Oktoberfest
Mazama Brewing Co.

12 oz can from Brewers Haven. Deep, dark golden pour, actually light amber, fluffy head fades to tight cap. Light grainy, malty aroma. Taste is more of the malts, as it should be, but not much else to this.

6 pack bought from Roth's West Salem market, Salem OR.
$9.99
Pours a really attractive clear darkish copper with a nice beige head.
Very fresh bread aromas..bready, bit of yeast and some earthiness. It's OK
Taste is malty and semi-sweet, but they keep it subdued. So, it's all smooth. Nice.
Mouth feel is fine. Medium to thick. But very easy to drink.
This reminds me a lot of Wimder's Okto (which is actually an ale)..i liked that too.

Look: Amber red and nearly clear with a billowing off-white head that holds as a pillow and slowly recedes, leaving great lacing behind
Aroma: Warm brown bread, melanoidin, a little toffee, wafts of floral hops, and bread dough
Taste: Bread, toffee, and a strong doughy note kick it off as floral hops soon start to weave their way into the mix. These all develop more in the middle before dough comes again to the forefront to close it out
Mouthfeel: Full, clean throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a clean and slightly crisp finish
Overall: I dig it. I think I passed on purchasing this last year but definitely shouldn’t have as it’s a well-made and tasty Marzen that beings plenty of bready malt and doughy goodness to the table. I’m glad I got a sizer and would definitely try/buy this again

solid example of the style here for an up and coming american operation, but this is yet another of their beers that has carbonation issues, which is more of them that have than havent in my experience, draft, bottle, can, doesnt matter. if this wasnt so close to still it would be awesome, the malt is toasted and autumnal without being too sweet, just a trace of honey and long boiled concentrated character to it, the yeast is authentically german and patiently enough lagered to make this seem traditional, even a little hop flash late that works with what else is going on here, but to me the lack of a more lively mouthfeel really hurts it. i guess i never realized how much it matters in this style until it was missing this badly. a shame for an otherwise very well done beer to go down for something like that, but here we are. nutty and approaching dry when its cold, warming up well, staying intact better than a lot of its peers, and i like how forward the yeast is in the flavor mix. lots to like, but this brewery has issues with carbonation that are becoming more and more detrimental to their overall standing in my head. just the other day i thought about picking up a sixer of one of their hoppy offerings and then decided it has a good chance of being flat and i dont want to drink flat ipa all weekend, like its starting to impact my impression of the brewery overall, which is unfair to otherwise excellent beer, but its true. i hope they can work it out, this would be money with some bubbles...

 

Pours a deep amber with a lovely tight head just off white in the brown direction.
Smell is richly malty with a touch of graininess.
Taste has a strong dark graininess up front that slides into a mellow bitterness and finishes clean. Slightly off putting spice note near the end but it's faint and not entirely unpleasant.
Mouthfeel is great, fuller than a light lager but super clean on the palate.
Overall this is really nice, just showed up on our shelves and I will be enjoying this one as long as it's around. Nice and flavorful with an excellent clean finish.

2018 version from the can. 6.0% abv.

Mazama Oktoberfest looks festive enough. Brilliantly clear burnt orange, lazy bubbles constantly surfacing. Unfortunately they are a little too lazy as the nearly bone white head disappears completely other than a light island and thin ring around the rim.

Smells right too. Very bready, German yeast aromas and just a drop of caramel. Only faintest dried wild flower hoppiness comes through after some serious investigation.

Flavor falls a bit short. The same quad of aromas play into the taste, but all subdued. It ends up being a bit spicier as well, almost like a pinch of mulling spices were thrown in at the last second.

It's pretty dry and more highly carbonated than the picture would suggest. Well balanced too. It starts sweet and transitions immediatly into a spicy floral finish.

I'd say Mazama did an ok job here. It's no where near the likes of the traditional Oktoberfests, but it is a decent representation and an easy beer to drink. Prost!