Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest collaboration brewery is Brauhaus Riegele of Augsburg, Germany

I'll check with my boss, er, uh, wife... She's the Marzen expert.

 

I couldn't help but do a small blind sampling with the earliest 4 entries I could find of the style


Photo cropped from that check in website.
I tasted in order from left to right.
#1 Sam Adams OFest
#2 Sierra Nevada OFest
#3 Weihenstephaner FestBier
#4 Goose Island OFest

Two stood out from the rest. The heavier entries, both #1 and #4 ended up being picked 3rd and 4th on my list. I thought I liked err. loved the American styling with the bready and biscuity nature of flavors. But this little "pick your favorite" trial threw me for a whirl. I ended up guessing none of them right. The crisp carbonated, slightly sweet aroma of #2, I for sure thought that one was the Weihenstephaner FestBier. Wrong again.

In conclusion, The clean balanced nature of Sierra Nevada's brew won me over. Many of the others now seem almost too malty and heavy. Sierra Nevada has a real winner on their hands. I'm picking up a bunch more today. Price point is amazing. Sorry Santa Fe Brewing, I know your stuff releases soon, and that's my baby (SFs is more of the bready malty side). But I just can't resist. I'm going all in.

*Looking at store inventories, it looks like Ayinger and Paulaner will be bought today. Look for a retrial with at least 6 beers soon.

A little victory celebration from last night

 

Wait... you guys have Goose Island's Oktoberfest in New Mexico? I'm lucky I've seen Sam Adams.

 

Cool idea. I need to work up a blind tasting like this, some of the big German names plus SN and Great Lakes Oktoberfest. I'll pass on the Sam Adams. I've always hated it .

 

Holy crap this stuff is good. Got a sixer tonight and I'm smitten. Need to get a sixth barrel of this if possible.

 

Anyone spot this in Iowa yet?

 

Grabbed a sixer on sunday and popped one that night, man this stuff is good! I am gonna be buying this up the entire time it is available!

 

I'm pretty excited to try this brew. I am a huge fan of Octoberfest beers. Haven't seen it anywhere in New York yet, however.

 

Don't think it has hit the PA/NY/NJ distribution yet. Can't wait to try it

 

Haven't had any yet but looks great. Would be cool if they put this out in 5L baby kegs.

 

According to SN's beer finder, a few stores in the Poconos have it. should be popping up everywhere soon.

 

Take a listen to this podcast: Märzen Madness, by some beer enthusiasts in S. Carolina back in 2013. A true blind tasting with some preconceived notions that are turned on their sides. Pretty enlightening.

 

I think I agree with most of their comments, though I can't comment on Old Meck as they don't distribute here. It would have been cool to have a few more German examples in the mix too. I know my fellow Ohioans will flame me but I agree on the GL Oktoberfest critique - it just has to much going on.

 

As long as one of the ones that is year round is Ayinger, yes. If Ayinger isn't available, I'd say boooooooooo!

 

Finally gonna crack one open this evening and really looking forward to it. This post adds nothing to the conversation, but it's late in the afternoon at work, and I needed to have something happy to think about. Carry on.

 

How can you call this a true blind taste test when they knew what every beer was?

 

You're right, I'd forgotten that they had the beers in front of them, and even that it sounds like they didn't clear their palates, but you can't deny they were honest about their assessments -- even against their expectations.

 

I'm sorry but they lost me when the picked the Foothills even though they said the Great Lakes tasted better.

 

They were tasting to-style. Great Lakes Okto has always been a fan favorite, but it's never been on-style to Oktoberfest Märzen.

Besides, the winner wasn't even what everyone expected it would be. Tells me the tasters were being honest, even to your fault.

 

Wait....they are releasing the Vienna Lager again this year? Hadn't heard this until now. Where did you hear this from?