Life On Märzen
Berkshire Brewing Company

Life On MärzenLife On Märzen
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From:
Berkshire Brewing Company
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #27
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,041
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 12.41%
Reviews:
224
Ratings:
433
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 28, 2024
Added:
Sep 27, 2002
Wants:
  67
Gots:
  48
Formerly known as "Oktoberfest Lager".

Aged for months prior to release, this Märzen-style lager is brewed using German hops and yeasts, true to tradition. Its orange-amber hue reminds us of the fall foliage that accompanies the season, and its elegant and complex malt structure produces a smooth drinkable brew. Its otherworldly richness finishes with hints of spice and a subtle hop flavor, just enough to entice you to have another, wherever in the universe you may be.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JakerLou:
Photo of JakerLou
Rated by JakerLou from New Hampshire

4.04/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Jun 14, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.79 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 28, 2024
 
Rated: 4.19 by Beersilio from Massachusetts

Nov 18, 2023
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.84/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a very lightly hazed deep amber/copper color with a one finger head of off white foam. The head fades slowly leaving a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strong of a caramel and toasted bready malt smell. Mixed with these aromas comes some harvest fruit smells of apple and pear as well as some light notes of cherry and plum. Other smells of grape and a bit of toffee are in there as well, creating a roasty and fall like smell overall.
Taste – The taste begins with a bready and toasted malty flavor mixed with a decent showing of mustiness and notes of sweetness of toffee and molasses, as well as a little bit of herb. As the taste advances, the roastiness and toastiness get stronger, all while the sweet fades a touch. The toastiness really ramps up at the end, and with a bit of earthiness and a touch of pine, one is left with a very roasty and toasty, malty taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is thick and chewy with a moderate carbonation level. For the roasty and toasty malt flavors the eel is nice and makes for a hearty sipper.
Overall – Big and malty with a roasty and toasty Oktoberfest taste and feel. Rather pleasant overall.
Oct 30, 2023
Photo of woodchipper
Reviewed by woodchipper from Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Purchased cold at a local store and refrigerated at home. Poured from a 16oz can stamped 08/04/23 to a dimpled mug at fridge temp.
The body is deep gold with an off-white head of tiny bubbles. Lacing is significant.
The nose is clean, malty and spicy.
The taste is similar with mild peppery spice notes. It's a little on the dry side for a Marzen.
The mouthfeel is medium.
I enjoyed this.
Oct 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.58 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Oct 05, 2023
Photo of Cathartes
Reviewed by Cathartes from Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance 4.25

Smell 3.75

Taste 4

Mouthfeel 4

Overall 3.75

Beer advocate total 3.96 (79.2/100)

16 oz can acclimated to 48°F and poured into a stein.

Pours a clear and rich, darker amber color, producing a full 7 finger foamy white head that dissipates at a reasonable speed and leaves lacing that falls back in.

Initial aroma is caramel malt with some hop bitterness. Notes of today and cream cheese are present. After agitating, I'm blasted with a gale of malt, with some clear alcohol smell and maybe some pine hiding inside it.

Initial taste before swallowing is very sweet, caramel specifically, with a bread note. A bitterness develops soon in but is at a pleasant spot. Letting it sit for a moment I noticed honey as well. After swallowing it's first bitter and sweet simultaneously. Hops are there, tasting grassy, dry, and light brownish green, reminding me of moss. Diacetyl is noticeable, and I can start to taste the alcohol at a certain point, though not strong. The aftertaste remains mostly malt and hop bitterness, with some lingering alcohol, a moderate and lasting taste that remains easy on the top of the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel is fairly smooth, I wouldn't call use the word buttery, it's the same feeling but not the same magnitude.

Overall it's very enjoyable and definitely sessionable. More hops than I would have expected, but they matched well. I quite enjoyed the malt and diacetyl present, and thought it was a nice beer.

