Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2015

Bill, so true. I love Kellerweis, but almost always have to go to TW to find it. Even there, it's hit or miss.

 

Is Oktoberfest going to be available in cans? Would be a nice fall beer to bring to tailgates, fishing, etc.

 

Most of the stores around here NEVER even had it. That's my point! I have to go to bottle shops to get it. Hopefully it sticks around.

 

Man, this very good in all sorts of ways, especially price. Great beer at a super price.

 

Thanks Jane , have been putting off buying it only cause my ipa tastebuds say no

 

Thanks been holding back on buying it, got burned on that sam adams version the past 3 years

 

Thanks talon having trouble grabbing it since im a ipa addict

 

Havent seen flipside yet?

 

INformative post thanks Jack.

 

Just a note to everyone singing the praises of SN O'fest-
Sierra Nevada definitely did a fine, fine job making this beer, but I think a lot of the 'credit' should go towards the 'style'; this is an incredibly solid version of the Pale Oktoberfest substyle, the kind that is served at the fest in Munich. If I were still homebrewing this would be my 'house' lager style; it's got everything going for it- drinkability, depth, complexity.

If you really enjoyed this beer I also recommend that you give some others a shot as well- particularly Hofbrau and Weihenstephaner. You may never go back to the amber style again (well...not 'never', maybe 'rarely'...).

 

Just so you know, my post you read is for the SN Oktoberfest that was brewed in 2014. My guess is that a BA moderator consolidated threads here?

By all reports the 2015 version of SN Oktoberfest is very good as well. My local beer retailer has not received the 2015 version yet but I intend to buy a 12-pack once he gets it.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet

Cheers!

 

Just bought a fresh six of it yesterday and it's very good. I know marzens well, having had them in Germany.

 

saw it in store today in central NJ, cases and 6 packs. started on my 6 pack and im enjoying it. if i cant get a case of GLBC Oktoberfest then i know what case i'll be getting instead

 

Found a bottle today.

Cheers!

 

In store now Jack ol' Buddy...drop off some more of your ESB if you got more ;-)

 

Extremely solid beer, I've gone through a 12 already and am working on my second one. Will likely be my go-to until winter in all honesty.

 

Just had a go at the 2015 Version of Octoberfest. Love it and actually like it more than the Vienna Lager so here's to hoping SN keeps this recipe going forward. Nice malty flavor but not too sweet and a good hop kick to let you know SN had something to do with this. Best out there.

 

Your ending there caught me by surprise. I thought you were going to say "should go towards Brauhaus Riegele."
They aren't getting much attention nor praise. I would guess that most folks (myself included) don't know much of anything about them. Any educational posts would be welcome. It's a big difference compared to the reception of the collaboration Beer Camp box from a bit ago.

 

D'oh! Huge oversight on my part, and you are entirely correct. And I have been thinking to myself that I should try to find more about them, too. Sierra Nevada picked a hell of an introductory partner for this collaborative series.

 

Finally made a six at Kroger and let me tell you this beer went down quickly. I am an IPA freak and never veer off that path but had to try and i can honestly say it was full of flavor light carbonation, very light golden color with a nice frothy head, like it says on the bottle delicate hops, and the use of Steffi barley whatever that is works well to balance it. Nice Lager which i never drink.

 

Finally broke away from my IPA routine and found that this delicate hop and use of that Steffi barley created a light lager and it was a little sweet but very gulpable. Tried Leinenkugels for the fun of it and drain poured it after the first gulp. Why are they making beer?

 

Man that would be awesome. Did a quick search and couldn't find anything about canning of this one. Maybe next year!

 

The good thing (for me) about the SN Okto and Ayinger Okto is that they aren't as "pale" (Hell) as HB or Weihenstephan (or Paulaner Wies'n), they're sort of in-between the Amber Märzen and the Wies'n fest beers -- makes for great choices.

 

I pinged @sierranevadabill a while back, hoping to get some more input on the brewery and the process SN & Riegele went thru to arrive at the final product... waiting and hoping.

 

I would love to see more about this. Interviews with them, and videos too =) Talking about the collaborative process, the style . . . other interesting things too many to list.

 

It was always our plan to do a more "traditional" Okyoberfest style than most of those found in the U.S. When looking for a partner, we wanted to pair with a brewery who share a lot of our core values and interests and Riegele was high on that list of potential collaborators. Luckily, they said "yes" on the first call.

