Favorite Oktoberfest beers

Another vote for Great Lakes - although I can't get it here
Would love to try Staghorn or Sly Fox one day though.......
Cheers!

 

Hard to say. I love many doppelbocks which obviously have a lot higher percentage of Munich malt that GL Oktoberfest. I also like Eliot Ness but don't care for Dortmunder Gold because of the minerally ester profile. GL Oktoberfest just strikes me as an unbalanced recipe.

 

This is one of my favs as well and just ordered a case online from France44 dot com check it out!

 

Anyone tried Thirsty Dog Barktoberfest? I've heard good things. Also, I wanted to echo the good reviews of the Sierra Nevada collab. Best I've had so far this season. Also love Ayinger.

 

SN's was stellar this year. I'm waiting to see some Paulaner Oktoberfest Weisn come out, and Avery Kaiser.

 

Solid

 

As everyone has said already, Ayinger is probably the best and most well known. Spaten does an okay one. But for craft, Revolution out of Chicago does a pretty good variation.

 

I was wondering about their yeast too, because their Oktoberfest tastes a-lot like the Eliot Ness Amber. The Oktoberfest is definitely growing on me though.

 

I don't agree with Octoberfest beers being out already and personally I won't drink any until atleast Sept 1st but thats me and I'm weird. Anyway, its hard to choose with so many but I will say that every year Spaten - Brooklyn and Sam Adams Octoberfests are top notch. Locally Crickethills Fall Festivus is excellent.

 

Ayinger is a must buy every year!

 

If you're a traditionalist when it comes to beer, does that mean you won't drink Oktoberfest's unless they were brewed in the spring and stored in caves?

 

One of my faves as well, really enjoyed sitting at the Paulaner Brauhaus in Shangahi, China watching the German expats and Shanghai locals doing their best to recreate the Octoberfest (I'm a big believer that ambiance is a big part of enjoying and savoring beer). I'm sure part of it was the fact that it was freshly brewed there, we'll see if it's as good this fall.

Edit: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen is good stuff too, I love me some smoke.

 

One of the things they do best..by far

 

Spaten in a 1 liter stein

 

Ayinger, Great Lakes, Hacker-Pschorr, Staghorn, SA Okt and the new Sierra Nevada are my favs.

I am a huge fan of almost all Weihenstephaner beers but just don't get the appeal of their Festbier. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the pale Okt versions but it has a odd off flavor to me that I can't pinpoint.

 

That's called barley malt.

Seriously, I just finished a six-pack of fresh Weihenstephaner Festbier and it had no off flavors at all -- just good, melanoidin-full, bready malt with the right balance of spicy noble hop. It tends to be somewhat drier than the HB version of the pale Okto, but that's more from brewing method and probably malt supplier than anything. Both beers are excellent examples of the Wies'n Fest style beer.

 

Ayinger, Great Lakes, and Capital.

 

Samuel Adams Octoberfest.

I do have to say that I have not tasted a lot of Octoberfest beers.

 

Ayinger hands down. I liked the new sierra Nevada Oktoberfest as well.

 

Breakside's Smoked Oktoberfest...great idea making a rauch Märzen to crisp up the malt profile. Wonderful for those who are normally put off by such malty beer.