Franz
Rhinegeist Brewery

FranzFranz
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From:
Rhinegeist Brewery
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #182
ABV:
5.4%
Score:
83
Ranked #23,573
Avg:
3.68 | pDev: 11.68%
Reviews:
58
Ratings:
220
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 11, 2024
Added:
Aug 10, 2014
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  61
Franz, our autumnal Oktoberfest ale, traverses the palate with pumped-up Munich and Vienna malt flavors, offering a rich, nutty and über-German drinking experience.

Most Oktoberfest beers, whether they are Märzens or Festbiers, are lagers. We use an ale yeast in Franz, which adds a touch of fruit from the esters formed in fermentation. This makes Franz a bit untraditional, but relatively true to style.

25 IBU

Note: This is not an Märzen / lager.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by trdtercel92:
Photo of trdtercel92
Rated by trdtercel92 from Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Sep 24, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a small white head. Smells of fresh fruit and caramelized grain. Tastes of caramelized grain with some fresh fruit. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Mar 11, 2024
Photo of Deaconmark
Reviewed by Deaconmark from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours nice with excellent color. Not real dark but right in middle. Certainly malt in the first taste with a reasonably long lingering. An excellent ofest from a not so well known brewery.
Dec 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.44 by TP2MSU from Michigan

Nov 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by Rollmeaway2loadout from Illinois

Nov 04, 2023
Photo of EmperorBevis
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

3.54/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Canned in a little 330ml stubbie craft can and part of a Beer52 delivery
Pours a clear golden syrup coloured with decent white head
Aroma is grainy rough sugars
Flavour is big sugar brew
Nov 01, 2023
Photo of dcotom
Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 12-ounce can into a Seidel mug. Appearance is straight-up apple cider: murky dark amber, topped by a finger or so of white foam. Aroma is malt forward, with notes of black bread, dried fruit, and caramel. These obtain on the palate, along with an overtone of slightly tart sweet apple. Light to medium bodied. Very crisp finish, with an understated bitterness. Highly quaffable, highly recommended. Prost!
Oct 22, 2023
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I'd rather rate this as a marzen because that is what the brewer calls it and 24,000+ check-ins on UnTappd agree.
But, I can go with the BA "Red Ale" anomaly here; for the ale yeast does make Franz different than a classic marzen.

I'm Looking at a cloudy marzen, but an inviting light amber ale. Smells are average; muter than many an ale, but normal for a malty marzen. Tastes are more distinct for an ale (a mild melange of fruit), but the semi-dry finish is of a good marzen. Soft in my mouth like many a marzen.

Rhinegeist I have only had one prior brew. In that review, I noted their innovation. And I'd say Franz continues in that tradition of experimenting to find a better American interpretation of the classics.
Oct 14, 2023
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is amber, head is off white, head presents less than one finger thick then dissipates to thin ring on the glass with some spoty lacing.

Smell is caramel, toast, toffee, some orange and light herbal hops.

Taste is malt forward with bread, toffee, light caramel, touch of citrus with orange like notes, hint of herbal hops.

Mouthfeel definitely feels like an ale - moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness.

Overall a very good Marzen hidden as a red ale but the feel seems less smooth than that actual style but good for a red ale.
Oct 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.56 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Oct 04, 2023
 
Rated: 3.29 by tommyd313 from Pennsylvania

Oct 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by craigbelly from Iowa

Oct 01, 2023
Photo of TheBigBoy
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This one did not feel or taste like an Oktoberfest as hinted. BA lists it axa red ale and thats what it is. Sadly i have grown tired of that style and this one seems just avg in that genre.
Sep 30, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Sep 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.42 by MGComposer

Aug 20, 2023
Photo of kyleknepper
Reviewed by kyleknepper from Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is my favorite Oktoberfest. It has a great amber color with a good bit of head retention. The smell is malty, with a very forward pumpkin note. Taste is excellent- classic marzen taste.
Nov 02, 2022
 
Rated: 2.94 by biteme398 from New York

Oct 30, 2022
 
Rated: 3.78 by prototypic from Ohio

Oct 23, 2022
Photo of Brook82
Reviewed by Brook82 from Ohio

3.72/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Hazy gold/amber color with fair amount of carbonation. Left some lacing in a pint glass. Mild aroma, did become a little more prevalent as this beer warmed. Malt forward taste that mellowed as the temp increased. Pleasant brew and would drink again.
Oct 10, 2022
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. can, canned on 07/27/2022. Somehow my first beer from Rhinegeist Brewery.
Poured to Camp Crystal Lake stemless snifter.
Coppery golden orange, not unlike an IPA in color, thin finger of head falls to a wispy surface skimming. Some good sticky lacing, some chill haze. Appears adequately carbonated.
Smell is musty, notes of oak wood, caramel malt, brown bread. Hits the right notes.
Taste is the same: toasty brown bread / malt, notes of caramel & wood, slightly metallic, coppery, & some hop bitterness on the finish.
Feel is smooth, crisp, clean, fluid, dry on the finish. Medium-bodied. Might feel a touch higher in abv than 5.40%. A nice rendition of the style. Looking forward to trying more from Rhinegeist.

Rhinegeist Franz -----4/5.
Oct 05, 2022
Franz from Rhinegeist Brewery
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 220 ratings