Staghorn Octoberfest
New Glarus Brewing Company

Very very good.

Nice golden-apricot color.

Tastes toasty and roasty and hoppy but not bitter or dark. Autumnal but not overly spiced.

Good mouthfeel.

One of the best Oktoberfest beers I’ve had

I had this 9/24/23 @ Max's Mansion.

Semi-opaque dull orange appearance.

Nice khaki head; frothy lacing remained.

Almond & a hint of caramel notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Almond & mild caramel flavor.

Not syrup-y, but also kind of neutral. Good, not great.

 

Standard caveat for all of my reviews: I rate as I do on Untappd.

The first time I had this (2017) I didn't like it. It tasted off to me. i think it might have been infected or something Or I was dumb. At any rate I avoided it during Oktoberfest season for a couple of years. Then one weekend I took a day trip to New Glarus and had it in their beer garden (2019) It was fantastic. So my thought was my first one was infected or something was wrong.

Since then, it's become one of my favorite Oktoberfests.

This one was poured into a stein. Deep caramel with a toast like character. Mild hops. Very smooth.

 

Beer pours a nice amber red, with a decent head that quickly dissipates leaving only a trace of lacing. Aroma is a bit underwhelming; I expect a more pronounced malt backbone from this style. This trend continues in the tste. I detect more bitterness than usual for the style, and much less malt presence. Body is just a bit on the thin side too. This is by no means a bad beer, but there are so many more better Octoberfests out there. Being from the Chicago area, I think New Glarus products enjoy cult status because they are not distributed in Illinois. I don't know if that is market strategy or the result of this state's absurd and corrupt distribution laws (thanks for nothing Wirtz family). In any event, I think New Glarus might be just a tad over-loved by many in this state.

(12 oz bottle, no date/code; purchased single off shelf at their Beer Depot this week... poured into a shaker pint)

Polished-clear, tawny-colored liquid; foam builds to the lip of the glass, receding in short time, leaving little collar or lace... on the nose: hints of maple syrup, cedar water, honey-roasted nut (pecan? Brazil nut?); unique and expressive aromas, shame it doesn't leap out more... the flavors closely match the aromas, with a leathery undertone adding some earthy depth; honestly, this tastes more like an amber ale or maybe an Alt; it's certainly (carameled-)malty, but the static, herbal balance from the hops help give it a near mute dryness in the aftertaste... had a 5 oz'er of this at the brewery the other day; this full pour gives a much better presentation of all the curious nuances of this beer; it's a nice beer, but I'm kind of torn how to view it since it's unlike any Marzen I've tried before (2189)

This is easily one of my favorite Oktoberfest beers, bar none. Some märzens have a great color, but a burnt taste; others might have a great flavor but terrible aroma. This one ticks all the boxes for me. It's delicious every time, and I looked forward to September every year, when I'd drive up to Wisconsin to grab a few six packs.

 

 

 

Poured from a brow 12 oz. bottle. Has a copper color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of bready malts. Taste is of bready malts, a hint of hops are present. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent and highly drinkable beer.

Excellent flavors of cocoa, white pepper, hops, roasty-toasty grain, crisp feel, slightly dry finish, an overall wonderful flavor and a real top of the line winner as far as Marzen beers go. Would like to have a steady supply of this for whenever the mood hits for a world class amber fest lager. NICE!

 

Got it from a trade with Luscious_Malfoy
Nice, clean, toasted bready malts with a hint of sweetness.
The hop note is very subtle and no bitterness.
Like this one a lot.

 

Color is in the middle for Oktoberfest, definitely marzen but not dark brown. This grew on me. Very roasted smell and taste. Some smell of late stage decay - like old leaves. Flavors of desert crusts, caramelization and a late herbal taste. Damn good okroberfest.

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear, deep orange, mostly amber color with an off white head. SRM of 13. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of toasted malt, rich caramel and amber notes. Strong, bready, rich. Complex. (4.25))

Flavor: Moderate flavors of rich caramel malts. Then some notable hops and fruit mixed with toasted bread malt flavors. Light spices. A balanced, bready, smooth caramel malt flavor on the finish. (3.75)

Feel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. A sweet toasty note lingers. (4.00)

Compared to Revolution Oktoberfest 8/23/22: Pours a similar color. Milder head. Stronger aromas of toasted malts. Less flavor though. Less bread, toasted malt, rich ruby and caramel flavors. Similar body and sweetness. Winner: Revolution

Compared to Eagle Park M.C. Hmmaerschlagen 8/29/22: Pours a darker color. Milder aromas. More rich amber malt. Less bready and toasty. Slightly heavier and sweeter. Overall similar.

Compared to Milwaukee Brewing Company Oktoberfest 9/27/22: Pours a darker color, milder aromas. More smooth caramel. Less bread malt, yeast, floral and tomato notes. Milder and more muted. Still I think the flavors are better here. Winner: Staghorn.

Compared to Third Space Oktoberfest 9/27/22: Pours a lighter color, milder aromas. Similar flavors of smooth caramel, but slightly more floral notes and hides the alcohol better. Winner: Staghorn

Compared to Hillsboro Friday Night Lights 10/14/22: Pours a darker color, stronger aromas. More toasted malts. Less bread malt. More carbonation and a fuller, more flavorful body. Winner: New Glarus

Compared to Brewing Projekt Wisktoberfest 10/2022: Pours darker, stronger aromas. More toasted bread and brown malt. Less baked and honey flavors. Fuller, darker, sweeter. Winner: New Glarus.

Compared to Raised Grain Doktoberfest 11/2022: Pours a darker color. Milder aromas. More rich and sweet malt. Less toasted flavor. Sweeter and heavier. Winner: Doktoberfest

Compared to Great Lakes Oktoberfest 11/2022: Pours similar. Stronger aromas. More bread malt. Less caramel and booze. Similar flavors, but slightly cleaner, less boozy, and dryer. Similar overall. Winner: New Glarus, slightly

Compared to 3 Sheeps Oktoberfest 10/2023: Pours lighter, stronger head. Milder and less rich flavors. More bread and booze.

Compared to Millstream Oktoberfest 10/2023: Pours similar, stronger head. More caramel and booze. Less toffee and floral notes. Milder. Winner: MIllstream.

Overall: A decent Oktoberfest here that is somewhat growing on me. Strong bready, toasty, and caramel malt aromas. Sort of falls off on the flavor though. Pretty standard all the way around. Improves in flavor and floral notes as it warms. (Rating: 4.06)