Best 2017 Oktoberfest, So Far

I find it so hard to resist group tastings of Oktoberfests. There's something about this style. I had a blind tasting with the above beers a few days ago. About half of which I had in similar tastings last year.

The Ayinger was a disaster. I was convinced that it was last year's stock, but I've had year old Oktoberfests before that held up much better... so could this bottle have been even older? There are multiple stores around me that still have German Oktos from years ago. If only there was a date on the bottle to tell me.

Compared to last year:
The other German beers did surprisingly poor with me this year. Perhaps it was my mood that day. Paulaner Marzen is usually one of my favorites. The Urban Chestnut also didn't fare too well considering my normal like for it. Its relative heaviness held it back when had alongside others. Just as in previous years, I enjoyed Port City's version a lot. I liked Sly Fox much better this year than last.

The only beer in the group new to me was Flying Dog's. This was a very interesting beer. It didn't feel like an Oktoberfest to me at all. I found it heavy on the dark fruit notes - like a malty (but light bodied) English ale or even a (subdued) dubbel. It was tasty though.

Zero Gravity was new to me this year, but I had a bunch of cans of it before the tasting. The first time I had it, it really defied my expectations for an American Oktoberfest, so much so that I didn't care for it at first. It was toasty and light. I was really digging the second can though. In this group, it proved to be my favorite. I think it's lightness helped in that regard given the context (the opposite of Urban Chestnut). The fact that I didn't pick up any off flavors helped tremendously.

@JackHorzempa
@TongoRad

 

Good stuff! Sly Fox keeps proving to be one of my favorites.

 

What were your thoughts about the Von Trapp?

 

Here's all the ones I tried this year. Most for the first time. I simply grouped them into four bins. This thread was an inspiration to seek out as many as I could find.

Here's my favorites:

Second favorites, definite buys:

Third favorites, would give another try. Out this group I'd say the Czig Meister, Port City and Goose Island I liked best.

Did not care for, would probably only try the Two Roads and Brooklyn again:

 

I am a fan of that brewery in general. Regarding the Oktoberfest, I liked that beer. Going from memory, compared to a typical American iteration, I found it to be on the lighter side, brighter and hoppier. They also have a "Hoppy Marzen" which I have never had.

 

I discussed Zero Gravity Oktoberfest in yesterday's New Beer Sunday thread:

Happy October Everybody!!

My favorite beer to drink during the month of October is Oktoberfest beer and I am lucky to have a new Oktoberfest beer to drink today: Zero Gravity Oktoberfest.

I was gifted this beer and heretofore I was unaware of the Zero Gravity brewery. I decided to educate myself about Zero Gravity:

“Zero Gravity Brewery began in 2004 out of their Brewpub at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Since then, they have expanded to a 30-barrel brew house located on Pine Street in Burlington’s South End Arts District. Opened in spring of 2015, their Pine Street Brewery offers a full canning line, tasting room, retail shop and sun-drenched beer garden.

One of the distinguishing elements of Zero Gravity beer is an adherence to the outstanding qualities of classic beer styles. This requires painstaking attention to technique and recipe. Using the best malt and hops, their beers are matured to completion. They strive for internal balance above all. This mode—call it an unwavering commitment to the level of quality found in the great beers of the world—is not at odds with experimental brewing. It quietly underpins the work of the best creative breweries of America that serve as the foundation on which their beers are built.”

Well, I am a fan of “adherence to the outstanding qualities of classic beer styles” so I am very excited to try this beer.

Served in my Spiegelau Lager glass:

Appearance:

Amber colored with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

A toasted bready aroma is the first thing I smell; there is a hint of caramel sweetness in the background.

Taste:

The flavor very much follows the nose. The toasted bready flavor is noticeable along with a very subtle caramel sweetness. There is low-moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied, a smooth mouthfeel and a dry-ish finish.

Overall:

This beer is very good; I enjoyed drinking it. IMO this beer is consistent with “adherence to the outstanding qualities of classic beer styles”.

 

Sam Adams really blew me away. Above and beyond the 20 some Germans and 10 domestics I consumed this season.

 

20ish Germans? Wow. I'm surprised that's possible.

 

All kinds. I thought Ayinger was the worst of the German's this year.

 

Zero Gravity has consistently been the best of my local Oktoberfests. I had a couple of other noteworthy locals in Stone Corral and Goodwater this year. Hofbrau was clearly the best of what I tried this year, although the three above are certainly worth your money.

 

For the most part I think I'm done with the season at this point. I've noticed some favorites (particularly the Germans) starting to fall off a bit.

