Erie Oktoberfest
Erie Brewing Co.

 

I wouldn't really call this an oktoberfest. It's much darker than most oktoberfest beers I've had, and it has the dark color and roasted flavors more like a black lager or a porter. If you're looking for a standard marzen style oktoberfest, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one, but as someone who enjoys black lagers and porters, this is a winner. As long as you go into it expecting a black lager and not a marzen, it's an excellent beer that I would love to see available for longer than it is.

L-The beer pours a dark cola brown with a 1/2 finger of fine white bubbles. The head recedes quickly leaving no lacing or ring.
S- The nose on the beer is deep, malty, and sweet. The sweetness takes the dark sweet route of raisins and figs.
T- The palate and nose are the same. Dark fruit sweetness dominates.
F- Mouthfeel is medium overall and the carbonation is light making the beer seem heavier than it really is.
O- If I hadn't been warned by the beertender, and I'd bought this expecting a traditional Oktoberfest, I'd have been pissed. It's completely miscategorized as an Okto. Fortunately I had been warned what to expect and this is at least a passable Doppelbock. The beer is drinkable if you can tolerate the sweetness. Many will find it too sweet for their tastes.

 

Poured into custom shaped grip glass: color is darker amber, near brown, amber edges, light tan head, head presents about 1/2 inch then quickly dissipates to a ring.

Smell is stronger version of notable munich malt oktoberfests: good toast, light caramel, fruity notes of the munich style. Very good and unique.

Taste is similar to the aroma with good toast, moderate caramel and pleasant vinous malt like flavors from the munich malt and additions. This great as a big malty lager, maybe more of an oktoberbock as the sweetness is not quite doppelbock style but the strength leans to that style.

Mouthfeel is a bit sweet but then fairly crisp with a sharper carbonation and presence on the tongue.

Overall a very good, unique brew in a non-traditional take on the oktoberfest style.

 

 

 

 

DATE TASTED: November 8, 2015 ... GLASSWARE: Weihenstephaner pilsner... OCCASION: finishing off a solid home Sunday... APPEARANCE: dark brown body with runs of orange; head begins with a flourish and disappears as swiftly, forming an off-white halo and a bald middle; sporadic bubbles are tough to be found... AROMA: powerful, almost pungent caramel slams the nostrils--foreboding a strong ABV--with a slight nuance of hops; in fact, the slightly flowery aroma gives way to a grape or vinous suggestion... PALATE: immediately formidable body, flat and punchy; drinkable in its slickness, but abrupt in its finish.. TASTE: heavy caramel wrestles with a wine-like fruitiness to produce a formidable, flavorful fest.... some hay, apple/pear fruitiness, and more caramel... OVERALL: an amped-up American take on a Bavarian tradition , one that works while it warms; not as crisp as the label declares, but smooth just the same... my first beer from the brewery is something of a success...

 

 

It is 01 November 2015 and The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), Hallowe'en having been yesterday. I am still in a Fall sort of mindset and I have some bottles of Oktoberfest still hanging out. We fell back in time during the night, so it seems later than it actually is. What time izzit? Beer time!

From the bottle: "enjoy erie brews".

I Pop!ped the cap and commenced a heavy-handed pour that got me a finger of fizzy, light-tan head that pretty quickly fizzed it way down to wisps. Color was Copper-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was really malty sweet and I almost recoiled in surprise, but having indulged a Stout & Porter kick yesterday, I was down with this. Remarkable in that I have not done a malt bomb in a while. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste had a lighty smoky, maple syrup-like quality. It was a really rich, sweet beer, even for the style. The finish was like a malt bomb, cloying, syrupy and enough to make me afraid for adult-onset diabetes. It was not bad, per se, but far too sweet for my taste.

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed from the bottle in a snifter. This nice oktoberfest pours a deep brownish copper color with a light tan head of foam that dissipates to a thick ring, thin layer, and light lacing. Nose of toast, caramel, light fruit, and subtle hops. Flavors exceed the nose with a mix of cola and toast flavors that fade into the middle with a subtle light cherry and caramel flavor. Back features some light hops that are lightly herbal in character. A nice brew indeed with a mouth feel that straddles cream and crisp. Very interesting and enjoyable.

Cheers

 

Poured dark with little to no head. The color was not appealing. The first smell was like that of a nut brown. It had a nutty, smoked salmon flavor, but had no hop to balance or finish. It tasted watered down. Should not be called Oktoberfest. More like a smoked nut brown lite.