Märican Biere Bought and Drunk...

Matt, I also look forward to your input on these beers.

I had the pleasure to attend a presentation at the 2014 NHC by Jason Oliver of Devil's Backbone and that guy really knows his stuff.

I have only had a few lagers from Devil's Backbone but those beers were high quality.

Cheers!

Jack

 

Off the top of my head I had the Vienna Lager and I enjoyed that beer. I think I had more lagers from Devil's Backbone then the Vienna Lager but frankly I can't remember specifically.

Devil's Backbone is occasionally available in PA on draft. I have never seen packaged versions of their beers.

Please let us know what you think.

Cheers!

 

I equate the use of Sinamar to the use of CO2 derived hop extract. They both, when used properly, can help make a beer even better. I would say that the use of Sinamar can only be helpful in a few different styles, where the use of CO2 extract can be successfully employed in several styles.

 

I found another article on the 2013 Oktoberfest bierprobe with stats for the beers. And here's another one from the IPA guys from 2010.

 

Pretty sure they're in production now. The new Fall Pack is supposed to be delivering from both coasts.

 

Isn't Sinamar used in Faust's Schwarzviertler?

 

I had such high hopes, I really did -- but it is Sierra Nevada, after all, right?

But I am seriously intrigued by their hop-usage. As said, I've had beers that want to overdo hops as a typical micro, but Noble Hops seem to suffer from overkill (as does my palate) and SN seems to have found a great recipe in the Octoberfest and the Vienna.

 

I haven’t tried the Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest beer yet. Based upon the ingredients list (see below) it ‘sounds’ like this Oktoberfest beer should be unique. An interesting mix of malts (no Munich or Vienna malt used). To the best of my knowledge I have never had a beer brewed with Pacifica hops; should be interesting!

Cheers to Sierra Nevada for producing such an intriguing Oktoberfest beer!

Overview

• Alcohol Content 6.2% by volume
• Beginning gravity 15.0° plato
• Ending Gravity 3.5° plato
• Bitterness Units 34

Ingredients

• Yeast Lager yeast
• Bittering Hops Pacifica
• Finishing Hops Pacifica
• Malts Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Caramel, Dark Crystal, Roasted Wheat

P.S. An interesting description of Pacifica hops:

“Brewer’s notes:

The Pacifica brings something of a blend of new and old-world taste descriptors to the brewers' forum. Orange marmalade aptly describes the citrus aroma notes achieved through late addition. Bittering quality is such that early kettle additions net a soft yet solid finish even in highly bittered beers.

http://www.nzhops.co.nz/varieties/pacifica.html

 

Yes, reports from the 19th century on the color of beer often has me scratching my head. Here's some comments from a report from a Dr. Adolph Mair from Fürth in Mittelfranken about the color of various versandt (export) and doppelbiere, plus a couple of lager beers that he had tested since 1857:
Blassbraun (pale brown)
Hell, rothbraun (light/pale reddish-brown)
Rothbraun (reddish-brown)
Rothbraun, hellglänzend (reddish-brown pale-gleaming)
Hellbraun (light/pale-brown)
Rothbraun (reddish-brown)
Blassröthlich-gelb (pale-reddish yellow)
Hellbraun (light-brown)
Rothbraun (reddish-brown)
Weingelb (wine-yellow)
Rothbraun (reddish-brown)
Tiefbraun, glänzend, hell (deep-brown, gleaming, light/pale)
Rothgelb, hell (reddish-yellow, light/pale)
Rothgelb (reddish-yellow)

Of the schenkbiere tested he says that hell-braune (light/pale brown) to licht-gelbe (light/pale yellow) colors dominated, whilst the export and lager beers were dominated by deep-brown colors. Sadly the tables seem to have been screwed up completely by the person scanning the book (several editions available online) so the tables are essentially unreadable beyond this snippet.

 

Now that's a new one! I may have to start using some of these descriptors in my reviews.

 

That's funny, this is last year's correct? I found Spaten's to be the best of three last year, and it appears to be the darkest. Paulaner has fallen way off each year, and Hacker Pschorr was my favorite up until either last year or the year before. Spaten was a stand out for me along with Ayinger in terms of the amber Marzens.

 

34 IBUs seems a bit high for an Oktoberfest. As is the 6.2% abv. I'm eager to try this one and see how it compares to the imports.

 

It may be true that many German macro beers have been "dumbed down" in recent years, but U.S. "craft" is equally guilty of dumbing up many of their beers.

 

If 6.2% abv is high for a beer of 15% original gravity, wouldn't the same apply for a 6% beer of 13.7% plato, i.e every contemporary Oktoberfest beer put out by the Munich breweries? If anything the lower degree of attenuation for Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest beer, disregarding the issue of ingredient choices, is more in line with traditional Bavarian lager beer brewing than the modern Oktoberfest beers themselves.

 

If you use the European Beer Star Awards (EBSA) Category Description as a basis of comparison then 6.2% ABV is in style but the bitterness level of 34 IBUs is out of style.

Beyond the EDSA style guidelines is the aspect of malt and hops. The Oktoberfest (Marzen) beers brewed in Europe typically have a fair amount of Munich and/or Vienna Malt while there is no Munich/Vienna used in brewing Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest.

Even more remarkable to me is that Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest is solely hopped with a New World hop of New Zealand Pacifica. I would be extremely surprised if any European brewer has produced an Oktoberfest/Marzen beer using solely hops from New Zealand.

“I'm eager to try this one and see how it compares to the imports.” I am also eager to try Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest. Given the ingredients used to brew this beer I have zero inclination to compare this beer to a European brewed Marzen.

Cheers!

P.S. Below is a copy of the EBSA style guideline for a German-Style Marzen:

4) German‐Style Märzen

Colour: amber notes

Palate: full body, sweet, malty

Hop bitterness: clean

Malt character: slightly roasted rather than strongly caramel (though a low level of light caramel is acceptable)

Flavour and aroma: slight bread or biscuit like malt character

Hop flavour and aroma: low but noticeable and clean

No fruity esters or Diacetyl

Beer is filtered

No chill haze

Analytics:

Original gravity: 13.0 – 15.0 °Plato

Apparent extract: 3.0 – 5.0 °Plato

Alcohol: 4.0 – 5.0 % by weight, 5.0 – 6.2 % by volume

Bitterness: 18 ‐ 28 IBU

 

Funny? No, it was a couple years back, but the H-P and Paulaner I've had this year were right in-line with those colors.

They're really all about the same color.

 

You're right. I was under the impression they were all between 5.8% - 6%, but then I noticed Hofbrau is 6.3%.

I have a hard time disregarding ingredient choices though. But I love Sierra Nevada, and am still very eager to see what their take on a Marzen is like.

 

Well then. The only part of my post that makes sense is my preference in Oktoberfest beers.