2019 Imported Oktoberfests Blind Tasting

It might've been partly from reading your original post, partly from past experience, but the GF can confirm I picked Spaten out of the mix initially.

I found it interesting that I kept enjoying it more than the other beers, despite the odd notes that I didn't really find "skunky" specifically. Maybe it works out to be ok if you have some skunk-like notes as long as the underlying beer is tasty enough?

 

I'm on my 4th Spaten Okto six-pack this season, not one was skunky -- and I didn't even pull them all from closed cases.

 

I just did a blind tasting of my top 4 pale festbiers today. Here are the contenders:

Paulaner Wies'n
Benediktiner Festbier
Hofbrauhaus Freising
Hofbrau Munich Oktoberfestbier

And after they have been poured and randomized (with numbers added to the bottom of the mugs so I couldn't see them):

Yeah, the second one looks like an authentic 'Munich' pour.

Tasting them from left to right, numbers noted after the fact:
#2- Very bready with prominent herbal hops. Some rich toastiness in background. Creamy yet dry. Kaboom!

#3- Mild reserved character, but hardly bland. Bready malt, minimal hops like a hint of lime peel. Awesome feel. Gets better and deeper as you go.

#1- Great balance, best of the bunch in that regard. Rich flavor, bready but only inner part, no crust. Nice herbal hop complement.

#4- Moderate flavor profile. Bread crust dominates over center, but is nicely rounded. Touch of DMS. Good spicy hops. Could be fuller; most like a helles.

And, coincidentally, that's how I would rate them in relationship to one another in the end.
First to last:
#2 (Freising), TIE: #3 (Benediktiner) and #1 (Hofbrau Munich), #4 (Paulaner Wies'n).


Was this a surprise? Actually, yeah. If I had to guess I'd have gone with the Hofbraus reversed. Way to go, Freising! And Benediktiner is still the killer value pick of the year.

Prost, all!

 

Meaning it's dried up near you? Or "some non-skunked?"

 

Circle A has some, as of Thursday. Stored cold.

 

@Crusader Tonight I decided to drink Von Trapp’s Vienna Lager, and I noticed that whole still somewhat amber, it is much more pale than many of its stylistic counterparts in the US. While I had originally considered Von Trapp’s brew to be less authentic because of its color and the notable hoppiness, I’m wondering now if my old assessment is incorrect in the light of our discussion on Dreher and Blatz’s Wiener Biere.

 

I lurve that beer! It just gets better the more you drink it, especially if it isn't served too cold.

Sadly for me the Oktoberfest isn't anyplace nearby, because I think they'd totally nail it. I'll still keep searching, though.

Fwiw, I guess I'm in agreement with the others regarding their pale lagers. But there are still enough 'hits' to make me an overall fan of the brewery. Kinda the same way with Jack's Abby, I suppose.

 

Thanks for doing this valuable research.

 

Good thread but this was general knowledge to anyone who would choose to drink all fests mixed with some misinformation.

 

The Von Trapp Oktoberfest really doesn't do it for me compared to other options, but you should certainly give it a shot. I recall it being quite hoppy.

 

Was that their Hoppy Marzen or their Oktoberfest?

 

Isn’t the ABV too high?

 

The regular Oktoberfest.

 

Compared to any Oktoberfestbier but not to a style standard.

Comparing imports to domestics in general, here's my very broad take:

For me, there's little that can touch the gold German Festbiers, but it's rare to see a US brewer try.

The typical American take on the amber German Festbiers tend to take a different approach than the Germans. While the German versions typically prize drinkability, the American versions typically prize robustness in one form or another. The resulting beers can be really different beasts. At least that's just my take on it. On average, I like US versions less than German versions, but when it comes to my favorite US versions, I'll take them over an amber or brown import. (this coming from a guy who tends to prize imports more than the average forum poster)

Bell's is my favorite packaged US Oktoberfest in my area. I love it. It's hoppy like the Von Trapp, but for me I prefer it by a mile. I see you had them very close. Thank God we all experience things differently - keeps it more interesting. I haven't had the Von Trapp this year.