Oktoberfest
Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Picked up a six pack of cans. Date on can: 08/14/23.

Pours a cherry, amber in color with a finger thick of off-white, frothy head on top that dissipates to a thin layer of lacing over time. Carbonation looks average with larger bubbles rising up. There's a bit of lacing on the glass as you drink, although most of it slides down the glass. It's a bit more carbonated and a bit redder than I'm used to seeing in a marzen, looks tasty though.

Aroma is predominantly sweet and caramelized malts, nuts and bread, although there is a solid citrus hoppiness in there as well, mostly of the citrus variety. Doesn't smell like a traditional marzen, but it does smell good. I like the balance it hints at, while I expect it to remain decidedly malty.

Taste follows the aroma well. Lots of roasted malts and nuts, caramel and lovely bittering, herbal balance from the hops coming in towards the swallow. Unfortunately it finishes quite sweet, too sweet for me. Lingering toasty sweetness on the tongue after the swallow. ABV is masked nicely.

This one is medium bodied with a lovely subdued carbonation that provides a hint of zest but mostly stays out of the way. There's a bit of chewiness here and it drinks very smooth with a bit of a syrupy quality from the sweet, roasted maltiness. Quite drinkable.

This is an enjoyable brew, although a bit disappointing for a marzen. It definitely feels like a celebration of autumn, so kudos for that. I'd say this comes off a bit more like a red ale. Aside from the style, it's a bit too sweet for me, although I did appreciate the subtle hop balance. Probably wouldn't seek this one out again, but I wouldn't turn it down if offered. Pretty far down my list in terms of marzen though. Prost!

RB transfer

Copper pour, no real head. Caramel and malt on the nose. Sweet on the tongue. Finish is malt, carbonation, and a late slight hop bitterness. Doesn’t really stand out.|8/23/2012

Surprised me with how good it was, as it actually got quite close to how other märzens I've had tasted. Nice, malty, and most importantly smooth as glass.

 

 

Canned version.
Appearance: Clear copper with frothy off white head, good retention. Fast rising bubbles.

Aroma: Malt forward, bready and toasty w/slight caramel note. Floral hops.

Flavor: Malt forward, bready and toasty. Spicy hops. Moderate to low sweetness. Low bitterness.

Mouth-feel: Full bodied, soft on the front end but drying in the finish.

Overall: Well crafted Marzen style. Malty with spicy hops notes. Leans sweet but has balancing bitterness. Had a slightly sweet-caramel note in the aroma but displays nice toasty notes that well offset any caramel sweetness. Does a great job of avoiding heavy, sweetness that can imped drinkabilty. Probably even better on tap. Go ahead pour a big mug and enjoy!

Appearance - the beer was copper in color with visible carbonation and a half-inch head.

Smell - The malts came through in the with slight bitterness.

Taste - The profile began with slightly sweet caramel malt and a light earthy bitterness. The bitterness rounded out the profile nicely. It tasted like autumn.

Mouthfeel - The carbonation was fairly aggressive, but it finished smooth.

Overall - I only wish the finish lingered longer. Still, criminally underrated.

 

 

 

Wow, really REALLY impressive Oktoberfest

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the best Oktoberfest beers I've tried yet. It really has a smooth and rich taste that other Oktoberfest beers are lacking. I prefer this over Samuel Adam's and Shiner Bock's version. Definitely a must drink during the Oktoberfest season. The rating for this beer should be way higher.