, and textured enough to be engaging... nothing exceptional in its profile, but that is the point--it seems the best fests are the ones that stick to the script... this one does offer some garden herb to the flavor... not much else to say--Carton's version is well within the realm of the genre....
Oct 17, 2021
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey
3.9/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Canned on 9/3/2020. Poured into a seidel mug. It pours a slightly hazy, honey-lemon color with a half finger of creamy, bright white head and lacing. Myriad tiny bubbles ascend the glass. A lite nose with lemon peel, biscuit, and spicy hops. The taste opens dry, crisp, and slightly tart. The Pils malt is very clean - it avoids the overly sweet caramel found in many local Märzens. The Tettnanger and Strisselspalt hops are earthy, grassy, floral, and slightly spicy. As the beer warms there is just a hint of honey. The mouth feel is lite and crisp with lively carbonation, and the 5.5% ABV is perfect for the style. Overall, Festy achieves Carton's stated desire to brew a traditional festbier. It reminds me of a Vienna Lager. A very fine beer as one would expect from Carton.
Sep 19, 2020
Reviewed by jgido759 from New Jersey
3.48/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
3.48/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
Poured from a 16 oz can into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Color is more pale amber/yellow with a thin, white head. Looks more like festbier than a Märzen / Oktoberfest. Taste more like a festbier, too. Not as heavy, sweet, or malt forward as I was expecting, but was right up there with most of the lighter festbiers.
Still, a good overall drinking beer.
Sep 14, 2020Still, a good overall drinking beer.
Reviewed by orcrist_cleaver from New York
3.87/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.87/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This is from a growler capped 4 days ago: I'm noticing a strong band aid aroma before I pour. I believe the source might be from the cap, so take this with a grain of salt and I'll revisit later.
Anyhow, this pours a lightly colored honey stained oak; think along the lines of Hofbrau. Strong pour gives a sliver of snowy head that doesn't last long.
Once it hits the glass and breathes the aroma opens up to wood grain, baked bread and biscuit. There's an accompanying light caramel sweetness and floral spiciness. I get coriander of all things on my first sip. Very little toast character maybe along the line of a crisped rice/oat cereal that is both delicate and clean. Malt sweetness builds to accentuate a yellow and pink starburst fruitiness. Med-full body, well rounded and creamy, and it's definitely a filling beer. Finish is wet if anything but crisp, or maybe I left it the growler a day too long with a shit cap. Definitely something to revisit.
Sep 17, 2019Anyhow, this pours a lightly colored honey stained oak; think along the lines of Hofbrau. Strong pour gives a sliver of snowy head that doesn't last long.
Once it hits the glass and breathes the aroma opens up to wood grain, baked bread and biscuit. There's an accompanying light caramel sweetness and floral spiciness. I get coriander of all things on my first sip. Very little toast character maybe along the line of a crisped rice/oat cereal that is both delicate and clean. Malt sweetness builds to accentuate a yellow and pink starburst fruitiness. Med-full body, well rounded and creamy, and it's definitely a filling beer. Finish is wet if anything but crisp, or maybe I left it the growler a day too long with a shit cap. Definitely something to revisit.
Reviewed by Act25 from New Jersey
3.92/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
1st review.
You suppose your hometown brewer can stretch into any style and here it's shown.
a/ class brown body with textured head and lace.
s/ malt, fall, ready for season change.
t/ More malt, sweet, orchard.
f/ chewy but mid weight.
o/ Done well. And so much better than when freshly baked, so a 4.
Sep 13, 2019You suppose your hometown brewer can stretch into any style and here it's shown.
a/ class brown body with textured head and lace.
s/ malt, fall, ready for season change.
t/ More malt, sweet, orchard.
f/ chewy but mid weight.
o/ Done well. And so much better than when freshly baked, so a 4.
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