Oktoberfest
Czig Meister Brewing Company

 

Canned on 8/14/23; consumed on 12/3/23

Pours a clear, orange-tinged golden body capped with two fingers of fluffy, off-white foam; good head retention leaves a half-finger of cap, large, soapy collar, and haphazard spattering of chunky, webby lacing sprwad around the walls of the glass.

Aromas of toasted malts embrace a gooey toffee subtext, with hints of fresh apple crisp/fruitcake abounding across the bouquet into crusty bread rounding out the bafk end impressions.

Taste brings toffee and brown bread upfront, with distant fruitcake into a touch of minerality yielding baked green apple undertones past the mid-palate; a fruity lager yeast persistes, settling alongside fresh biscuit on the finish.

Mouthfeel shows a medium-light body and moderate carbonation, dispersing a level texture peaking to crispness over the mid-palate before drying progressively with a subtly gritty snap through the finish.

A decisively odd profile that somehow works; eclectic and wholly indecisive, though an awkward cohesion keeps this one generally intriguing to drink.

 

 

a: nice dark copper, pale ruby, mahogany, and cherry wood color. very clear. 1/2 finger dark tan head

s: big lager crispness upfront. sweet grains and caramel follow. grass, straw, and crackers

t: sweet malts, caramel, and a big biscuit note upfront. sweet grains and sweet grass. lager spice, and a touch of Noble hop bitterness. bready backbone

m: medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation

o: solid Marzen. the aroma is lacking quite a bit. taste is good, but has a more noticeable bitterness kick than i'm used to in the style. decent, but nothing great

on draft, served in shaker pint glass

clear medium amber copper color, thin head that fades. toasty malt aroma and flavor. but the taste is a little too sweet for me. medium bodied.

 

Pours a semi translucent honey golden color, with a fast receding off white fizzy head. Smell toffee,some hops,almost a nutty floral smell. Taste fresh baked bread, caramel,mild apple. Feels medium bodied,finishes juicy. Overall a solid representation of a Marzen style beer. I don't know what people expect from a Marzen but the scores are too low in my opinion. They are only so many variations this variety of beer can handle before it morphs into something else.

This isn't a marzen, it's a new England IPA. If you like new England IPAs it's fine, but don't buy this beer and support this kind of false advertising.

 

Stylistically close to flawless. Interesting per 2019 standards, maybe not, but I can't knock a textbook beer. Sharp, malty, light graininess/chew.

Czig Meister Brewing Company "Oktoberfest"
12 fl. oz. can, "RECOMMENDED BY 5/8/19" and sampled on 11/26/2018
$1.83 @ Cherry Hill Wine, Liquor & Beer (Wegmans), Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: This is an "Oktoberfest" beer, right? A Märzen? They're supposed to be clear but this is quite hazy. There's even particulate visible in suspension. That can't be from dry hopping, can it? No, it doesn't smell dry-hopped, in fact it doesn't smell of much. It's leafy, somewhat fruity, and perhaps a touch floral. It's not the best aroma. The body is a dark amber headed towards becoming copper colored, and the head is a short lid of white. I wouldn't say that it's got very good head retention. OK, on to the flavor... well, given the aroma I wasn't expecting much but it's actually quite nice. There's a clear note of toastiness and breadiness to it, just a touch of honey-like sweetness, and an edge of caramel as well. It's not overly malty as some examples can be, and a pleasant median bitterness balances it and brings it to a dry conclusion. The aroma is weird though, what happened? In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp. As an Oktoberfest style beer it gets by but it's certainly not the best.
Review# 6,367

 

 

12 oz can. Pours orange with tall, long-lasting, fluffy white head. Aroma is of grassy hops and caramel malt. Body is medium and smooth. Grassy hops and caramel malt fill the mouth. Finish is long and dry. Nice brew.

Caramel color,slightly thin body. Malt,bread,caramel aroma with the taste being identical. Mild sweetness with equally mild hop bitterness. Not bad,would have again but not something I would seek out

 

 

 

I had this on draught in a tavern. Served in a pint glass. It pours a pretty brownish-amber color with 1.5 fingers of foamy, bright white head and lacing that lasted through the pour. There wasn't much on the nose; just a light cracker. There was more to the taste: roasty, toasted brown bread with light but discernible spices and nuts. At the finish there was a subtle but pleasant sweetness. The feel is roasty but crisp, with pleasing carbonation. At 5.3% ABV, you can drink a few, as I did while watching the MLB playoffs. Overall, while Czig Meister's version of the classic Marzen isn't highly rated, it is well-crafted. I'm glad to see a local brewery brew this style each year. I like a roasty Marzen and this one did fine by me.