German / Imported Märzens

WTF indeed -- guess no one from Blue Point has ever been to the Midwest?

 

My "Oktoberfest" beer arrived in the mail today. Pax Bräu has a Bierkalendar, or Beer of the Month, and mails me a different beer every month, 2 1L bottles. This month, for the first time ever, he's done an Oktoberfest beer, but in the Pax Bräu style.

Actually, it's a "rotes untergäriges Festbier," or "red bottom-fermenting Festbier." It had been planned for an Oktoberfest that would've taken place 2 weeks from now, but that was cancelled due to the virus. The name Jagd auf den Roter Oktober translates to Hunt for the Red October. I love the imagery on the label. I'll try it later this evening or tomorrow. For the Pax Bräu website:
IBUs = 26, Plato = 13, ABV = 5.8%, Malts = Carared, Melanoidin, or Red X (all very red malts!)
Andreas Seufert, the brewer/owner of Pax, wanted to put his own Pax Bräu stamp on the idea of an Oktoberfest beer. "...der Wunsch ein nicht weiß-blau-gerauteltes Oktoberfest abzuhalten. Nun zum Bier: Dieses Festbier fällt durch seine intensiv rubinrote Farbe auf, die auf seinen karamelig, malzbetonten Körper hinweist." Or "...(I had) the desire to hold an Oktoberfest that is not white and blue [the colors of Bavaria]. Now to the beer: This festival beer stands out with its intense ruby red color, which indicates its caramel-like, malty body."

Actually, this is the only Oktoberfest beer I'm remotely interested in drinking.

 

So here's the same beer out of the bottle and in the glass. I'm kinda disappointed that it's not as red as advertised. I was expecting really red, but here we got a reddish-brown under a tan head that took a long time to dissipate.

Aroma: WOW! So much almost assaulting the nose. Dark bread aromas, roasted barley, pils malt, some caramel and then dark stone fruits lingering in the background. It smells more like a Doppelbock than a Märzen, but really that's a dark German bread smell just slapping you and not letting go.

Flavor: Almost no bitterness but also not too sweet like some Märzen can be. Only in the back and then just momentarily I get a Noble hop presence, but then sweetness jumps on it.
It really tastes almost exactly like it smells. I get so much bready flavors, but not American white gummi-bread, but dark German sourdough, almost rye bread flavors, then that gives way to caramel in the back like a Werthers candy. It's goldilocks zone, not too sweet but lots of caramel and bready sweetness, and just enough hops to balance it and keep it refreshing.
I'm blown away by this beers complexity. It's not a caramelly Märzen, not a Bockbier, not a Pils, but has flavor aspects of all of those. Oh my WOW.

Mouthfeel: Nice and thick, not too meaty but thick enough to allow you to wallow and luxuriate the beer all over the tongue and mouth. I could see drinking this on a cold winters day but also in a Festhalle over some heavy metal music. (Andreas Seufert's favorite band is Mötorhead, that's the style of music at his brewery's fests.)

Overall: WOW. Wow. WOW. Maybe the best "Festbier," "Oktoberfest," "Märzen" I've ever had. I'll probably be disappointed now my entire life with every other Festbier I'll ever drink. Basically a 4.8, with 0.2 points docked for not being red enough!
Again... flavor is WOWOW WOW.

 

Tony, it has often been my experience that a red aspect is more of a hue vs. a straight color thing and it typically best expresses itself when there is back lighting (particularly with sunlight). Do you have more bottles of this beer? Maybe next time pour the beer and place it against a window when the sunlight is available and see if you obtain a differing appearance.

As always I appreciate the way you "WOW".

Cheers!

 

I know you've been living in Germany for a while, and maybe you weren't into imports when you lived in the States, but Spaten, Paulaner, and Hacker-Pschorr have been importing their Amber Märzen Oktoberfest beers over here for a very long time -- even though they're difficult to find in their homeland.

They've always been my favorites and have always reminded me of Doppelbock's little brother. That same, bready melanoidn character, but smoother and easier drinking over a couple liters -- sweetish up front, but folding into a drier finish with just the right amount of hop bitterness to keep the sweetness in check.

The Pax sounds like it takes inspiration from these throwbacks to earlier days of the Oktoberfest.

 

@boddhitree the Pax Brau beer reminds me of one of our local amber Oktoberfests, only it’s a bit heftier, and sounds like it’s a bit sweeter.

Berkshire Brewing Company’s “Life on Marzen”.

https://www.berkshire-brewing.com/beers/life-on-marzen-lager

What about a Vienna or Dunkel’s older brother?

 

The classic Marzen/Oktoberfest was usually thought of as just that, a ramped up Vienna.

As to the Dunkel, the standard "Dunkles Bock" is wondering he's never included in these discussions .

 

The people at Paulaner USA must be reading these threads. They posted this on their Facebook page today:

"Last year, we called it Wiesn. This year, we’re calling it what it is: Oktoberfest Bier. The same great golden lager is the only beer you’ll find in the Paulaner tents in Munich. Since we can’t go this year, tag a friend you’ll raise a stein with and go to our beer finder to find some near you!"

 

Okay, let's get 'em talking about the Marzen -- they call that Oktoberfestbier* too, don't they?

*Eh -- guess they just call it Oktoberfest, but I'd still like to get them to chime in about having the two beers -- then there's the whole Synamar question...

 

They do indeed (as you well know)

 

Don't know how you can post a picture faster than I can edit my post on my phone.

 

I always thought it was a smart move for them to import the Wiesn here. I've seen and heard plenty of people over the years shy away from the amber märzen style oktoberfest at fests and gatherings. But once the pale fest style was more widely available, a lot of people seemed to be in to that. Their only trouble has been how to label/brand/name it to indicate that it is indeed an "oktoberfest" beer. I think having the picture of the beer on the packaging helps.

 

If I recall correctly, Surly made one that had rye as well. I quite enjoyed it.

 

You'd think an international corporation of such status would figure out how to click that button allowing non-Facebook subscribers to see (if not reply to) their page.

 

I think they do it on purpose to get you to have an account and "like" their page.

 

Interesting little "stamp" on the new packaging: Original Oktoberfest Recipe

Really? Whose? Sedlmayr's? Paulaner's? Again -- about that Synamar rumor guys...

 

Their loss.

 

Not to sound like a Paulaner apologist, because I've got plenty of issues with what they've done to the H-P brand in the US, but I think it's a function of them trying to indicate that it's the amber style, not to indicate that they were the originators of the style.

 

Probably, but if we have them by the ear, why not give a little shake?

 

On the topic of imported marzens, is anyone else experiencing low head retentin for this year's Hackar-Pschoor marzen?