Oktoberfest
Coppertail Brewing Co.

 

 

 

12oz bottle bb 12/09/18 (taken into account and rated to the average) poured into a mug at fridge temp, no ABV listed on label. The beer pours bright dark amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. A small ring of lacing follows the beer down the mug. The aroma is mild and malty. The taste is nutty & toasty malt with a mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, very good. I love a dark Marzen & this is a good one.

Poured a copper brown body with minimal head and little lace ring. Aroma is mildly hoppy and dirty and a little grainier than expected. Smooth, crisp, the hops border on biting as the beer has no real malt presence and the dirty, earthy, bitter hops drive this beer; finishes dry and isn't bad but it's just a little bland to me since the malts didn't shine through at all.

 

It is the occasional ocCANsion of New Odds & Sods Beer Sunday (Week 711) & I have decided to join @UtopiaJane in her virtual kitchen for Oktoberfest! My apologies for showing up unannounced, Maria, but I brought beer! Have you been cooking? Something smells good & I know it ain't me!

From the Bottle: "Style[:] Märzen Lager[,] Flavors[:] Clean and Malty[,] Pairs Perfectly With Schweinhaxe [sic]"; "All-natural. Unpasteurized. Uncompromised."

I think that they meant "Schweinshaxe" & if that is what is on the menu, then I am DEFINITELY coming over! Drool. My paternal grandmother was of German-American descent & while she tried to teach us Deutsch as kinder, it didn't take. Still, both of my grandmothers were culinary specialists par excellence & Sunday dinners were a huge deal, ala "Blue Bloods". It is pork shank & oh my, Grummy Chandler's fell off of the bone & melted in the mouth. Double drool.

I LOVE bottle-conditioned beers & I try to treat them with kid gloves. I Pop!ped the cap & began a VERY slow, gentle pour to the point that a snail passed me on the L! The payoff was worth it! The clarity in this Deep-Amber/Light-Copper to Copper-colored (SRM = > 13, < 17) Lager was the stuff of my dreams. One of my exes, the one I really regret letting slip away, had wiry hair of this color. I called her "Rusty" as a result. I leaned in for a sniff & got a whiff of nutty malts in return. 8=O Mmm. It was like a melding of almonds, peanuts & walnuts with a light caramel sugariness. Now, I was thinking about Grummy Chandler's marzipan at Christmas!

I was in my late pre-teens when I began to show an interest in cooking, but when I got to high school & they were offering HomeEc, I was all-in. I watched and learned from my grandmothers & considered the Culinary Institute of America until I finally hit upon the Navy in my Senior year. A lot of people get down on their recruiters, but mine did me a solid & steered me away from being a cook. I served with some who were so brain-dead that they occasionally had to be reminded to breathe!

Ooops! A digression. Sorry. Mouthfeel was medium, but very full for a Lager. The taste was extremely nutty with just a trace of caramel sweetness & it was going down like nobody's business.

Is the Schweinshaxe ready yet, @UtopiaJane? I have another bottle, if you would like it.

I REALLY liked this one! I often joke about auslander brewers beginning to delve into Lagers after only ever having brewed Ales, but these Floridians really nailed it! An analogy: put someone who has only ever driven automatic behind the wheel of a Ferrari & watch what happens. It is the same with an Ale brewer venturing into Lager territory. Some manage to emerge unscathed and even become master Lager brewers, but the majority produce a wreck of epic proportions.

Finish was semi-dry, but if you say "semi-sweet", I won't put up an argument. Man, I found this utterly tasty & a really pleasant surprise! I got mine through Tavour, but if you see it available, do not hesitate!

Florida goes German. Really impressed with this marzen that is no shrinking violet. Beer has a deep roastiness, and a sneaky second stage aftertaste. Ideal for a chilly fall night somewhere north of Florida.

 

 

 

Pours a dark amber color with a white head that goes away quickly. Can smell the malts and grains. The taste is very malty with a caramel aftertaste to it.

 

 

Pours a clear, dark copper with half a finger of white foam, settles to a thin ring with splotches of delicate lace trailing. Smell: floral with mild spiciness and nectarine upfront; moderate toasted grain character with a little caramel. Taste: spicy hopping, grainy pils and nectarine, then toasty with a nutty note and a little orange citrus. Fairly light bodied with low-ish carbonation kicking up just before the sticky finish.