To add to my list above I had Left Hand's on draft, Harpoon's on draft, Berkshire Brewing Company's, and a German import I hadn't heard of until this year on the forums from Pfungstadter (amber Oktoberfest).

Out of all the new ones above, the German one (surprise surprise) was the best, but not the best German Oktoberfest I had this season.

All in all, my quoted post above is still how I feel. Paulaner's Wies'n was great the first draft pour I had way back in early September (maybe late August?), but it was at the end of a night of drinking, so hard to tell. I had it a second time a few weeks ago, and while tasty, I felt it had already started to lose a bit due to age. So it's possible that one could have given Weihenstephan's a run for it's money.

@JackHorzempa, @zid, @ingchr1, and @NotAlcoholicJustAHobby have all got me thinking I should head out and finish the season off with some Zero Gravity Okotberfest though! Von Trapp also has a hoppy Oktoberfest in cans (not their lower ABV bottled one), which I'm curious about.

But, winter is coming...and I already cracked my first Celebration of the season last night...certainly a great way to "celebrate" the end of my favorite beer drinking season of the year...Oktoberfest.

Prost!

 

Not me, about a week ago bought my second 12-pack of Sly Fox Oktoberfest this season. I am storing these cans cold and I plan on drinking these beers until the holiday season (Christmas - New Years).

Is this beer different than the bottled Von Trapp Oktoberfest beer? I enjoyed drinking the bottled Von Trapp Oktoberfest beer but it was on the hairy edge of being too bitter (a lingering bitterness) for my palate. I still have three bottles of this beer and while I will have no issues drinking these three beers I wonder if I will ever buy this beer again.

Cheers!

 

I've heard good things about Sly Fox, but unfortunately I don't really have a local Oktoberfest that I enjoy as much as the imports. If I did I might be more inclined to pick some up in late October/November. Might still give that Zero Gravity a whirl.

I actually got to visit the Zero Gravity brewery this past summer, and coincidentally they started distributing to Boston shortly thereafter.

I like their Green State Lager, so that's why I've been curious about their Oktoberfest. Their hoppy beers aren't my favorite, but they're unique and stand out compared to other New England style hoppy beers.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22512/303723/

"HOPPY MÄRZEN 6.4 ABV 40 IBU
This Amber Lager is dry-hopped with copious amounts of Hüll Melon hops, Mandarina Bavaria hops notes of melon and citrus give this marzen a beautiful aroma while not being overly bitter."

Yup, totally different beer. The ABV is bumped up too.

I also feel the same about their regular Oktoberfest. Nice malt character, but a tad too bitter. Not to the point of making it undrinkable, but it threw the balance off in terms of what I look for in an Oktoberfest. Something I'd drink again, but won't actively seek out aside from a single or two next year. Even the malt character, while nice, was not quite up to snuff compared to my favorites.

 

Having mentioned the German brewed Oktoberfest I liked best this year in an earlier post, after further research on the US brewed Oktoberfest.

My preferred US brewed versions this year are

1. The Ramstein Oktoberfest
2. The Sly Fox Oktoberfest

(Unfortunately the Ramstein from High Point Brewing over in NJ seems to be available only on draught.)

 

Funny that you mention this because I was drinking a couple over the weekend and thought the same thing. I figured it was just my palate being stunted by all of the malt.

Snow predicted for here tomorrow morning -- nothing big, but early even for us. Oh, and Goose Island and Sam Adams Winter beers on shelves. No sign of Celebration yet.

 

I too noticed that they were falling off a few weeks ago. Many were bottled in August. My stock is all but gone. Time for winter/holiday beers.

 

Which Wisconsin O fest beer did you like best this year? for me it was Capital and Title Town. Lazy Monk and Lakefront was good too

 

I've been a cheerleader on the Mountain forum for a newish Denver brewery, Seedstock. And I think their Oktoberfest is fantastic. If you're in Denver from out of town, and an Oktoberfest enthusiast, drop by the brewery and see what you think. I'd be interested in an outsider's opinion, just as a palate check. If there's any left, their Spezial Hell--a very pale festbier vs. their almost copper-colored Okto--is also, to my palate, amazing. Most of the lager enthusiasm in this town is (justifiably, too) focused on Bierstadt Lagerhaus, but Seedstock is turning out extremely well made lagers as well, under the radar.

 

To follow up on my comment above, I enjoyed my last two Oktos of the season the other day - Urban Chestnut's and Port City's. Outside of that blind tasting, the Urban Chestnut once again proved to be a delight. It's deep dry breadiness really shining. Port City went down so easy, I enjoyed it also. As far as I'm concerned, blind tastings are never going to tell the whole story.

 

Absolutly, especiallyy when they are side-by-side and involve multiple beers in the same tasting.