Oktoberfest
Schlafly Beer - The Tap Room

Tonight is a new beer to me.

Schlafly – Oktoberfest

5.5 %ABV

The beer has no listing on the label beyond Oktoberfest, and a “Lager – Marzen” on BA.

The beer was removed from a 45ish degree temp fridge after having been refrigerated for approximately 30 hours. Beer poured into a classic Haufbrauhaus dimpled mug.

First Impression: Beer appears to look the part, but under-carbed.

Appearance: Under-carbed, but otherwise mostly looks the part. Perhaps a bit more amber than I would expect, and perhaps a bit more murky. No lasing, and head faded quickly. What is shown in the photo is a fairly aggressive pour. 4.0

Smell: Not much to note. Just some faint ‘bier’ smells. Like most American marzens, you really have to stick your nose in the glass to get any smell. 3.5

Taste: This was actually really enjoyable to drink. I’m not sure that it is a truly well done beer for the style, but it was enjoyable. Perhaps I am bias though, I have always loved Schalfly, and I can drink their scotch ale (if and when they ever produce it) like it’s water. Easy drinking. Not as crisp or clean as others. 4.35

Mouthfeel: Nothing unique or special; perhaps a bit thin. 3.75

Overall: I’d buy this again – In fact, I quite enjoyed this. I’d gladly give this to someone else if they asked for a good marzen. It has its’ flaws, but overall I enjoyed it. 4.35

BA Review Score: 4.07

I think the overall score of 4.07 is a tad high – I think it should be closer to 3.95. Even though I quite enjoyed it, I am just not sure it’s quite worthy of a 4/5 star rating.

From the bottle, it pours a clear amber color with a very nice just off-white head that slowly reduces and leaves lacing. The nose gets some grassy hops and malt. The mouth gets a slightly sweet slightly roasted malt brew that is extremely easy to enjoy.

Pours a burgundy-orange with a mild fog to the translucency. Head is a finger of white foam. Aroma is toffee, fig, caramel, and toasty, nutty malts. Some sticky and grassy hops are tacked onto the end, especially after the initial soft toffee and caramel fades away. It reverts from a sweet start to a slightly sticky, dry finish. Flavor profile is toffee, caramel, and a dash of fig. Bread, earth, caramel, and toast form the hearty malts under the dash of sweetness on the front end. Mouth feel is medium in thickness. It has a slightly crispy texture. Overall, a sweet leaning Marzen with enough malts at the backend to retain balance.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 12oz bottle.

 

 

 

 

12oz can pours a cloudy brownish orange color with a small but dense head of light tan-colored foam. Smells of robust, toasty malts and caramel. Rich flavor of toasty malts, caramel, and honey. Light herbal hop note with a moderate bitterness that's on the more bitter side for a Märzen. Mild sweetness that continues into the aftertaste with the bitterness. Medium body and smooth mouthfeel.

This isn't anything particularly unique but is a solid Märzen. I probably won't buy again.

Rich amber color with full malt aroma. Left nice amount of lacing in a pint glass. Smooth taste with light bitter aftertaste. A bit of a thin and swallow feel. But overall a good example of a marzan.

 

The pour is copper colored with a mild amount of carbonation. The taste is clean, crisp, nuts, and caramel. Cheers! B

 

 

 

 

Pours a copper color with well over a finger of head. The nose is earthy but it also has something astringent. The flavor has some caramel maltiness but it's not terribly complex.

 

Had on tap at Birra. Sort of a lightish cloudy brown with a bit of head. High in sourness for the style with not too much else there, some malt and not much bitterness or sweetness. A little light for the style.

12 oz. bottle, bottled 07/18/2022. A new one to me from Schlafly; acquired a single bottle as part of a mixed six pack.

Poured to Brasserie D'achouffe stemware.
Deep sunset orange body; big finger and a half of frothy khaki-cream head that stays awhile. A few bubbles lazily floating topside. Looks excellent.
Slightly subtle aroma of toasted brown bread, crusts, and an earthy, herbal, fruity hop note.
Taste follows in suit - not quite as toasty or nutty as I'd like, but there are brown breads & bread crust flavors present throughout, undermined by a fruity berryish sort of hop presence. Slight notes of sweetness & black tea leafs.
Crisp, clean, easy-drinking. Light-bodied with good carb.
Overall, a decent every day example of the style from Schlafly, but I prefer mine a touch roastier.

Schlafly Oktoberfest -----3.5/5

The Saint Louis Brewery, LLC "Schlafly Oktoberfest"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle "BOTTLED ON: 07/27/2022 12:58". Sampled on 10/02/2022.
$2.29 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: A slightly hazy deep copper colored body is capped by a finger's width of densely creamy off-white foam. The aroma displays toasty malt, caramel, and a hint of apple and berry-like fruit. The flavor follows with a firm bitterness (listed at 25 IBUs), some very mild floral hop notes, and undertones of yeasty sulphur. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp-then-smooth across the palate. The head retention is excellent, bolstered by the very tiny bubbles rising from beneath, and the lacing is better than average. All in all it's a very well done traditional Märzen styled festbier.
Review #8,273