Oktoberfest
Left Hand Brewing Company

12oz. Can served in a tall can glass. Pours a lovely, translucent copper, with a tight, two-ginger, off-white head. Nose expresses spicy notes with perhaps a kiss of caramel malt in the back. Taste consistent with nose; however, caramel notes and fruity esters come forth. Finish has light, spicy/medicinal character. Mouthfeel is light in body with a carbonation that falls just shy of lively. Overall, not a bard Marzen; however, it’s about a week past its best by date (should have checked the packaging). Curious what it would taste like fresh.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is light amber, transparent, head is off white/very light tan and presents 1 finger thick, head dissipates to thin top and some lacing on the glass sides.

Smell is toast, sweet malt, grape nuts, caramel, toffee, bread, light crisp earthy hops.

Taste is similar but a bit sweet - toast, sweet malt, grape nuts, caramel, bread, hops are lightly herbal and earthy.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, low/moderate bitterness - feel is sweeter than some Ofests.

Overall a sweeter Oktoberfest with prominent caramel flavor but still presents with grape nutty like flavor of the munich malt.

 

 

It looks great after two twelve ounce cans have been emptied into a clear glass liter mug. The result shows a bright and nearly clear liquid of dark copper-amber color. There's a modest off-white head on top that seems to be enduring. The aroma is malty sweet, with a hint of earthiness, just as it should be. It drinks just as it should, too. It's remarkably rich and smooth, especially for a lager. That's almost a shame, because it can go down so easily and quickly that it's not truly savored. But, even with its richness, it's also reasonable light.The breadlike sweetness isn't white bread sweet, it's more like fresh and still warm whole grain biscuits. There's enough hopping to counterbalance the sweetness and add a slightly bitter layer to the taste. The result is an earthiness to go with the malty sweet taste. The vague taste of alcohol only enhances the overall taste and is easily carried by the body. The 6.6% ABV is a little high for the style, but it's nicely accommodated here. With all the body, it's surprising there's no glass lacing, yet the head did sustain. Beerphiles missing a good dose of barley malt in today's modern IPAs should rejoice with this option.

Poured from a twelve ounce can, body is an amber-brown, slightly hazy. Off-white and small fluffy head that quickly dissolves but solid lacing.

Nose is bready malt with wafts of honey malt aroma. Inviting as an Oktoberfest marzen should be.

Taste follows nose and adds a small bitterness along with a malty sweetness. Nicely balanced and makes for an easy drinker.

Carbonation is strong and mouthfeel good.

Appearance:
Clear dark copper, creamy buff head, moderate lace.

Aroma:
Rich and toasty caramel and biscuits, faint noble hops - malt-wise very similar to Fat Tire

Flavor:
See Aroma. This is on the dry and strong side of Märzen for sure. The 6.6% Alcohol well-hidden.

Mouthfeel:
Medium, nominal CO2. feels substantial for the style.

Overall:
Dry and crisp, very lagery Märzen. Has a fresh toasted character that satisfies.

From can marked 208:0920 5042+46+47
BEST BY 11/24/2022

Pours into my pint glass a perfectly clear caramel brown with a fuffy taupe colored head. Head drops rather quickly leaving fluffy lace

Scent wafts from the glass: bread and bread dough, herbal and spicy hops.

Taste is sweet rich and malty. Sweet dough, nuts, caramel, toffee. There is a balancing herbal bitterness but it is rather overtaken by the malts. This one is definitely a celebration of all that is malty.

Feel is a bit thick and syrupy for the style.

Not a classical example of the marzen but a tasty rich chewy American take on the style. I definitely enjoyed this.

 

12 FL. OZ. can
Served in a pint glass

This beer pours a brilliant burnt orange with golden highlights. It is topped with an inch of tan head that leaves little lacing.

Malty, toffee, caramel, biscuit aromas

Malty, toast, toffee, and caramel flavors

Medium bodied with very smooth

This is a good Octoberfest style of beer. I enjoyed it. Hit all the right malty notes for me.

Can(s)
Best By: 14 Dec, 2022
Consumed on: 30 Sep, 2022
Glass: 0.5 L Fest Mug
Serving Temp:


Look:
Bright and clear copper. The head is 2+ fingers of off-white foam that shrinks to a thick ringer and thin cover. The lacing is very good.

Smell:
Sweet toasted caramel with a touch of burnt sugar. Some bready malts across the middle. There is an astringent spicy note also, along with some notes of hay and earth. Perhaps a vague nuttiness.

Taste:
The toasted caramel tries to start things off but is met very quickly by spicy bitterness and some pepper. These manage to balance each other out and allowing a substantial breadiness to surface along with notes of earth. Things begin drying out as the sip progresses and it finishes fairly dry with earth, and spice notes. A slight alcohol warmth can be detected in the finish.

Feel:
Clean and dry. The body is medium-full.

Overall:
An interesting Märzen. It is tasty, but it isn't one that you would (or could) throw back liters of. The heavier-than-normal body and the bock-level ABV get in the way of that. This beer actually works better as a fall/autumn Bock; in that role it is quite good. This is one for a cold and/or rainy evening.

My ratings reflect this beer more as an amber fall/autumn Bock than as an Oktoberfest/Märzen. As an Okto, this would have to be scored lower, such as:

Apperance: 4.25
Aroma: 3.5
Taste: 3.5
Mouthfeel: 3.75
Overall: 3.5
Combo: 3.57

 

Poured from a 12oz can best by 11/17/2022

On the pour one finger of off white fine head formed then slowly dissipates to a very nice covering that's leaves some lacing. Body is a clear reddish copper with plenty of carbonation.

Aroma has a definite big beer vibe, with some esters and caramel malts, but also a bit of that crispy lager beer smell. Very sweet aroma with some darker fruit as well as spicy notes, likely from hops.

Taste is smoother than the aroma and more balanced. Not as much nuance but a good hit of noble bitterness. A sweet bready note is present throughout, but makes itself known as it finishes. A bit of the esters are still here but it's still cleaner than a lot of attempts at this style.

Feel is drinkable but big. Only just shy of refreshing but I feel like this one is fun to drink cold and fast in the spirit of oktoberfest. The finish is longer with a certain mouth coating quality and an almost warming feeling from the alcohol, but this is pretty damn on point for the style.

Overall this is definitely a big beer, but for the style it's very enjoyable and not as easy to get sick of as so many of the other Märzen offerings available this time of year.

Clear, deep amber appearance with a large off white head and light lacing. Earthy, malty aroma. Taste stays well within the parameters of the style; toasted malts, some sweetness, no noticeable bitterness, modestly hopped. Creamy, medium bodied, mouthfeel