As to the beer style, the Germans definitely think the American style of heavy Amber/caramel Oktoberfests, out-of-style, but they also think the current wave of true Weis'n beers have gone too far toward the easy-drinking ultra pale beers without enough malt character.
Riegele turned us on yo the Steffi barley. There are a few small-scale malt houses in Getmany using it, and Riegele gets theirs from a maltster in Augsburg. We acquired a portion of ours from that maltster, and the balance from a different house.
Riegele, and specifically their brew master Frank Mueller, were highly technical. (Like us) Frank is a yeast expert and gave us some tips that even our folks didn't know.

We compromised on the color, going a few SRM darker than Riegele would have preferred, but opted for a richer malt character in the finished beer.
Overall, both parties were extremely happy with the way the beer turned out.
We're helping Riegele with a barrel-aged beer that will be available at their brewery in Germany and I'm eager to see how that beer turns out as well.

Overall this has been an incredible experience and hopefully Riegele will get the praise they are due here in the States. Great guys, smart brewers, and really fun partners.

Bill

 

Thank you for this post Bill. If you have any insights into why this was the case, I'm sure we'd appreciate hearing them. I'm assuming that the fact that they are family-owned was somewhat appealing. Putting a little spotlight on this brewery is great.

 

Great insight Bill -- very cool to hear the collaborative info and the opinion of the German brewers.

Interesting that they think the current waves of Wies'n are too pale, but the SN color was too dark! Also satisfying to hear,

Thanks for the input.

 

I got to try this last night along with a few other US Oktoberfests and it was by far my favorite.

 

Sales incentives! Boom. You should hire me.

 

These two statements seem a bit contradictory to me. If they felt today's true Weis'n's are too pale, why would they have a problem with a darker beer?

I also don't necessarily agree that today's "Weis'n" style lacks in malt character. They taste almost like an "imperial Helles" to me. Displaying plenty of malt character, simply skewed more towards pils malt rather than Munich.

Personally I enjoy both the amber and pale Oktoberfest style, one is richer/fuller, perfectly displaying that liquid bread character I love in darker German beers. The other, while lighter in color, is still hefty in abv. And displays more of a biscuity, graham cracker sweetness. Neither is particularly hoppy, adding a touch of spicy/piney bitterness that lingers for a bit in the finish.

This is simply how I perceive the two (I've been to the tents in Munich as well).

 

I was wondering that too -- maybe Riegele's Märzen is riight in-between the 2 colors?

Then again, I think the SN has a great color balance -- and malt character -- right in-between an Amber Märzen and a Wies'n. Guess we need a trip to Augsburg for a final consultation!

 

Ok, if you twist my arm...

 

Well, I have to say that I think Sierra Nevada's entry into the Marzen/Oktoberfest style was disappointing. I think Great Lakes is a much better representative of an American Oktoberfest. IMHO, I think Great Lakes does the best American Marzen.

 

I love Sierra Nevada!

 

Everyone has an opinion, etc. Mine is that SN mops the floor with Great Lakes when it comes to their Oktoberfest, and I'm a bit of a GL homeboy.

 

A style that really isn't widely recognized, but was born from US breweries' interpretation of the style. You can like it, if you want -- and there are some "American" Oktoberfests that are tasty and well-made, but they don't have the original style's character.

SN, on the other hand, is a great interpretation of that style with the brewers' own twists that don't create a completely different style.

 

“…they don't have the original style's character.”

Which begs the question: what defines the “original” style for an Oktoberfest/Marzen beer?

Is it the type of beer that was brewed in 1810 for the first celebration on the Theresienwiese?

Is it the type of beer that was served at the Munich tents 40 years ago when some BA first attended the Oktoberfest?

Is it an Ayinger type beer that is neither dark amber or pale in color?

Cheers!

 

I did not mean to suggest that American Marzen/Oktoberfests were a different style. Ultimately, nobody does Marzens better than the Germans. But I think that Great Lakes is the best American-made Oktoberfest. I hope this clarifies my remarks above. And, yes, I agree that opinions are personal and subjective. Some may well prefer Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest. In my opinion, I find Sierra Nevada's offering to be quite unlike the traditional German Marzens. Don't know what it is. Maybe the Hop profile?

 

I wonder, do you think Sam Adams was the first to brew this "American Octoberfest"-style beer?