Festbier
Atlas Brew Works

On draught at Oscar’s Woodstock Ale House.
A gold pour with high clarity, decent head initially that fades and leaves some stringy spotty lacing.
A subtle floral aroma. A pleasant toasted malt flavor, the Pilsner Malt flavor is pleasant, faint caramel, subtle hops bitterness, 22 IBUs.
Nicely carbonated, a little tickle on the back of the tongue as the light caramel malt fades into a semi-dry finish.
A very crushable Festbier.

It's fine, but I'm detecting quite a bit of diacetyl or something a little "off". Had on tap at a restaurant, so maybe it's their fault from dirty lines or something and not Atlas' fault, but still not the greatest experience.

Great frothy head from can pour. Floral hops smell. A little piney pucker at the end of the drink. Smooth and worthy of the feather label.

Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has slight floral, hop malt hints
Taste has a slight floral, hop and malt flavor
A light bodied decently carbonated beer
A decent Festbier

Echoing others, I can’t give this a good review because it is so far off from the style. Beer drinkers tend to know what they want from a festbier or märzen, but adding orange peel completely blows up the normal malty flavor profile. It’s a well made beer, but it offensively deviates from the märzen and festbier style and should not carry the name. Should be advertised as some type of “fall seasonal” and highlight the citrus taste upfront.

Not an Oktoberfest, period, full stop.

Arguably a well-made beer, but even the label is filled with several disclaimers that essentially state FestBier isn't Oktoberfest. And it's definitely not. It is, as the label says, "Oktoberfest on American soil" and "an irreverent take on a German style."

In other words, this is a beer for people who don't like traditional Märzen-style Oktoberfest brews. I ordered a 12-pack online (based on trust in Atlas), and after I picked it up and got home, I read the label and braced for disappointment. Alas, my trust in Atlas was not well-placed with regard to their "FestBier" offering.

This beer is beyond disappointing to beer drinkers who look forward to Oktoberfest offerings each year. It's not a poorly-made beer, but It's not an Oktoberfest, and honestly it's not even close. It's closer to a filtered Hefe than it is to a traditional Oktoberfest. So don't call it FestBier, Atlas. You're better than that.

For 2023, Hacker-Pschorr has arguably the best example of an Oktoberfest. Pour yourself one of those and never forget how it tastes. It's Pure Oktoberfest. They absolutely nailed it this year. The 2023 Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest is exactly what Oktoberfest should taste like. This Atlas FestBier doesn't taste anything like it. Not at all.

Atlas (who incidentally make several great beers here in the District of Columbia) brewed up a batch of something and slapped a label on it that reads "FestBier." Not cool.

Side Rant: Oktoberfest isn't the time for small breweries to freestyle with their creative take on the tradition of Oktoberfest. It's a chance to roll up your sleeves and show the world you can brew a simple malty beer and absolutely nail it. Oktoberfest is analogous to compulsories in gymnastics. Save all your super creative brewing ideas in your world-beating routine for the freestyle all-around competition, and just show us perfect basic skills for the compulsories (Oktoberfest). Get creative at Christmas or some other time, but don't mess with the Oktoberfest tradition. It rubs some of us the wrong way.

Not a bad beer, but an absolute embarrassment at an Oktoberfest gathering.

I generally grab any marzen or fest beer I haven't seen before this time of year especially and Atlas is generally good value. Big malt and bread and butter note dominates both nose and taste here. A little saaz style spiciness but hop profile is pretty low. I could go for a touch less carbonation but this is quaffable and generally agreeable so worth a try in the season.

12 ounce can poured into a dimpled mug.

L: Amber, slightly cloudy, one and a half inch off-white head with good retention
S: Opens with big bready malt aroma that quickly fades leaving lasting zesty/spicy aromas.
T: Slightly hop forward, spicy and small citrus hop flavors, grainy malt, very little sweetness, mildly bitter, new world hop flavor comes through more in the finish, mild alcohol flavor becomes apparent after it warms
F: Light-medium body, medium carbonation, somewhat crisp, soft and creamy finish
O: A decent Festbier but I would like the hop profile to be a more in balance with the malt.

 

 

 

5 oz pour on tap. Nice bready/caramel/nutty malts, but not too sweet - appropriately restrained. On the other hand, the hops are slightly more citrusy than I would expect from a festbier; maybe just a bit too much American hops?

Poured from the can into a Libbey style pilsner glass.

Clear bodied, with a lighter brass faintly hinting copper orange body appearance. There's a trace amount of chill haze in this as well. Bit of a large head for a marzen, off white with a punchy four fingers of head, settling to a good bubbly collar.

Quite a nice nose. Good crispy caramel action and clean aroma. Hits an excellent spicy note, that's almost more Christmas cinnamon like than clove. Has excellent mellow sweetness, and this exceptional dry spice of nutmeg. Very unexpected. A little different but real impressive.

Palate is interesting. First sip seems to contain a good noticeable hop bitterness that seems traditional spicy, but seems to lean in some other angle that almost senses experimental. Lingering bitterness on the finish that has almost a hot spice, even peppery aftertaste that is slightly jarring. Mid palate manages some light caramel and crispy flavors, that provide some at least contrasting needed sweetness.

The bitterness, and I would say even hotness on this beer is really unexpected. Still an easily drinkable Marzen.