Oktoberfest suggestions

Exactly how I feel. The majority of American-brewed Oktos aren't beers to drain-pour, they're just not what I look for in an Okto-Märzen.

Just had a half-liter of Spaten and am now having a half-liter of Hacker-Pschorr -- the similarities and differences are notable, the deliciousness of both are what this season, and good beer, is all about.

 

I tried Millstream's Okto some years ago, but I must have bought an old six-pack because I found it very sour. Since it's a brewery that I used to seek out back in the early days of micro-brewing I was a little disappointed -- is it worth hunting down again? Provided I can find it fresh, of course.

 

In what has been our third sampling (with additions every time, but mostly repeat offenders), we did this this past Sunday evening


Bottonline, nothing sucked. No drain pours overall. But there is quite a variety of stylings here. So it'll be interesting what you do decide to sample. We have the wies'n lighter stylings, leading up to the Americanized malted version.

My highlights were Ayinger. Well rounded brew. I loved the yeast/malt flavor sweetness. No true sense of any overdone American malts. Just what I desire, sometimes.

SN has a winner here. I dont seem to pick too much on the hops (I like the IPAs though, so my sensitivity isnt so high). The dry finish is a winner. More warm bready malt nature too.

Other highlights, Left Hand. A higher ABV, and on a more Americanized side, I felt it had a really nice carbonation bite, and crispness (given its higher ABV). Weihenstephaner FestBier, and Paulaner Wies'n were the other Highlights. Super light. I guess it helped that the weather was in the 90s and into the 80s during the evening. Drinkabllity went towards the lighter styles.

Spaten and the Paulaner Marzen had a nice crispness (Most of the German beers have this down perfectly). Going solo, they may have stood out just a touch more. This tasting was a gauntlet.

Most of the others all lie within the light to heavy spectrum. I say, buy as many as you can, and let your guests decide (blindly ).

This Genre is filled with so many underrated brews (none quite overrated since the best rated is barely low 90s on a BA scale). So it's still a pretty new genre as far as review score totals, and people reviewing more to STYLE than overall # out of 5.

 

LOL! Really? I see Leinenkugel in there.

Yeah, okay -- it doesn't "suck," but I'd bet it's just about the most bland of any beers in that lineup.

 

I'd have to review some notes. I believe I felt it to be more in the Middle as far as American malty breadiness. The majority of the Americanized versions were maybe too flavored. So the blandness is hard to judge going head to head to head to head. I suggest a blind sampling if you havent already. btw, I have only bought singles of the Leiny's. No full commitment on most of these actually. 4 Ayingers may not be enough (2 left now). Local SF got its case purchase. SN has had 2 cases so far. SA was a Sams Club jumbo buy. GI was a sixer, as well as Shiner. All the others were singles..

Now if we want to go into repeat buys: Ayinger, SN, Weihenstephaner, SF (local to me, but available in some SW/MW markets). The others are Good to acceptable I guess. I wouldn't want to rebuy them though. So that may be a better gauge.

 

Leinenkugel is one of those beers I've been drinking for many, many years -- and when the Okto comes out every season I really want to like it, but I'm always underwhelmed. It's better on tap than from the bottle, but even the pint I had with dinner last weekend was less-than remarkable.

 

Ayinger!

 

I thought it was a great beer, and don't remember any sourness at all. A coworker and fellow beer lover said that it tasted better than Ayinger Oktoberfest to him, but I don't know if I would go that far.

 

Obviously, the four major Bavarian beers - and Sam Adam's Oktoberfest, to represent the American version.

 

Ive been looking for paulaner for a year cant find it.

Yuengling Oktoberfest is very good. Its the darkest Oktoberfest ive seen too.

 

It isn't as much beer as it seems and surprisingly it didn't go flat even after a few days. This was my first mini keg experience and for $20 I would definately get another. Cheers and I hope you enjoy yours!

 

I've noticed sneaky stores here pushing the Oktoberfest beers that I know they had left over from last year...

 

Just had Weihenstephaner's Festbier for the first time tonight. It was excellent.

 

Ayinger all the way!

 

That sucks, I would assume anything on the shelf is this years brewing. I like dated bottles, and I do check.

 

I also like dated bottles (and I look for dates) but not all breweries choose to date their beers. Case in point: Ayinger. I really like Ayinger Oktoberfest and I have already bought 2 bottles of this beer with the hope that it is not a leftover from last year.

Cheers!

 

I bought a few Ayingers a week or so ago, and I trust the beer store I go to, he checks/ knows the dates too. I don't believe he would knowingly buy last years brewing. What I had was a great beer, and very similar to the ultra fresh Mectoberfest which is also a Marzen style brew that I bought at the same time. So I'd assume fresh they'd be similar and they were, so I'd say it was this years brewing. I don't think it possible that 16 month old beer would take similar to a 3 month old bottle. It would suck to get hustled by the distributor, but I bet it happens.

 

Not overpowering on the German influence. They use some unusual tasting yeast .

 

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@jesskidden , Thanks for the link. Not that you are endorsing it, but there are some mighty claims being made in that article:

I really like the beer but