American Made Marzens

Especially for a German lager -- they're supposed to be clear as day.

 

I just had my few bottles today and loving it. I bought a case at Costco for $15.99. I was a bit hesitant getting that much of one beer but won’t have an issue drinking it.

 

they did say it was only made for export to USA maybe they heard haze is king here.

16$ a case!!! That’s crazy @GetMeAnIPA awesome deal.

 

Hah. Bite your tongue.

 

I wanted to try the Bitburger, but it never showed up around here.

Still, as an Okto purist I'm skeptical about the caramel malt, but I'd give it a chance.

 

Via Bitburger’s website:
Pilsner Malt, Münchner Malt and light Caramel Malt, accounts for its fine color and smooth body.

It does say light caramel malt. If used correctly caramel malt can be great. But obviously too much is well too much.

 

All their beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized, so there’s that.

Ah ok, yeah I haven’t had a ton of beers from Springdale. I don’t recall having a BAD experience, but I definitely dig Jack’s Abby overall more than Springdale. But I’m also more of a lager guy.

For what it’s worth their Das Weizen is very good. Not a lager, but a German style, and something I’ve had recently from Springdale that I really like.

Yes, this is definitely something that’s happened with some of their German lagers in the past, specifically for me their seasonal German Pils, Sunny Ridge.

I believe they recently purchased vertical tanks to remedy this, but I don’t think all their styles have been brewed in them...yet.

 

Caramel malt (and it's resulting flavor & aroma) can definitely be great in the right beers, but Fest and Amber Marzen aren't those beers.

Again, I'd like to judge the Bitburger for myself, but the local distro really dropped the ball.

 

do you Homebrew?

 

At one time. I don't have the space anymore.

 

I ask because I brewed my first Oktoberfest beer last year with caramel malt. This year none. It’s still lagering so I haven’t tried it yet. If you did Homebrew I would ask if you would be willing to share a recipe.

 

All of my notes are buried in a storage unit. The one takeaway I got from George Fix's old book on the style was good Moravian malt. A pro brewer friend also hinted that he used some Belgian malts, but I don't recall which ones -- his was one of the most authentic Amber Marzens I ever tasted. I think he decocted his mash, too.

 

Yeah, but there are many grades of caramel malt, and the lightest ones (under 5L) will give that subtle richness without the heavy flavor impact. Sometimes it's even used to mimic whatever would have come along with a true decoction; and that kind of sounds like how it's been used in this beer.

 

But see, I disagree that the "mimic" succeeds. The difference between a true decoction mash with Munich malt and the caramel that comes from substitution is big on my palate.

This debate goes around and round every year, I'd hoped this year it might be avoidable because it's been hashed over with no real conclusions.

I'll stick to what I've said previously, I've never had an Ami Okto that duplicated the malt richness of the Oktos I had in Bavaria.

 

Belgian malts don't sound authentic, I'm curious now.

Paging Sam Adams...read this suggestion...

That being said, I did enjoy a bottle of Sam's Octoberfest on a roof deck at the seaport in Boston this past weekend. Tasted great, but I also don't really consider it an Oktoberfest. Just a maltier Boston Lager for my palate.

 

That's what I thought when he told me -- I was surprised too, considering the flavor.

This was about 15 years ago, the brewery is closed and my friend has moved on. Can't find a contact for him or I'd ask what he was using -- but I think it was Belgian Pils.

 

The Bitburger Festbier was very nice in my eyes. It also came across as very American to me... not because of a sweetness or a caramel-ish malt character, but because of how dry and toasty it was. I know that that will surprise some people because they associate the latter with the imports. For me, it is quite common for American craft beers to take an aspect of a beer and pump it up really high in the mix compared to an average European equivalent. In the case of Oktoberfestbiers, some American beers are very hoppy, some have a big body, some are very sweet, some are very fruity, and some have a big melanoidin bready character. Imports are often more interwoven or nuanced, but I don't mean that as a positive (or negative). For me, the Bitburger Festbier was very dry and toasty (while also being light thankfully), and this was to the point of it being one-note. The result was very American feeling. None of that is a knock. I thought it was delicious. Keep in mind that I might have a very different take on it if I had more of it (the downside of being spoiled for choice during Oktoberfest season).

 

Tis the year for cloudy Oktoberfests. Didn't you get the memo?

 

Ah, that would be 'behind the times'.

A truly nouveau Oktoberfest would be: Oktoberfest Seltzer.

Cheers!

P.S. I sincerely hope what I posted above is a total joke but nowadays....