Doktoberfest
Raised Grain Brewing Company

16oz can, PKGD 06/06/24
L: clear copper colored body; persistent carbonation creates a thin fluffy beige head
S: caramel, toasted grain, earthy hops
T: bready malt, caramelized grain, toast, earthy hops with a bit of grassiness
F: very smooth and incredibly well balanced, medium body, moderate carbonation
O: very good Märzen! This would have done very well in my Oktoberfest tournament in 2020

 

great mazen style october beer great malt taste but too muchmalt

Appearance: Pours a clear, deep amber and orange color with a strong light tan head. SRM of 11. (4.00)

Aroma: Moderate aromas of bread and caramel malts. Slightly toasty, slightly sweet. Marzen-like. Evolves as it warms. (4.25)

Flavor: Moderate to strong flavors of caramel and bread malts upfront. Some faint sweet hoppy citrus within. This lingers for a bit. Then comes a strong wave of toasted, bread malt. This lingers for a while. A smooth, girthy sweet, and toasty bread malt off the finish that has flavors of caramel rolls and freshly baked bread. Slightly sweet, but the toasted bread malt balances. (4.50)

Feel: A medium-body, moderate carbonation. Some sweet bread but also toasted malt lingers off the finish. (4.00)

Compared to Eagle park M.C. Hammerschlagen 9/18/22: Pours a darker color, milder aromas. Slightly more caramel and toasty notes. Less smooth honey and biscuit. Less floral notes. Leans toward more caramel than honey. Similar, and great, but slightly less flavor here.

Compared to The Brewing Projekt Wisktoberfest 9/18/22: Pours a lighter color, stronger, similar aromas. Similar flavors, but more toasted bread and caramel sweetness. Stronger flavors here. Winner: Raised Grain

Compared to 3 Sheeps Oktoberfest 9/25/22: Pours lighter, milder aromas. More smooth honey and citrus/flower. Less bread, toast, caramel. Milder flavors overall. Winner: 3 Sheeps

Compared to New Glarus Staghorn 11/22: Pours a lighter color. Stronger aromas. More bread crust and toasted flavors. Less sweet caramel and booze. Dryer, cleaner, and more flavor. Winner: Raised Grain

Compared to Great Lakes Oktoberfest 11/2022: Pours a lighter color. Stronger aromas. More bread crust and toasted flavors. Less sweet caramel and booze. Dryer, cleaner, and more flavor. Winner: Raised Grain

Compared to Revolution Oktoberfest 11/2022: Pours similar, stronger aromas. More toasted brown sugar Less toasted bread malt. Sweeter

Compared to Breckenridge Oktoberfest 11/2022: Pours lighter, stronger aromas. More bready and toasted flavors. Less caramel malt. Similar sweetness, but more flavor. Winner: Doktoberfest

Compared to Lupulin Oktoberfest 10/24: Milder head. Stronger aromas. More rich caramel, yeast, alcohol burn. Less toasted and dry bready notes. Winner: Lupulin

Overall: An unexpectedly great Oktoberfest Marzen. Being in the medical field myself, I was eager to try this one made from two doctors. I knew it had to be decent. Sure enough. Nice rich toasted bread and bread crumb flavors. Spicy too. Just the right amount of citrus hop. Then the toasted finish to linger and drinks sweet, but flavorful. I wouldn't change anything about this one. Dry, toasted, and flavorful. One of my favorites of the season. (Rating: 4.24)

 

 

Tasted in a Rastal stein from a one pint can on August 14, 2021.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a small light white head. Smells of caramelized malt and bright fruit. Tastes of very bright fruit with nice caramelize grain. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

No canning date (released on 8/5/20, so presumably canned within a few days of that date); consumed on 11/14/20

Pours a foggy, golden copper-orange body capped with around a finger of soapy, off-white foam; sub-par head retention leaves a paper-thin, very temporary layer of cap, no lasting collar, and a nearly immediately-fading array of spotty lacing around the glass.

Aroma opens with notes of candied figs, a sweet precursor to floral hops into fresh bread briefly appearing as baked pears, apple core, and brown sugar take hold; touches of caramel malts and vague, toasted bread fight for attention in an overpowering display of orchard fruit across the bouquet.

Taste starts off fruity with mushy apple and baked pears a vivid introduction; doughy yeast and toasted biscuit on the mid-palate form an apple turnover sweetness into the back end as brown sugar and caramel malts accent; a distant minerality fades through the finish.

Mouthfeel features a medium-light body with a low prickle of carbonation; the flaky malt texture developing verges on oily before a soft grit grazes the mid-palate into a semi-dry, partially thinning back end.

From a more general standpoint, this is a fairly pleasing autumnal beverage, rich in orchard fruit overtones and burnt sugar sweetness; as an Oktoberfest, however, this beer is strangely sweet, disjointed, and lacking any sense of the nuance upon which the style is built; decently drinkable, but declines the more it's associated with a Märzen.

This is a 16oz. can of what the Doctor ordered poured into my Raised Grain pint glass. The marzen started with a perfect one inch head, just slightly off white, light tan. The foam settled back quickly leaving just a hint of lacing behind. The beer is a nice darker amber, hazy, with medium carbonation to watch and ponder life's problems.
The aroma is a nice sweet yeast scent, not overpowering at all.
The taste is sweet toasted malts. with a perfect slight bitter finish to cut the sweetness. 5.9%ABV but there is not any alcohol flavor . This is very well done.
The feel is smooth and more of a creamy feel on the tongue'.
This is a good one and from close to home. I am certain I will sample this one again next fall!

 

16 oz can 4-pack: Musty yeast smell, very smooth and drinkable marzen with a bitter but somewhat enjoyable aftertaste. Not outstanding but would buy it again.