Harvest Oktoberfestbier
Versailles Brewing Company

 

 

Strike up the oompah bands and break out the liederhosen, the festival seasons of fall is upon us. And Versailles Brewing is ringing in the occasion with a traditional festbier that pairs perfectly with cooler weather, savory pretzels and great company.

Harvest Oktoberfestsbier comes to the table glowing brightly with deep golden hues and steady slow streaming carbonation. As a lofty off-white foam builds on the brim, the subtle scent of floral arrangements decorate an otherwise toasty, nutty and sweeter malt aroma. Malt-centric at its core, the lager leads with a sweet taste of mild honey, honeysuckle. bread crust and a savory mild nuttiness.

As the ale washes the middle palate, the malts are satisfying and pleasing as its sweetness shares moderate strength and a steadfast, dedicated attention to a savory toast, crust and wafer-like subtlety. As the hops turn from floral to spicy, the later tastes bring just enough of a grassy, herbal and hop bite to take a slight edge off of the malt sweetness but careful not to interfere with withs malt leading balance.

Medium bodied and slightly fuller than the usual Wiesen versions, with a formidable elevated alcohol warmth with a slight minty, evaporative cooling on the palate. Finishing malty but not overly sweet, the festiber has a nearly perfect balance that finishes slightly less crisp and less floral than the better versions of Bavaria but well within the margins of most German made festbiers, and certainly better than most Americanized varieties that are out there.