Bob's '47 Oktoberfest
Boulevard Brewing Co.

Syrupy malty smell.

Flavors of butterscotch, toffee, some floral notes from the malt.

Tastes boozier than the abv it's listed at but gives it more body.

Feels heavy, but finishes clean.

There might be spices here but it's hard to distinguish from the hops. I consider this a plus compared to some Oktoberfest beers that are too spice forward.

If you like malty beers that lean into the sweet and boozy flavors give this a try. Might even be good for the winter months, it feels cozy and is a good sipping beer.

 

 

RB transfer

Nice copper colour and great head lacing and retention. Smell is not bad but the beer is seemingly thin for this style with more of a hop presence than Malty goodness you'd expect from a Marzen.

 

 

Bitter - more of a hoppy taste than I anticipated. Not one that I will buy

On tap at the brewery, served in sort of a Euro Pils glass..

Look: Amber with a 1” off-white head with good retention, leaving nice lacing.

Nose: Not huge, medium roast, cooked sugar.

Attack: Very mild — more mild than I anticipated.

Finish: Mild bitterness — which is appropriate — but then it actually moves close to astringency.

Mouthfeel: Medium light, appropriate to style, carbonation is about right.

Overall: I’m admittedly critical of Oktoberfest offerings — I’ve had many, and have my favorites. This is a simply outstanding brewery and while drinkable, this isn’t near their best beer.

Pours amber in the middle of the color spectrum for a Märzen. Smell is dominated by malt. So, unfortunately, is the taste. I get precious little of the hoppy bitterness others note. I detect some in the aftertaste, but is it at a level akin to an American Adjunct Lager.

This beer is too one-dimensional for my taste. I had not bought any in at least 15 years. Now I remember why. Boulevard makes some of my favorite beers, but this is a miss. Where’s that Bully Porter?….

It's an Octoberfest and fits the mold. Smells is very light to non-existent. Feel is solid but the taste is very light. Makes it sessionable.

12oz bottle pours a relatively bright orange color leaning to brown with a small cap of light tan-colored head that recedes down to a thin ring around the edge. Smells of caramel and toasty malts. Flavor has notes of toasted malts and caramel and isn't very complex. Slight sweetness and a grassy bitterness that is markedly more than you would expect in a Märzen. Light and honestly overly thin-bodied with a mild carbonation mouthfeel. The hop bitterness is overbearing and very present in the aftertaste alongside an astringency that feels out of place.

This was a pretty mediocre beer. It feels like a slightly experimental version (which I often appreciate!) of the Märzen style that just ends up not working well at all. The flavor is too one-dimensional, the bitterness excessive, and the body too thin. Will avoid in the future.

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a pint

A- pours a deep clear amber color with a two-finger foamy off-white head that has great retention

S- smells of caramel, bread crusts, brown sugar, raisin, light peppery & floral hops

T- sweet and malty up front with notes of caramel and doughy bread. Mid-palate gives notes of floral hops, as well as some raisiny undertones. The finish gives toasted bread and more caramel

M- medium body with moderate carbonation lead to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy, yet crisp finish

O- a full flavored, yet well balanced marzen

L - Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Glass. Good golden light brown clear color. Huge tan 3-finger head from an aggressive pour. Head is billowy and reduces very slowly to finish the pour. Fluffy two finger head remained for a few minutes before I went for a drink. Moderate lacing once the head finally goes down and allows for drinking.

S - Sweet and malty up front scents. A light bread or cracker. Some metallic smells.

T - Taste follows scents but fuller and more balanced together on first taste. The bready maltiness is there, but a little smokier or toastier. A mild sour/bitter on the finish. The hoppy sour/bitterness is more present as you drink. Agitation balances the flavors back a little bit but I prefer the initial tastes over the later half. That may be due to temperature change as I drink it.

F - Good mild-frothy feel with medium fullness. Smooths out as you drink it. But halfway through it presents a dry feel.

O - Overall this is a good beer. I’m a fan of Oktoberfests, and this one seems fine for the season. It’s a little smokier/toastier than I’d expect/prefer but it’s worth giving it a shot. I recommend trying it, but I’ll stick to other Oktoberfest offerings