Oktoberfest
3 Sheeps Brewing

 

Color of penny, small off-white head faded quickly. Nose and buds get some caramel and bready malt. One of the better Oktoberfests IMHO, it could usemore carbonation.

My Favorite Märzen so far! Look is really dark clear amber color. Smells malty, maybe a little fruity. Tastes amazing. Nice malty sweet flavor balanced. Light carb easy drinking.

 

 

 

 

12 oz can poured into a tulip glass. Pours a dark copper color, nearly brown. Aroma and flavor feature deep bready malt with nutty caramel and maybe some toffee, along with a whiff of noble hops. If you're in the mood for a malty o-fest, this is it. Not sweet or syrupy. Definitely on the darker side of the style spectrum, but quite tasty regaredless.

From a can canned on 7-5-23

This beer pours a very pleasing looking dark amber color. The beer is clear and I see small carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The head that forms is off white, or more tan in color. Frothy looking at 1 finger, the head doesn't last too long. Once the head dissipates, there's just a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is so full of cereal grains. It is almost like opening up a bag of cheerios, and just breathing it in - without the crazy amount of sugar in that cereal.
Taste - This beer is almost creamy tasting right away. This creamy flavor turns right away to the malts. So much cereal flavor in this beer and I get notes of caramel as well. There's a slight hop bitterness on the back that just rounds this beer out.
Full bodied, and quite smooth feeling. I mentioned creamy earlier, it's more of a feeling than a flavor.
This is a very delicious and well made beer.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours deep red orange with a small off white head. Smells of bright fruit and caramelized grain. Tastes of caramelized grain with nice toffee notes. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

 

Picked this up at Marketplace Foods in Rice Lake, Wisconsin when I was up there not too long ago. Saw this was rated highly on here and indeed, this was a fine Marzen that was easy to enjoy and true to form since this wasn't on the weaker side like some others that I've had over the years.

This had a dark copper hue to it that was a bit cloudy and topped off with plenty of big, bubbly foam that resembled bread. Only a few bits of lacing were left behind with the most noticeable ring being wavy and along the top of my glass. Lots of apple, bread, and a bit of caramel in the nose as this almost felt like a Belgian beer on the palate. Lots of toast and bread came through on the taste with a persistent presence of fruity esters. Sweetness and cherry juice emerged in the back as this was lively, full-bodied, and light in carbonation throughout.

The alcohol was spot-on as I could have easily had another after finishing this off, even with Christmas in full swing now. Canned on 8/4, this held up well and was a great take on a style that is too numerous in the fall months. I'd grab this again if I was out in Wisconsin next year!

 

Dark garnet tone, bright clarity, initial finger of foam that fades rapidly, minimal lacing.

Toasted dark bread crust aroma, dry nutty malt character.

Bittersweet taste, bready with a light dried apple ester, specialty malt. Aftertaste is malty with a nearly imperceptible bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. Medium bodied, carb is light, easy going. Overall it’s not bad, maybe a little sweet for me personally. Thanks to Larry for this one!

 

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy, deep, but bright amber color with a massive off white head. SRM of 15-16. (4.50)

Aroma: Strong and rich amber aromas of toasted bread malts, toasted caramel, toffee, strudel, with some slight red and baked cherry pie, orange citrus, and vanilla notes. (4.25)

Flavor: Flavor follows the nose with amber flavors upfront. There rich amber, red cherry, toasted caramel flavors. Then turns bready and has a distinct crackery and crusty flavor. A toasty, crackery, sweetness lingers. (4.50)

Feel: Medium to heavier bodied. Moderate carbonation. Sweet, toasty, and crackery on the finish. (4.25)

Compared to Sam Adams Oktoberfest 9/5/22: Pours a darker color. Milder aromas. More smooth bread, earthy Munich malt, lemon/citrus flower, cooked vegetables. Less red citrus and cherry spice. Slightly sweeter, but more bready, toasty with less cherry. Winner: 3 Sheeps.

Compared to Great Lakes Oktoberfest 9/5/22: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More toasted caramel and bread, earthy Munich malt. Less smooth bread and pale malts. Darker and sweeter.

Compared to Summit Oktoberfest 9/5/22: Pours darker, Stronger aromas. More smooth bread, earthy Munich malt, citrus flower, earthy cooked vegetables. Less cloying malt and alcohol. Lighter and cleaner.

Compared to Raised Grain Doktoberfest 9/25/22: Pours a darker, color. Stronger aromas. More bread, toast, baked caramel. Less citrus/honey. Stronger flavors and sweeter. Winner: 3 Sheeps.

Compared to Revolution Oktoberfest 9/30/22: Pours a darker color. Stronger aromas. More spiced bread and pepper. Less pale bread and light floral notes. Darker, maltier, and sweeter

Compared to Millstream Oktoberfest 9/30/22: Pours a darker color. Milder aromas, but mildly so. More dark amber and dark bread spice malts. Less baked bread malt.
10/2023: Pours darker, midler head. Similar aromas. More rich caramel and amber notes. Less rich bread. Similar floral hops and sweetness.

Compared to Breckenridge Oktoberfest 10/2022: Pours darker. Stronger aromas. More toasted bread and caramel. Less brown sugar. More flavor and carbonation.

Compared to Lupulin Oktoberfest 10/2022: Pours darker. Stronger aromas. More toasted bread and caramel. Less earthy honey and citrus. Slightly dryer, but slightly more flavor. Winner: 3 Sheeps
12/2022: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More toasted caramel. Less bread and honey. Darker, toasted, sweeter. Winner: 3 Sheeps

to Lupulin Oktoberfest 9/2023: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More rich caramel, less bread. Darker, similar sweetness.

to Third Space Oktoberfest 9/2023: Pours darker, similar aromas. Very similar flavors, dark caramel, bread, toast. Slightly more sweet, but nearly identical.
12/24: Pours darker. Similar aromas. Slightly less toast and yeast. More caramel. Slightly sweeter.
10/25: Less toasty. More sweet caramel. Winner: 3 Sheeps

to Sam Adams Oktoberfest 10/2023: Pours similar, larger head. Similar aromas. Slightly more rich caramel and floral notes. Less cinnamon roll and amber notes.
10/25: Pours similar. Similar aromas. Less bread and amber notes. More rich caramel. Sweeter. Similar.

to Great Dane Oktoberfest 10/2023: Pours darker, similar aromas and flavors. Slightly sweeter with more flavor.

to Arbeiter Oktoberfest 9/25: Pours darker, similar aromas. Less toasted bread. More sweet caramel. Slightly more flavor.

to Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen 4/26: Pours darker. Less orange, honey, bread. More toasted caramel.

Overall: One of the best American Marzens. Not a festbier, but a Marzen all the way. Amber and red cherry flavors that mix with toasted caramel and bread. They quickly follow into a rich, sweet, toasted bread and cracker flavors glazed with caramel. Dense and flavorful, but surprisingly so for the sweetness. Yes, it's sweet, but definitely matches it with the flavors here. Robust, dynamic, and approaching one of the best. (Rating: 4.39)