AARGHtoberfest!
Heavy Seas Beer

 

 

 

 

The CANQuest (TM) is on the approach to CAN review #1,000, a number that was unimaginable at the outset of this adventure. I had copped this back in the fall of 2013, but picture approval took a while, hence the delay.

From the CAN: "Oktoberfest Style Lager"; "Nice Mugs!"; "Our AARGHtoberfest is a rich and toasty amber lager made with German specialty malts and imported hops. Prosit!"

How inappropriate for the parrot to be making the preceding comment to the dirndl-wearing mermaid! I am surprised that it was approved. Ha! I celebrate "Talk Like a Pirate Day" every year on 19 September and it is always a blast. One former student, Omarrr the Pirate, still goes by that moniker.

The Crack! gave me a little spritz across the bow of my index finger and thus I returned fire in the form of an inverted Glug into my Schlafly CAN glass until the head became too much to CANtinue. I could only watch as a pseudo-cascade gave 'way to a massive three-plus fingers of dense, rocky, tawny head with great retention. I cheated and licked a drop off of the CAN while I waited for it to settle. Yum! Color was a deep coppery-orange (SRM = > 13, <17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a Grape Nuts-like malty sweetness underlain by a grassy hoppiness and I was all for it as I have had many in the style that were cloyingly sweet. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was about as perfect for both the style and myself as I have encountered. It was semi-sweet, at most, with the grassy hops really keeping the malt in check to the point that I could have also said semi-dry. It still had a malty sweetness, make no mistake, but it was not over the top in its intensity. Great lacing began to form as I drank from the glass. Finish was more hoppy than malty, giving it a freshly-mown hay-like flavor at the end. Definitely worth a re-visit in the fall!

 

A thanks to the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is full of malts, a bit bready. Taste is malty, sweet, somewhat bready, some caramel notes, very refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

 

 

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass. I am very impressed with what I see! A rich copper-amber color with tons of carbonation rising through the semi-cloudy body. The head, a creamy textured, cream-colored cap, sports a decent thickness and sticks well on the glass. It would be hard to improve upon the appearance to be honest.

The aroma is not quite as impressive, though it is quite decent in its own right. Notes of toasted bread, caramel, and European hops mingle nicely together. Light aroma, and slightly metallic.

The first impression is of the light body and perfect carbonation. Really excellent body for this Marzen. The flavors are of toasty malts, and a little bitterness in the finish. Clean, smooth body. Nice caramel notes in the aftertaste.

Not as good as the real thing, but Heavy Seas did a good job of creating an Americanized Oktoberfest beer. I say "Americanized" because the true Oktoberfests are usually much lighter in color and a bit more substantial in the body. Certainly not as "toasted" as this one is. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable pint, and I would definitely drink more of this beer!

Serving Type - Can

Appearance - Golden tan/brown with a foamy 1 inch head, nice sticky lacing.

Smell - Carmel malts, toffee, butter, brown sugar, almost has a pumpkin pie aroma with the added spices. A little piney hop aroma near the finish.

Taste - Starts out like a typical marzen with roasty caramel malts, some added spices and sugars but, actually has a little pine hop kick. Actually can taste some banana, pineapple and cherries also. Some nut and butterscotch comes out near the finish.

Mouthfeel - Tongue gets malts, sugars and fruits. The palate gets more malts along with some hop bitterness, and cherries. The aftertaste is malty, yet bitter hopped.

Overall - Different, Lots of fruits in this one. Most marzens are dominated by malts, where this one is balanced between malts and hops. If you want a change of pace from standard Oktoberfest style beers, then give this one a shot.

 

 

 

Just bought a 12-pk (cans) of this to be served at our Halloween party.

Served in a Delirium Tremens glass.

A: Poured a crystal clear, gold-orange color with a small, white-peppery head that stayed in sud formation for a bit.

S: More fruit infused than many Märzens on the market, but it still had that distinctive breadiness that defines the Fall season to my mind.

T: The finish was a bit off in this one... kinda boozy and infinitely bitter. The front and middle parts were good enough: Some toast with a fruity center (which I still found quite unusual.

M: Like I said, this had a bitter twang to it that wasn't entirely pleasant at first, but my palate warmed up to it quickly. Pretty slick beer.

O: I initially didn't know what to make of this but it started to grow on me after a few gulps. It ain't art, but it'll do.