Oktöberface
Solemn Oath Brewery

 

 

Comparing Oktoberface (in its 12th rendition) to recent entries shows that repeating and improving a recipe brings a micro closer to the masters. That may seem obvious to some of us consumers, but it is not so obvious to many recent entries.

O-face is decent marzen in every quality. Its coloring and foam Looks like the real deal. Smells are mostly malts, subtle ones. Tastes are balanced; more than enough lingering hops to remind me this a lager and cannot be confused with a fresh cider. Medium-mouthed and I primed for more.

As for Solemn Oath, I waver on how much attention I should pay to them. But with O-face, they have paid serious attention to this Bavarian tradition and for this I give them good Overall Hugs.

 

 

Canned 7/26/23; drank 8/20/23 @ the Yarchives.

Semi-opaque dark orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge khaki head; strong, frothy lacing remained.

Acorn, mild caramel & faint orange peel notes in the nose.

Creamy medium thick mouthfeel.

Acorn, mild caramel & faint banana flavors up front; faint brown sugar notes on the finish.

Not sure this is "to style", but it's a nice fall sipper.

 

 

Complete and utter trash. Nothing Marzen about it. It's all hops no malt. Don't label it as American style, put hoppy. Add a description or something. Someone looking for a Marzen will be disappointed.

 

12oz can purchased from the fridge for $2.49 as a single. Canned on 7/23/2021, so this is more than 2 1/2 months old.

Look: Very nice appearance - pours a very pretty golden orange color with a slightly cloudy haze and effervescent bubbles rising up the glass. Has a nice off-white head that receded to a thin layer with some signs of lacing.

Smell: The aroma is very interesting. Right off the bat, I get strong spice notes including clove and cinnamon perhaps, with some other floral notes. There are some nice citrus notes as well. Underneath those perfumy notes, there is a nice bread crust aroma with some sweet caramel maltiness.

Taste: Very tasty. This is probably not a very traditional marzen-style lager but I don't really care because it's delicious. It's crisp and refreshing with a very nice balance of malt up front and hoppiness on the back end. The spice flavors from the nose also come through prominently in the taste and they give a nice warm feel. Nice, moderately bitter finish. I think that this is probably much more aggressively hopped than traditional Marzen-style lagers. A pleasant, lingering maltiness that is reminiscent of molasses and mildly spiced gingerbread cookies.

Feel: The mouthfeel is medium and full-bodied for its weight class, a bit chewy. Nicely carbonated.

Overall: My first Solemn Oath beer, never heard of this brewery before. This is a nice American take on a Marzen lager. I like this a lot, enough to pick up a four pack when I go back. There's something that's just really enjoyable about this beer. It's a bit of a hybrid that reminds me of a cross between a malty Oktoberfest lager and an American style Maibock like Rogue Dead Guy Ale and a hoppy lager like Bitburger/Sierra Nevada Triple Hop'd Lager. I think that this beer would be an awesome beer to use in my beer bread recipe!

L: Pours a hazy copper color, nice white head, nice lacing.
S: Aroma of fresh bread, honey and a hint of citrus.
T: Some honey sweetness, bread crust. Some funk.
F: Medium bodied, nicely carbonated.
O: Not a bad beer, but ain't my go to Oktoberfest.

 

Pours a clear golden-bronze color with a finger of light tan head that leaves nice rings of lacing.

Sweet aroma with hints of candied orange and bread. That breadiness lends a certain dryness to the nose, despite the overall impression being sweet.

The taste follows. Candied orange strikes first, almost like a float on top of what’s really quite light breadiness and the earthy bitterness of the base. That candied orange and a touch of bergamot-heavy Earl Gray tea linger in the aftertaste. Tasted blind, I’d probably take this for a dry-hopped ESB or some other British style given its earthiness.

Light to medium bodied with somewhat prickly carbonation that keeps things lively.

Definitely not something I’d want to drink all day by the liter, but tasty and enjoyable in a 12-ounce serving.

 

 

 

Not typical of the Oktoberfest beers that I’m used to. Makes me think of an Oktoberfest mixed with an IPA