2019 Imported Oktoberfests Blind Tasting

Awesome! Not surprised on your winner, it's fantastic! Curious where it places when I get mine done soon.

The skunkiness hinders the Spaten for me. Last year was the same deal. I didn't pick up any skunk in this years Hofbrau. Spaten is the only one thus far I have noticed it. I got very anal this year when I bought my bottles at the store, protecting in paper bags to/from the car and all that. I think Spaten just arrives like that, though.

Planning on doing mine soon... This year, I am splitting up between Festbier and Marzen (as best I can) and picking my favorite out of each lineup over two days. Will be done completely blind (blindfold, same glassware between all). Instead of a bracket system though, will just pick my favorite out of the lineup and try to pick/rank them.

My bottles this year for my blind are below... Might be another few in there if any new ones hit... M for Marzen, F for Festbier lineup. Note, some are 'somewhere inbetween so based on my enjoyment of them this year, tried to more accurately place some of them based on their maltiness and such.

Sierra Nevada (F)
Columbus (F)
Paulaner Wiesn (F)
Paulaner Marzen (M)
Spaten (F)
Sam Adams (M)
Weihenstephaner (F)
Bell's (F)
Fat Head's (F)
Ayinger (M)
Market Garden (M)
Thirsty Dog (M)
Three Floyds (M)
Hofbrau (F)
Great Lakes (M)

(Have not found Hacker, yet...)

I will say this, the overall lineup from these breweries overall has been amazing this year. Thirsty Dog for example has been stunning... Bell's and Fat Head's... Even Three Floyd's really surprised me the other day when I tried one out. Of course for imports, both Paulaners and Hobrau of course. Wasn't a big Spaten fan again, Weihenstephaner is good but didn't stand out. Ayinger kind of the same deal, but I dig it still.

Time will tell!

 

Thanks for that clarification. Since the Hofbrau was in the foreground I thought that beer was number 1.

Cheers!

 

Just to make sure, you are classifying the lighter colored (i.e., Pale) beers as Festbier and the darker colored (i.e., Amber) as Marzen?

The photos I have seen of the SN Oktoberfest beers have the appearance of being amber to my eyes but you are classifying this beer as being a Festbier?

Cheers!

 

Oh OK. Thanks. Yeah, it does seem obvious now. I didn't even notice those plastic platforms while looking on my phone.

 

LOL I was confused on the ranking too. Ayinger took last place.. I had it on tap a few days ago. My thoughts were the same as previous years: It's ok but not the top of the line.

I have come to the conclusion that I prefer the American caramel toffee sweet malty style over the present day German style. But Variety is good

 

All Oktoberfestbiers are Festbiers.

 

That is where my own discretion is coming in. The SN example is very delicate, it's not a rich, malty lager like some of the other marzens. I felt it was appropriate to throw it in my "festbier" category, simply to line it up better taste wise with comparable examples. If anything, I'd need a "hybrid" category as well for beers such as this, but I won't be doing that. "Hybrid" meaning those examples straddling the line between the Festbier and Marzen extremes.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, because it is more of a philosophical position and not in any way a challenge to your methods or tasting. Personally, I think that an Oktoberfest tasting like this is ultimately about preference rather than about how Oktoberfesty the beers are. I would think that the brewers involved can define what a Festbier is more than the BJCP. The ranking would be a tie. Know what I mean?

 

I haven't tasted this year's SN beer but given what you state here I can see why you would classify it as a Festbier for your tasting.

Are any of the other beers like this (i.e., amber in color but tasting more like a Pale Oktoberfest)?

Cheers!

 

Thanks for taking one for the team!!

I, too, have tried Ayinger (the store down the street carries every Oktoberfest ever known to man) and thought I was drinking liquid caramel. Very sweet and it sat and sat while I slowly rotated it out.

 

Enjoying the Oktoberfest discussion. I like the idea of classifying them as Festbiers vs Marzens when blind taste testing. Instead, I've been blind tasting them compared to similar styles such as Vienna lagers, Maibocks, American amber, Altbier. I am often humbly poor at identifying them properly, but as another person mentioned, that's what keeps it fun and interesting.

 

Paulaner is my favorite Oktoberfest for sure

You should have thrown in Weihenstephaner as well

 

You got the order wrong but you were close.

 

I'm not the one who didn't like Paulaner but now does. I always liked that one so I am right.