Oktoberfest Lager
Imperial City Brew House

Tallboy can purchased at the brewery; no canning date, but it can't be more than a few weeks old. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a clear reddish amber colour, generating less than a finger of smooth, creamy, off white-coloured head that fades within ninety seconds or so. A thin collar and few wisps on the surface are all that remain - no lace at first, but there's some deposition as the level drops. Smells sweet and a little biscuity; there's caramel, toasted grains and bread, maybe a touch of leafy, grassy hops - nothing unexpected so far.

It's a serviceable take on a märzen - a relatively sweet style of lager, and boy is this one right on the mark, at least in that respect. I'm getting toasted bread, caramelized malts, and red licorice candy sweetness by mid-sip; this is followed up with hints of nuts and an herbal, weakly earthy hop bitterness. More red licorice into the aftertaste, which leaves a malty, almost biscuity sweetness lingering behind on the taste buds; the booze presence is minimal, but it's a strong lager and you'll recognize that soon enough. Light in body, with moderately assertive carbonation that feels crisp and prickly on the palate, lending a nice bite to this sweet lager's mouthfeel. I could drink a few of these if I had to, but I'd just as soon move on to something else.

Final Grade: 3.56, a B grade. You could do worse than Imperial City's Oktoberfest Lager, especially if you enjoy malt-forward beers like this in general, e.g. North American ambers along the lines of Barking Squirrel. This one isn't far off from those, though it does feature an added noble hop bonus. I don't love this beer, but I don't mind it either - it's good enough to get the job done, but a few servings per autumn will be sufficient for me. I'll return to it eventually I'm sure, and I'd say märzen fans should certainly consider taking a flyer.