Märzen Fest-Bier
Red Star Brewery & Grill

Appearance: Caramel amber hue with a nice frothy cream colored head ample lacing left behind a bit uneven but nice. Aroma: Slightly nutty edge toasted malts bring a caramel sweetness malts are on point here very good nice dose of hops with a sweet sugary twang in the air. Taste: Great flavor clean but toasted malts caramel edge German hops can't beat this I think it's a step above this year's Penn Marzen in my opinion, really a nice beer. Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied touch of stickiness very good. Drinkability: Excellent where's my liter mug when I need it, damn good Marzen I wish this was bottled.

For the group I drank with this Marzen was a popular session beer. It poured a rich, deep amber with a rocky white head that laced the glass but not profusely. Nose was minimal, sort of standard for a lager, some malt and grain. This is a substantial Marzen with a solid mouthfeel. Taste had a touch of caramel, toasted malts and some whole grain bready flavors. Hops were subdued and came through on the finish with a subtle bitterness that ended on a dryish note. As I said this brew is a fine one to start off the spring with an eye ahead for the lighter summer seasonals.

Served with a moderate white head atop a copper colored body. The beer produces a decent lacing as you quaff. The aroma is faint, but displays a clean, sweet malt note. The taste is roasted malt, finished by a good dose of hops. There is decent bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is solid, and the drinkability is good. This is a solid beer, but not as complex as many Marzens. However, there is nothing that detracts from this easy drinking lager. Another solid offering from Red Star, as usual. It seems the brewer at Red Star, Jeff, produces two types of beer: Outstanding and very good. This one falls into the latter group, but I'm not complaining. I look forward to every visit to this brew pub.