American Made Marzens

Sometimes it comes down to how it is driven.

 

I think a few things should be kept in mind. For one, Bavarian lager beer was more of a session beer from a practical standpoint than English ale was in the 1800s, it was lower gravity and lower attenuated. Some even considered it nonintoxicating due to its low average abv compared with ale. What happened with Bavarian beer in the 1900s was that it lost some of its original gravity, but gained in alcoholic content, or degree of attenuation. English ale on the other hand lost alot of its original gravity due to tax increases, and lost considerably in alcoholic content as a result. But just as English ale shouldn't be restricted by it's modern low gravity low abv iterations (say 3.5% abv, circa 8% plato), nor should lager beers be restricted by their modern moderate gravity high abv iterations (say 6% abv and 11.8% plato). Our understanding of the history of each ought to be broad enough to encompass the entirety of eaches related history, and we ought to be prepared to recognize aspects that conform to, and deviate from, contemporary and historical iterations. To only recognize the contemporary aspects, or only the historical aspects, leaves us with an incomplete understanding, and leaves us less informed.

In my mind, what should happen when we come across an aspect of a beer which does not conform to what's common in the style nowadays, is to consider the history of the style and whether or not the aspect which does not conform currently is actually in conformity with this or that time period of the past. This requires an understanding spanning not just the last few decades or the decades when one has been drinking that style of beer, but an understanding, to the best of one's ability, of the many distinct and varied time periods in which this style has existed. This in my opinion does the style the most justice, and does the beer the most justice. We should not be blinded by a belief that what is has always been so, when even a cursory investigation into the matter should be enough to conclude otherwise.

 

Seeing Sly Fox, Great Lakes, so many others in my area now so the season has arrived! Will be on the lookout for Sierra Nevada and a few others as well.

I absolutely love going back to malty beers after drinking IPAs!

 

Been mentioned already in this thread, but Von Trapp has their Austrian/German act together.

 

Have not had many American as I tend to focus on the German marzens. However, I love Great Lakes Octoberfest. Pennsylvania Brewing's Marzen (Not Oktoberfest) is not bad.

 

Yup, Marzen done the Dovetail way is the official Octoberfest beer for me (but I still love you Staghorn)! Just ridiculously good!

 

Forgot to add as it is brewed here . . .
Weihnachtsbier Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh

 

I saw that yesterday and passed after the sticker shock wore off. Funny that it's practically $5 more per pack than their every day beers.

 

Christmas beer for Oktoberfest?

 

It’s true the price is a bit higher than normal. But their more labor intensive beers such as Festbier, Maibock, Kolschbock, Rauch Doppelbock and Pilsner were all a bit more than the standard $10 4pk. And I’d happily pay that little bit extra time and time again for the high class quality. Will run out of Festbier quickly and will need more next week sometime!

 

Well, I have to say that my own disappointment in the Dovetail beers I've tried so far kept me from dropping an extra 5 on the Festbier.

I've only had cans and want to try their beer on draft before I make a big judgment on their overall German styles, but I'm not ready to gamble when there are many sure things on shelves.

 

It’s all good, drink whatever you like is what I say!

I do highly recommend trying Dovetail on draft, they have 4 beers I think on draft in their Biergarten currently (Including Festbier). I’d also recommend places like the 2 Beer on the Wall locations where you can buy single cans without committing to 4pks (including Festbier yet again).

 

We baked some pizzas in out friends' backyard today and over the conversation I had two bottles of Paulaner and a bottle of Troublesome, probably one of the last ones in existence. I think they may have cost less together than one of these cans. Although it's the pint size, not the price that's usually a sticking point for me.

 

I just bought a 28 pack of Sam's Octoberfest from Sam's Cluy yesterday. It's a nostalgic beer for me as well. Pretty much the only offering I routinely buy from them when it's available. I used to buy all the seasonal variety packs until they through in the towel on those. However Sam's is far from my favorite. Nostalgia and the ability to buy it in bulk is the main factor. I do still enjoy it.

 

Olde Mecklenburg is my favorite American marzen by far and nothing else I've tried is even close. A distant second, but still very good beer is my favorite local, Big Timber Forest Fest.

 

A general comment.

We should accept the fact (and, IMO, it is a fact) that in the American market Märzen and Festbier are two different substyles of Oktoberfest beers.

Märzen (in the American market, brewer's labels, and consumer expectation) is darker amber and maltier, and sometimes fairly sweet. Festbier (again, in the USA) is lighter and dryer.

This is independent of what the "genuine" German Oktoberfestbier is ... assuming there is such a singular definition, ... certainly over the course of time, the style has changed considerably.

 

So, based on the theories of beer evolution, does this mean we have to start designating American Marzen as we do American Pale Ale or American Brown Ale?

To be clear, I hope not -- but it seems the styles are moving toward that fork in the road.

 

I hope not too.

 

Imho, this year's is better than the one I drank last year on draught. Bottled July 20th.

 

Funny thing, I was making mental notes as I was drinking the Bell's, then I looked at my review -- from 2016; it pretty much mirrored my current impressions.