Your Top Oktoberfest Beers

His pils was pretty good, I bet he cans his Oktoberfest, he said it was his best seller, although when he changes the name to Marzen, he can't sell any.

 

Berkshire Brewing Co's Oktoberfest has been my favorite since I first tried it. I also really enjoy Victory's Festbier.

 

BBC webpage notes that their Oktoberfest is on hiatus for 2013

 

Then I guess I am on hiatus from drinking one of my favorite beers.

 

I LOVE this style of beer and the fall is my favorite season for beer, because of them! And the proliferation of pumpkin beers!

American:
Brooklyn
Sam Adams
Spoetzl (Shiner)
Harpoon
Gordon Biersch (oddly enough. Especially with some southwest eggrolls and a burger!)

German:
Paulaner
Hoffbrau
Weihenstaphener
Spaten
Hacker-Pshor


Ones I need to try this year:
Avery
Great Lakes
Left Hand
Staghorn

Hopefully the Mid-Atlantic will get some these this year.

 

Millstream
Samuel Adams
Avery Kaiser (does this count as two?)
Paulaner
Great Lakes
...but I'm still researching.

I would love to try the Augustiner but I'm not sure is makes it state-side. I wonder if Andechs does a marzen...

 

I like Sam Oktoberfest but want to try some other solid ones. Any faves you have?

 

I'm not sure how readily available it is but Ayinger is my #1. Weihenstephaner's is also top notch.

 

Ppl will disagree but Sam Adams Oktoberfest is good.

 

Ayinger
Paulaner
Spaten
Hacker-Pschorr

For the pale Weis'n style Hoffbrau makes a good one but you have to get it from a sealed case (green bottles). I usually just pick up a case as soon as I see the display.

 

If you like the amber ones, many US breweries actually do a pretty good job making those. I think Left Hand's is as good as most German examples, although Ayinger's might be my overall favorite.
You don't see many US pale maerzens, so you'll have to go the import route for those. HB and Weihenstephan make excellent ones. Those new Paulaner 1L cans are good, too.

 

I like the Germans, but honestly, Sam Adams makes a very good example of the style. Folks here knock it, but Shiner Octoberfest is good too.

 

Ayinger is the best but is very expensive. Paulaner and Penn are my next two favorites. Hacker-Pschorr is great too!

 

Readily available ones that haven't been mentioned yet, I think Bell's, Brooklyn, Victory and Great Lakes all make good ones.

 

+1 on both Great Lakes and Bell's, although Bell's may be draft-only again this year.

 

If you would have asked me three or four years ago, I would have said SA Octoberfest was one of my favorite beers, regardless of style. Every one I had last year just didn't do it for me. I had it in bottle and on top and could barely put it down. I guess my palate has changed a lot since then. I'm going to give it a try again this year and I hope for a different result.

Anyone a fan of Avery's Kaiser? I thought it was pretty good. I was not a fan of Westbrook's Marzenbier.

 

Oktoberfest for me is a style that American breweries a lot of times dont get right. I remember having a bunch last fall and not being impressed by any of them. Ditto for pumpkin beer. I guess Im not a "fall beer" kind of guy.

 

Just popped in to toss another vote for Ayinger. There's many great examples of the style, but do yourself a favor and track this one down.

 

I Usually prefer either Great lakes, Ayinger or Left hand. But im usually switching over to heavier beers when they start to come out.

 

Hacker-Pschorr
Hacker-Pschorr
Hacker-Pschorr
Hacker-Pschorr