Itascafest
Church Street Brewing Company

 

On tap 9/30/2023 into a proper Oktoberfest dimpled mug. Served a bit too cold for my taste so let it warm a bit

A - rich copper color, minimal head, nice lacing, plenty of carbonation bubbles
S - didn't get a whole lot, it was pretty cold out of the tap
T - really toasty malt, kind of sweet, biscuity. Nice long finish which I expect for the style
M - really good body but a little fuzzy for my tastes
O - solid. The first draft Marzen I've had as part of my Oktoberfest 2023 tour so I can directly compare to the others I've tried, but I'd have it again

 

 

Canned 7/27/22; drank 9/6/22 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange/red appearance.

A rough pour yielded a small khaki head; almost no lace.

Acorn, mild brown sugar & a faint metallic note in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Acorn & mild brown sugar flavors up front; some dry bitterness on the finish.

Decent, but with some "off" notes in the nose and taste. Not one I'll seek out again.

16oz undated can poured into a pint glass shows a clear and bright bronze, amber body and briefly supports a 1/2" head of cream colored foam that falls to some random eruptions and an edge ring leaving a clean glass behind.

Aroma is sweet malt and fresh air.

Taste leans sweet yet still rounds out with a hint of dryness.

Thinner feel is a touch oily before disappearing with no aftertaste.

Overall an easy drinker that just doesn't excite me.

 

Orangey amber clear body with off-white foam. Smell and taste are clones: caramel malt that is crystalized with sweetness, very bright yet pervasive, light amounts of toast and nuts, but really not much else, borders on watery. Feel is thin, malty, bright for style, and gets close to being described as sweeter feeling too. It's crushable though bland and one-dimensional. The wife liked it

 

caught this one pretty old, so not going to be too critical of it here, and will wait to hopefully try it on the fresher side at some point, but i wasnt real impressed with this. a little darker in the glass than a lot of these, more reddish amber than the burnt orange i am used to, although the head is frothy and nice. aroma is a little sour, like a yeast thats starting to go off, trace fruit vinegar or something, but beneath that is a richer and fuller malt base, a loosely german essence from the grain and yeast, and a sweetness that runs through it. the flavor is about the same, less of the oldness, less oxidation, and none of the weird tang i smell, the malt is still intact, and this just seems like a somewhat heartier version of the style than we usually get. an almond layer, some brown sugar, and still a german lager drying tendency at the end, even with a lot of body on it. overall decent but not great, ill have to find this a little closer to the source, but it was a fun one to try from a brewery i had not heard of before. common knowledge says marzen is for the fall, but i like them all the time!

Taste: slight spiced bread, caramel malt, smooth and clean finish. mild nose. Dark copper hue, clear, with soft foam head and ring of lace. Medium to light body. Lighter version of the big Oktoberfest beers. 24 IBUs

 

 

 

12oz bottle. Poured out a clear, amber color with ruby highlights. It smelled floral and grassy. Lots of sweet malty notes, too. It had a subtle spice and a nice toasted caramel malt finish.

 

Tasted in a 16 oz Pilsner glass from draught at Firkin on September 9, 2016.

An excellent example for this style. Color is amber as befitting an older traditional Bavarian Maerzen Fest beer. Many people are unaware that the Oktoberfest bier served at the Wies'n years ago was amber and not golden as it has been in since around 1990. Most importantly, the Itascafest has a fantastic caramel malt character due to the use of decoction mashing, and a reason why CS lager beers are better than most imo. Really nice roasted, bready malt aroma too. At 5.1 abv this is a very quaffable brew albeit at the lower end of what would be considered the proper range for the style. Big abv. isn't necessarily better with beer. Foam holds well and the .5 ltr Willi Becher glass I used acquired a fine lace as it drank down. The beer had good clarity adding to a strong visual when first poured from the tap with a 3 finger head of foam. This beer was very good last year, and this seasonal installment is once again outstanding on draft.

 

A - Very dark amber in color with a dark khaki head that is a half finger in thickness. Some visible yeast in the beer. Not the typical Oktoberfest appearance that I am used to. Head disappears very quickly. 3.5/5

S - Major notes a wheat bread and a yogurt tanginess. Maybe a hint of some dark fruit as well. Very little in the way of hops. A bit peppery. Once again, very different for an Oktoberfest. 4/5

T - Yeasty and bready right of the bat with a yogurt tang/funky finish. I am also getting notes of molasses, green apple, and a bit of a buttery note. Very interesting profile. 4/5

M - Clean and crips. Does not linger on the palate. 4.25/5

O - Definitely not the typical Oktoberfest offering. Reminds me more of a wild ale without the high abv. Throughly enjoyed discovering this one of a kind Oktoberfest. Even better that it's a local brewery! 4/5