Oktoberfest
Stone Corral Brewery

A chill haze clears up to reveal a still foggy darker amber that nears brown under a short white head clinging in bubbly coral lacing.

Clean and quaffable of toasty, bready and herbal qualities with minimal esters, it's got all the quality märzen characteristics without anything turning me off, though I must admit my sinuses started to congest towards the end of this day, likely owing to one too many brews in concert with the fall foliage. Thankfully the next day was a reset.

 

Canned on 9/4/20; consumed on 11/19/20

Pours a clear, orange-toned copper body topped with over two fingers of dense, fluffy, off-white foam; good head retention leaves a thin layer of semi-creamy cap, a moderate, frothy collar, and a generous spread of webby/spotty lacing strewn around the glass.

Aroma opens with clean yeast and a floral minerality, steadily inviting a touch of bread crust to accent sweeter roast with deeper leanings of burnt sugar mostly through the middle; oily caramel malt sweetness with nutty textures balance the closing impressions.

Taste brings toasted bread with hints of caramel malt upfront as a subtle lager yeast appears through the mid-palate alongside a somewhat spiced minerality; an awkward tone of wet straw and musty cinnamon sticks detracts from an otherwise clean finish accented with light, grassy hops.

Mouthfeel offers a light-medium body with a moderate carbonation delicately dispersing over the mid-palate, a pillowy grit imparting an easy texture into a clean finish with a lingering, attenuated heft and moderate dryness.

Clean and simple while leveraging ample dryness to balance out an encroaching malt sweetness, this Märzen's only glaring fault lies in the off-putting musty textures appearing briefly on the back end of the palate; otherwise it remains a stable option for the style with few rough edges.

Quite possibly one of the best marzen - lagers (Octoberfest) out there. Seriously, this is a smooth, well crafted treat that goes down easy. Worth seeking out during the season. Again, one of the best (in my humble opinion)

From the can, it pours a slightly hazy amber color with a modest off-white head that soon reduces and leaves lacing. In the nose, it is slightly bready and malty. In the mouth, it is the same. Decent beer.

This is a pretty colored beer, a nice light darker brown. Not much head or any lacing really but a little creamy opaque head remains.

The aroma is really good and pleasant. Very rich and grainy, lightly burnt bread.

Taste is hearty bread and it also has a nuttines to it, not peanuts though, more like walnut or pecan maybe.

Mouthfeel is awesome its hefty, full bodied with really good smooth carbonation. Finishes incredibly clean and dry.

Overall this is probably my favorite domestic marzen I’ve had this year. It is incredibly hearty and full but it goes down so easy and finishes so clean. This is a very impressive beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one pours a light amber color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

There’s bready sweetness on the nose, caramel, slight fruitiness, and honey.

This has a nice malt character, but I want a bit more crispness or a bit more bite here. There’s no bitterness, and it’s just a touch too sweet.

This light bodied and smooth, with a nice drinkability.

This is serviceable and goes down easy - but it certainly has a few flaws.

 

 

 

 

L-The beer pours a clear amber with a one and a half finger off white head. No lacing is evident as the head recedes to a thin ring.
S-A hint of sweetness behind bready overtones.
T- Loads of toasted bread. Sweetness from nose is no where to be found on the palate. The beer leans to the hoppy side of the equation although well within the style guidelines.
F- Carbonation is higher in this beer than in others of the style I've had. Mouthfeel is medium overall. The beer finishes prickly and slightly dry.
O- Overall a good version of an oktoberfest. Carb is a little higher than I would want but this will still appeal to those who dislike their Marzen's sweet.

Poured into a dimpled mug, because well, it's the style, only way to be taken serious for the review.
The appearance was a nice looking dark golden bronzed rusty orange color, some light transparency closer to the sides of the glass with a quickly dissipating foamy white head. Barely any lace, just seemed somewhat spotty far and in between.
The aroma had a swift sweet nutty glazed bready to biscuit tone to it. Light honey, white bread, a little bit of wheat bread, clean caramel/toffee malts, acceptable amount of diacetyl and ended with a touch of earthiness.
The flavor moderately leaned into the sweetness of the malts - combining the honey to the bread to the wheatiness and caramel/toffee malts. Sly nuttiness. Aftertaste was a crisp nutty smooth caramel/toffee maltiness.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied, perhaps just a touch under with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt spot on. Finish had a touch of stickiness, but wasn't cloying.
Overall, it's a very well brewed Oktoberfest to me. Definitely one that I would love to have again. However, I'm trying to figure out if that "wheatiness" was me or intentional by the brewer since I'm not used to getting that flavor in this style.