Festbier
Four Quarters Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

No canning date (released on 9/11/20, so presumably canned within a few days of that date); consumed on 11/15/20

Pours a deep, slightly foggy rusted orange body topped with a finger and a half of fluffy, soapy, off-white foam; sub-par head retention leaves a minimal spotting of cap and a thin collar alongside a temporary spatter of webby lacing spread sparsely around the glass.

Aroma brings a vaguely metallic, floral/grassy note to open, soon followed by a sweetness displaying caramel malts with a toasted bread crust interlude into brown sugar and touches of molasses into the back end; a light minerality and doughy yeast close out what is an expressive yet inconsistent bouquet.

Taste opens with caramel malt leveled inefficiently with a hint of toast as freshly expressed orange peel imparts a brighter citric quality both unique and cutting through the malt profile; bready spice over the mid-palate gives way to black tea and a clean minerality on the back end as brown sugar lingers past a quick finish.

Mouthfeel features a medium-light body with a sputtering prickle of moderate carbonation, sparse and flattening through the mid-palate, where a distant slickness carries a building malt impression against mild hop bitterness deep in the backdrop, with a lingering grit on the finish.

A Märzen eclectic enough in flavor to hold interest, but beyond messy in execution, leaving an expressive yet subversively sweet trainwreck of a malt profile to dominate with little regard for cohesion; drinkable, but carelessly constructed.

On tap at McGillicuddys

 

Acquired cans of this Festbier on a recent trip to Ludlow VT and am very pleased to have done so. I'm a big fan of Oktoberfests and try all that I come across in my travels. This is my first opportunity to try Four Quarters version of my favorite seasonal and I'd have to rate it as possibly the best I've tasted thus far in 2018. I hope the supply available for sale doesn't run out before my next VT trip

 

 

nice looking brew, some pleasant aromas overall very enticing. on palate is a decadent blend of sweet malty flavors - getting caramel, toffee, sweet bready notes, molasses, candied nuts, brown sugar, hinting at sweet potato and toasted marshmallows.

 

Poured into a dimpled mug.
The appearance was a nice looking deep rugged burnt dark orange to amber with a delicate transparency about it. No carbonation was seen rising. And a small cap of a little white foamy head quickly dissipated to leave barely any lace.
The aroma spoke of an unspeakably awesome blend of roasted nuts/cashews, sweet earthy notes, caramel covered biscuits and a quaint sweet butter at the end (not diacetyl).
The flavor yields to the blend of the sweetness of the prior mentioned aromas and modestly strolls into the aftertaste with a touch of acceptable sticky sweet caramel.
The mouthfeel was full bodied with a fair sessionability about. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt on par. Finish was smooth with an earthy caramel sort of blend.
Overall, though rated as a normal Oktoberfest styled beer, it's not as light in color as a normal "festbier" per se. Me, I honestly didn't care enough because Brian did a wonderful job of creating his take on this beer. I would welcome this every Autumn and hope to have next to some bratwurst, soft pretzels and many football games.