Oktoberfest
Portsmouth Brewery

Can.

Sweeter side of festbier. Toasted crackers, bready and biscuity malts, toffee, earthy and grassy hops. Caramel.

Smooth and easy drinking. Light bodied. Nice feel all around. Enjoyable.

Had ontap. Pours dark brown in color, clear, with one quarter inch head. Taste is brown bread, brown sugar. Medium body and carbonation, sweet. Reallynice and clean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a pint glass. Purchased at the NH brewery store.

Pours copper - brilliant colorred. Foam, what little there is, settles out fully. Nothing left.

Rich malty smell. Fruity malty taste, caramel, toffee. Very light hop. Some sweetness. Light carbonation.

Great taste, mild mouthfeel. Easy drinnker. Perfect to celebrate the fall.

22 oz bottle into a mug.

Pours a brilliant clear copper, with a couple fingers of slightly off-white colored head. This settles down into a foamy near finger, leaving back a rich and sudsy cascade of lacing which quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells leafy and spicy, with fresh green citrus that mixes in with sweet caramel to impart a rich tanginess in the nose. More of a doughy feeling graininess from the malts hangs on the edges as well and I’m also getting maybe a touch of eggy smelling protein character here that comes out during ever other whiff of this.

The taste has a fresh feeling citric and leafy bitterness to it that spreads spice and a moderate amount of bitter rind out into the mouth. The malts sit behind the hops with more of a toasted character at first, before spreading out across the back of the throat with a bloom of delicious caramel sweetness that has you licking your lips after each sip. A steady dryness creeps into the finish, trailing a touch of spice and leafy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a firm creaminess along the back of palate that then tightens up and prickles the tongue with a firm crispness that then follows through to the swallow. The ABV here feels right in the middle, giving this just enough presence in the mouth but not infringing on any of the flavors.

This was a really nice take on the Oktoberfest style from Portsmouth, with a festive feeling profile of Noble hop character and a more flavorful than usual use of caramel malts being the main highlights for me. This was all wrapped up into one crisp, tasty, and easy drinking package. They don’t put out a ton of Lagers here but they do tend to nail the few that they do put out. This is one of those.

Poured on tap at the brewpub. Pours a ncie clear copper color with a finger of off white head. It seettles down pretty quickly to a nice cap.

The aroma has hints of toffee and caramel. Nice toasty malts with a little bit of floral hops in the background. A little fruity on the pallet. Like fresh berries with a bit of caramel sweetness in the background. A good toasty malt profile.

The feel is light with good carbonation. Overall a nice beer here. Real enjoyable.

Big thanks goes out for sending me a fine selection of Portsmouth brews I had not had before. This was the first one opened up this evening. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 10/16/2009.

The pour was very well done. Rich copper in color with a nice little tight head of white foam on top. Faded gently leaving behind nice streaking on the glass. Tons of caramel, bready malts, touches of light herbal hops coming through on the aroma right off the bat. Smooth, even flavor as the caramel malts and a touch of a biting, tart fruit like flavor came together very nicely overall. Even carbonation and a crisp, clean, dry finish led to a very sessionable beer for the style.

Overall I have to say that this one was pretty damn good. I have been priviledged to be able to try a bunch of new fest beers this year and this stands up solid with the rest of them.

Picked up a bottle this past weekend. Didn't get to brew an O'fest this year, so I'll have to drink other people's.

Disappointed head formation, just a few bubbles on top. Light copper colored body, nice and clear, not much carbonation coming to the surface.

Aroma is loaded with that Munich goodness, nice and bready with some underlying toasty flavors. A little caramel sweetness and a clean yeast tone throughout.

Flavor is solid Octoberfest. Nice bready maltiness and some pervasive sweetness again. Doesn't finish dry and crackery at all, which is my general preference in O'fests. Low hopping levels offer a bit of grassy hints but really let the malts lead. Clean yeast again.

Medium-ish mouthfeel, the malts seem a bit chewy. This is a solid beer, no watery stuff here, but still really drinkable.

I'd could have several of these. I prefer a bit more of a dry, biting, toasty edge, but I'm sure the masses wouldn't quite go for that. Good stuff.

On tap 9/27 at Portsmouth Brewery.

Clear copper hue. Almost no head (due to pour I supppose?) only an offwhite film.

Very subdued scent. Malt, a hint of spice (pepper) and a hint of floral hops.

Taste is toast, malt, fresh and sweet, a touch of diacetyl, and a slight floral hop bitterness which mingles with spice notes malt sweetness throughout the nicely long finish.

Mouth is medium-thin but creamy.

Drinkability is very good.

Not my favorite Oktoberfest this year but very good.

Acquired via trade from purlpehops, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish orange color with a very thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramel, spice and a little hops, but it also seems a great deal fruitier than most O-fests.

T: The taste is malty as is should be with flavors of caramel, spices and some dark fruit. It’s a little on the sweet side. The hops presence is mild even for the style. The malt character is hearty but it’s not as bready as I thought it would be. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, decent representation of style, however, this might be the type of beer for someone that’s looking for a milder O-fest. It’s worth drinking, but I have a feeling that it’s much better on-tap.