Märzen
Fonta Flora Brewery

The attractive appearance is the best feature of this beer: clear yellow amber with long-lasting foam in the Kölsch glass. It's also pleasantly lively and sudsy in the mouth. Aroma of pineapple. Odd candy sweetness with the malt, then an astringent finish. The taste is quite plain with cardboard and sweet caramel. The hops don't seem to contribute much besides the dull dishwater note. Overall this has its charms but it's my least favorite Oktoberfest brew of the year. From the 16 oz can purchased on the West Coast. Canned 07/14/25.

 

16oz can from Tavour, dark golden pour, clear, small off-white head fades quickly. Aroma is malty, leather, caramel, sweet. Taste puts the caramel malts front and center, sweet, slightly sticky

Canned 2024/07/26

Pours a frothy fizzy 1.5 finger head with fair retention, a bit of lacing, crystal clear pale blond color with some amber hues

Nose toasted cereal grain, a bit of a sweet toffee like note, bready, malt forward with light herbal floral hops

Taste brings more of the cereal grain, bready, toasted grains, a little bread crust, hint of sweet malt, then med hop bitterness more floral herbal, drier finish, a touch of spicy hop bitterness

Mouth is med bod, med to a bit lower carb

Overall not bad, malt forward with a bit of toasty notes without sweet syrup or caramel, nice hop profile, drinkable and enjoyable.

16oz CANNED ON 08/05/24 poured into a mug at fridge temp 5.6% ABV per label. The beer pours bright light amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin cap. The aroma is mild with dusty, possibly musty, heirloom grains. The taste is semisweet pale malt with a funky herbal, mildly bitter finish that I could confuse with tartness, but I default to rustic. The feel is thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, an interesting take on Märzen, probably similar to what folks drank centuries ago, but a hint funky for the current day. The can claims 90% local ingredients which I assume includes most of the malt, which could explain some of the uniqueness.

 

Canned on 8/31/2023; consumed on 1/3/2024

Pours a crystal-clear, honey-copper hue capped with a finger and a half of creamy, off-white foam; decent head retention leaves a slight, fuzzy layer of cap, dense, frothy collar, and haphazard spattering of soapy lacing caked around the walls of the glass.

Aromas of brown bread are met with a clean caramel underscore and taut minerality upfront, steadily backed with touches of floral lager yeast and honey as the bouquet progresses.

Taste offers brown toast and a touch of fruity esters, with a slight minerality phasing into a nutty malt accent and mild caramels past the mid-palate as a vague chestnut finish lingers.

Mouthfeel brings forth a light body and a gentle spritz of tingly, moderate-full carbonation; modest dryness courses through a clean mid-palate, leaving a pillowy grit tingling over the finish.

Robust breadiness harkens to classic tendencies, while a deft hand tempers a sweeter undercurrent in an all-around welcome cohesion of older and newer Märzen stylistics.

 

Canned 8/9/23

I’ve had quite a few beers from Fonta Flora at this point, but I was very curious to see what their Märzen would be like, so I just had to jump at this one when I saw it on Tavour. Plus it was in a budle with 3 other Märzens and Festbiers so it was a no brainer. Let’s crack it open and see what it’s all about

Pours a cloudy orange gold with 2 fingers of soapy off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The nose presents a firm bitterness but still has a nice malty character. I’m picking up on aromas of earthy hops, lemon zest, black pepper, crackery malt, grass, honey, orange zest, and raw grain

Things aren’t quite as sweet in taste but I still dig it. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting bready malt, lemon zest, earthy hops, black tea, white pepper, orange zest, and raw grain. The swallow brings notes of crackery malt, orange zest, white pepper, herbal hops, light honey, and black tea

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes neutral with a balanced bitterness

Damn solid all around. I’ve had better beers from them but still have no complaints

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best domestic offerings put there...

Super well done....I am a fan of the deep rich flavors of this....in between a traditional Festbier and a Marzen....hits all the right marks...

Great beer!!

 

16 oz can.

Pours a hazy amber gold color with a monstrous off-white head. Pretty good head retention. Leaves some cobweb lacing as it dissipates.

Aromas of toasted malts and sweet dough, caramel, honey, and floral hops.

The taste follows the nose with toasted malts, honey, caramel and doughy bread. Finishes with floral hops.

The feel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Creamy and exceptionally smooth.

Overall, a good Märzen that's both flavorful and drinkable as hell. Nothing special but definitely worth a try.

 

 

Light amber pour with a pinky finger of white foam for the head, very little retention though. Pretty standard smelling: toast, caramel malt, bready yeast, a kiss of flowers and earth. Taste has more hop bitters built in that detract from the classic flavors of the nose, has a of herbal earthiness or beets, in the background that is hard to nail down but distracts. Feel is flat yet malty and generally clean, bright. Feels like a great marzen wants to break out but falls a short into an average fall crusher