Big Fat Tuba Oktoberfest
Thomas Kemper Brewing Co.

This is an interesting one… a co-worker brought this beer to my office, which had been sitting on a shelf in his office since last Oktoberfest. We refrigerated it to 50° and shared this last-season’s beer. I think the experience of drinking this beer was very altered by it being a year old, and I have a feeling the beer benefited from this year of aging.

Appearance – amber-brown with slim off-white head and little retention. Minimal lacing graced the glass.

Smell – Very malty and [honestly] had complex smells not unlike Fuller’s Vintage Ale.

Taste – The medium-roasted malts in this beer have mellowed to a full, creamy, caramel-toffee treat. If there were any hops present a year ago, they have been completely overtaken by the malts, which is appropriate for this style of bottom-fermented brew.

Mouthfeel – Undercarbonated after a year, and edging to the watery side. I have no doubt though that this beer has an appropriate underlying body to weather years in the bottle were it bottle conditioned or just a slight touch more alcoholic/hoppy before bottling.

Drinkability - This is very enjoyable and I wish I could drink one of these side by side with a fresh one to compare. Find this beer if you can.

Reddish brown color, small white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet. A slightly bitter mild brown ale. Not very hoppy, mild malts. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter with some malty sweetness. Very Drinkable

Appearance – Very clear, light brown body with a skinny head that went down quickly.

Smell – Nice toasted malt aroma with a big caramel fragrance.

Taste – The mature malt comes out in the taste and is tempered with a bit of hoppy balance. The sweet caramel is there as well, along with some dark fruits like plum and (especially) dates. There’s also the buttery flavor that often accompanies the Oktoberfest lager.

Mouthfeel – A tad of carbonation but otherwise flat in accordance with the style.

Drinkability – This was creamy smooth and went down well. Good job!

I'm hoping someone else will review this. I think I got a skunky bottle, because the smell on this one is just terrible. It looks, pours and feels nice, but on the taste side of things it leaves a lot to be desired. Tastes like an overly hoppy, with a slightly rotten cabbage flavored, Oktoberfest.