Squashtoberfest
Meadowlark Brewing

another really impressive beer with a cool ingredient, this fits in well with their candy cap mushroom ale and their niagra grape beer, cool stuff happening in here. this is a classic marzen type, but its done with butternut squash, which tastes roasted or cooked to me, but the beer is delicate, to style at its core, and just different enough to be really appealing, even if its a funny time of year for a harvest beer like this. great clarity on this, a short but lasting white head, and a lighter than many new copper tone, fizzy and clean looking. the nose shows some light toast, nuttiness in the malt with a german quality, an old world and expressive lager strain, a light spicy ester there, and the roasty slightly sweet squash, faint brown sugar, almond, and even wheat, although im not sure there is any in the mash here. the flavor has the butternut squash well integrated, it adds a unique earthy subtlety and autumnal richness without making the beer heavy, an accent is all, but thats all that is needed in a mellow drinker of a beer like this, and i like it with the lighter malt profile. the yeast is great, spot on for the style, professionally deployed, and it seems patiently lagered, at least its well aged now by this time of year anyway. its light but i dont find it thin, and this is most certainly a repeatable pint. its tough to find the balance of brewing classic styles or familiar seasonals but also making them distinct, and this one does it perfectly. bravo!

Served on tap in a pint glass
Appearance – The beer is served a deep amber color with a small head of white foam. The head fades very fast leaving a trace of lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is strong of a caramel sweetness mixed with a decent showing of cooked acorn squash. Along with these smells comes some lightly roasted aromas as well as a touch of clove.
Taste – The taste begins with a rather caramel and brown sugar sweet lightly toasted malt flavor that has a moderate showing of pumpkin and acorn squash upfront. As the taste advances the sweetness increase along with a rather big increase in the roasted acorn squash flavor which is accompanied by some spice of clove, nutmeg and coriander. All the while the malt flavor decreases a bit and with a touch of grass and herb, one is left with a sweet and roasted acorn squash flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – the body of the brew is on the average to slightly chewier side with a carbonation level that is rather average. Overall the feel was pretty good for the sweet squash flavors and created a rather fitting feel for the taste.
Overall – A little sweet for my taste but overall it’s a decent “pumpkin” like Oktoberfest beer.

Poured from 22oz bottle into glass. No bottling date information found.
Clear, deep gold colored body. Not much head, just a skiff of off white islands and a thin ring. Minimal lacing left behind.
Subtle malt aroma, with the suggestion of squash.
Taste is slightly sweet and bready malts. I think the sweetness is indicative of the addition of squash puree. Minimal intrusion by hops.
Thin mouth feel. Good carbonation.
A beer that is totally remindful of the fall squash, but is much more an Oktoberfest than an "Pumpkin" beer. Easily drinkable but rather thin in mouth feel. Too sweet to be a great fest beer, but this fits the season of cooler days and the end of the growing season.

Crystal clear golden body, very small white head with no lacing.

Despite the squash; it tastes like a regular, light Oktoberfest marzen. There is some wheat-ish flavor and light hops pulling up the end. Carbonation is fuzzy.

Pretty good.