Likely to try again at some point.
Oct 04, 2023
Photo of seakayak
Reviewed by seakayak from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
-Look: Deep copper-amber with a thick foam that lasts.
-Aroma: Sucker-punched me in the nose with brown-bread and molasses!
-Taste: Phenomenal rich brown-breads, rye crisps, slight white wine - Wow!
-Feel: Thin to medium with low carbonation, tight but slippery.
-Overall: Oh man, you have to try this - I'm glad I did!
Sep 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.02 by ctbeerman1 from Connecticut

Sep 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Jul 31, 2022
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 8/18

I haven't tried many of this style, but this seems a bit bigger and sweeter than usual. Bready, nutty malts with a hint of caramel before a spicy, tingly finish. Pretty darn good.
Nov 26, 2021
Photo of Sheppard
Reviewed by Sheppard from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark to medium amber. Some caramel and toffee on the nose. It's a lot of caramel and toffee character. It's got a good amount of sweetness without the leanness that I usually appreciate from lagers like this.
Nov 16, 2021
 
Rated: 3.73 by bottmfeedr from Texas

Nov 13, 2021
 
Rated: 3.94 by M4CDO from Massachusetts

Oct 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.77 by Phoodcritic from Michigan

Oct 18, 2021
Photo of mbostenbeer
Reviewed by mbostenbeer from Massachusetts

3.52/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A- Amber withbeige head

S- bready with hints of caramel

T-caramel, bready and biscuit

M- medium body,caramel sweetness upfront, lager crispness on backend with Medium carbonation

O- Not bad, perfect sunny fall day beer
Sep 25, 2021
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canning date obstructed

Here it is, my kick off to the Oktoberfest tasting we have going over the next few weeks. This is, by a long shot, the highest rated Märzen I’ve had so far, currently sitting at #7 for the style. It is also quite high in abv, much more than I expected for the style. Berkshire makes solid classic styles, so let’s see what this one is all about

Pours a cloudy dark amber with 2 fingers of creamy off white head that fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

As I like my Märzen’s, this has a beautiful sweetness in the nose. I’m picking up on aromas of buttery toffee, raisin, toasted grain, bready malt, orange marmalade, and light spicy hops

In taste this is still sweet, but the spice is more forward than the aroma. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting orange rind, doughy malt, white pepper, golden raisin, earthy hops, and lemon rind. The swallow brings notes of spicy hops, orange marmalade, caramel malt, ligjt clove, and brown sugar

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a simultaneous smooth and crisp beer. Finishes mostly dry with with a nice balance

This one is solid for sure. Maybe a bit muted in taste but overall still very good
Sep 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.98 by j37geogaddi from Massachusetts

Sep 09, 2021
Photo of Manta200
Reviewed by Manta200 from Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Thanks to IMN0P for sending this my way.
Had high expectations for this one. I believe it is a solid Märzen but there are many others I would prefer over his one.
Nov 01, 2020
Photo of orcrist_cleaver
Reviewed by orcrist_cleaver from New York

4.32/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Deepest of the amber shades, shavings of rust and shiny copper, slightly clouded. Roaring effervescence supports a tawny beige head, soapy formation but quite large. Settles to a thin film.

S: Day old-honey braided pretzels with a light vanilla-caramel icing. Malted brown bread spackled with toffee chips, rustic herbal hops and a spicy floral bouquet.

M: Medium-light body, very strong carbonation supports a semi-sweet raw doughiness mid-palate before a dry and slightly bitter hop finish.

T: Of all the American Oktos, this comes closest to the Hackers and Ayingers. Rich, deep malt flavor--biscuits, white brown bread, spiced pumpernickel--a real taste of the spectrum. A tingle of peppery Noble hops readies the palate for a hint of dried fruit, making the raisin-like sweetness more pronounced. Finishes with an earthy depth and floral bitterness.
Sep 27, 2020
Life On Märzen from Berkshire Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 433 ratings