Fall Beer Sightings? (2021)

This week I have seen quite a number of Marzen style beers, and picked up several;
Local Thirsty Dog Barktoberfest (drinking one now)
Also local (ish) Masthead Oktoberfest
Wolf's Ridge (C-bus) Oktoberfest
Shiner Oktoberfest (picked up today)
Also grabbed one of my fav pumpkin brews - Elysian Night Owl, and Mad Tree's Pumpcan

Cheers to seasonal beers! It's almost August fellas....stop being so negative! This is how seasonal beers get distro'ed - get over yourselves!



bring on 'dem punkin haters!

 

Pumking and Warlock appeared in NE PA last weekend.

 

Spotted Bell's Okto and Hacker-Pschorr at the local Jewel's Grocery today - @FBarber

Bell's bottled in mid-July, H-P best by end of March 2022.

Bell's in the house because the manager gave me a deal because it wasn't priced yet (H-P to ho "on sale" next week... probably). $10 for Bell's six-pack, $17.50 for H-P 12-pack (I know, cheaper per for the H-P, but I already have too much stock).

No SN and the distros were stocking away.

Bell's: Nicely herbal, Noble hop nose. Herbal hops in flavor up front, followed by nutty to lightly bready malts and doughy flavors. Herbal hops and bitterness finish on the palate with the bitterness becoming a little heavy in the aftertaste. Nothing bad or distracting, just a little off for an Okto -- but also not heavy caramel sweet like many Ami-Oktos. Sorry -- no appearance notes because I'm drinking from my convenient, .25 Liter HB Steinkrug. Lets you focus on flavor, mostly.

Overall, Bell's has been pretty consistent, and consistently good, with their Okto over the years, 2021 being no different.

 

My favorite recuring American take on Oktoberfestbier.

 

Gotta wonder why it only garners a "good" score. Lager prejudice, I suppose.

 

When I reviewed the Bell's Octoberfest 5 years ago, the second of two was basically still. Little carbonation.

But my main criticism was the beer lacked complexity compared with the Oktoberfest/Märzens beers I liked better.

I rated it at a slightly positive 1.1% rDev @ 3.7 ... 3.75 across the board except for feel taking a hit for the flat beer.

 

Must have been a bad bottle with the flat one, don't recall that happening to me over the years. 2 I've had so far have had decent heads.

I can understand the lack of complexity compared to an Amber Marzen; I just finished my second and wondered if this beer is more Festbier than "Traditional" Marzen, but it seems to be more hop-centric than most Festbiers.

That said, the malt character I'm getting this year seems to be Pilsner malt-based* with the spicy noble hops in good concert.

So yes, it's not big and toasty melanoidin in character, but it's a really nice rendition of a German lager. Once again -- Ami interpretation, without going full Brown Ale like so many.

* @hopfenunmaltz -- any info on Bell's recipe for their Okto?

 

I saw Yuengling Oktoberfest and Victory Festbier at Christiana last night. Too early for me.

When the Yuengling first came out 10 years ago I thought it had a metallic taste and have avoided it since. Anyone else have that experience and if so has it improved?

 

Ran out to the local Weis store for milk and decided to check out their beer selection. Lo and behold, they had Sly Fox Oktoberfest in the cooler with a best by date of 12/19/21. Had to pick up a 6 pack based on @JackHorzempa ‘s recommendation. Having one now and it’s quite tasty:

 

Picked up a sixer of Weihenstephaner fedtbier after work today.

 

Since I’ve had a 2 vessel kettle rims system, I have nixed using real pumpkin in the mash due to it not wanting to recirculate too easily. So I use pumpkin spice at the end of the boil and after fermentation.

Also, I’m very excited for SN’s version of their Oktoberfest. It sounds amazing!

 

Don’t make me Walter Payton your ass!

 

I'm not worried, I gots Donald Driver on my side.

 

One more day and it is officially "Augtoberfest!"

 

Agreed! However, that said, I did just see Southern Tier Pumking stacks. July. JULY! Hanging outside last night, it was getting dark by 8:30 and pitch black an hour later. With all this rain (sorry west coast...), it’s like summer hasn’t even started.

 

Founders Oktoberfest has already come and gone at my local store.

 

Weird. Are you sure it was new stock?

Founder's site says it's available thru September -- still time left.

 

Yep, their FB page said that it hits national distribution in August.

 

Sure, but that doesn't mean some sneaky distro didn't hang on to last year's leftover stock and pushed it off on unsuspecting retailers and consumers this year.

Seen it happen before.

 

I guess that's a no?