Good commercial oktoberfest

What's your favorite okto fall beer?
I wanna stop by tonight and get a 6er of something. I've tried the widmer okto ale and I like it. Ive heard Sam Adams oktoberfest is decent at best.

Thoughts?

Sam Adam's Oktoberfest is my favorite beer, ever. It's so "decent', they sell a bazillion cases of it every fall. Maybe if you can find some of the German imported ones to try, they can be quite nice.

Let us know what you chose, and enjoy this great style!

I was going off somethin I read on here.
I realize nothing will compete with a good ol Paulaner or Spaten oktoberfest lol

Alpine Oktoberfest. My favorite beer in my favorite style.

I think my favorite so far is the weihenstephaner oktoberfest. Had a large stein of it at Gustavs on tap. Oh such a beautiful style of beer.

Spaten & Hofbräu would be kind of classic, in my mind. I actually really enjoy both Sam Adams and Leinenkugel's.

I went with the Sam Adams's this time.




I don't regret it.
They are selling those glasses at the grocery store for a buck so I grabbed two.

Next time I hit up the bottle shop, they'll hopefully have more fall beers out and I'll stock up on the imports.

Free State Brewery Octoberfest from Lawrence Ks is the best.

I imagine ill run into difficulties finding that in the PNW

kchomebrew said:

Free State Brewery Octoberfest from Lawrence Ks is the best.

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Hmmm... Ill have to try and find that one. I've tried a couple other Free State beers and they were pretty good! Guess I need to make a run to Lukas!

Please get Paulaner next time. One of my favorite beers of all time. Everything I want in an Oktoberfest. Great maltiness but so drinkable, I'd drink the whole six pack easily.

Brewmex41 said:

I went with the Sam Adams's this time.


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I don't regret it.
They are selling those glasses at the grocery store for a buck so I grabbed two.

Next time I hit up the bottle shop, they'll hopefully have more fall beers out and I'll stock up on the imports.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it, I didn't really mean to be defensive in my above post. A lot of people say Sam Adam's Oktoberfest is a out of style, and it probably is, but sure does taste great.

I also had a Sam Adams octoberfest tonight. It was decent. I recall it being so much better back before I started brewing. The ruby mild I had from SA tonight was much better. It was not very ruby or mild though.

Boulevard Bobs 47. Although technically a Vienna lager, it is awesome.

I thought that this might be useful in your search. It's the BJCP guidelines for Oktoberfest - FYI it's noted SA is "unusual" due to late hopping, but it's still considered a good commercial example of the style.

BJCP Style 3B
Commercial Examples: Paulaner Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Capital Oktoberfest, Gordon Biersch Märzen, Goose Island Oktoberfest, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest (a bit unusual in its late hopping)

i heard great lakes oktoberfest is really good but i havent tried it yet

njale said:

i heard great lakes oktoberfest is really good but i havent tried it yet

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I just picked up a 6pack on Friday, and yes it is very good. But so is everything I've tried of theirs. Sam Adams is always a good choice, but I agree it has been better in the past. Spaten has a good oktoberfest. I've also tried hofbrau's and didn't like it, but that was years ago and my pallet has changed so much since.

Paulaner is probably my fave but Erdinger and Hacker-Pschorr are up there too. Maibocks and marzens are some of my favorite beers. It's like trying to pick a favorite kid.

Most Oktoberfests I try are a little too fruity (or even tastes too much like bananas), but Sam Adams Oktoberfest is so far the best one I've had. EVERYTHING Sam Adams does makes my tongue happy!

:rockin: Course, you can only get it in WI. Worth the drive for me...

For years I thought Sam Adams Oktoberfest was good. And then I was introduced to Beck's. It blows SA out of the water, IMO. Try and get your hands on that and compare.

mrphillips said:

Most Oktoberfests I try are a little too fruity (or even tastes too much like bananas), but Sam Adams Oktoberfest is so far the best one I've had. EVERYTHING Sam Adams does makes my tongue happy!

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I honestly can't stand anything Sam Adams but that's just personal preference. The malt character in German style brews are my thang for sure. But I've never really got any banana flavored octoberfest brew. Sure in their wheats weizens and some dunkels, but not some much in the maibocks/marzen styles. I bet the shipping of German beers over here has to have some effect on the brew.

For me, personally, nothing American can compete with German/Bavarian beers. My personal fav style is the Doppelbock.

I just finished the 6er of Sam Adams. I thought it was a great American example of the style. Next time I get a chance, I'll pick up a bottle of Becks and leinenkugels and probably some more Widmer okto ale.

They also have a Newcastle werewolf beer that caught my eye... But I digress.

njale said:

i heard great lakes oktoberfest is really good but i havent tried it yet

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Great Lakes' is good, but like MyLastGamble said, most of their stuff is. I usually do that, SA, or Hofbrau Oktoberfest.

Just drank an Erdinger "Oktoberfest" beer. It's a good hefeweizen but not a typical Oktoberfest style brew. Erdinger makes an awesome Dunkel Weizen, btw. Also had a half decent local brew by Choc it was there seasonal Oktoberfest brew.

I like Sam Adam's Oktoberfest. I stumbled on this yesterday along with 50 oz of SA.

But I do love Heavy Seas Märzen, which is their Oktoberfest

Hello said:

I like Sam Adam's Oktoberfest. I stumbled on this yesterday along with 50 oz of SA.
View attachment 145343
But I do love Heavy Seas Märzen, which is their Oktoberfest

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I know some one that would love one of these.

thatjonguy said:

I know some one that would love one of these.

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They had 48 at the restaurant/bar I was at and supposedly less than 4000 are made or circulated a year. It was $50 with 50 oz of SA. Not a great buy but sure was fun. I have no idea how to find another.

Brewmex41 said:

For me, personally, nothing American can compete with German/Bavarian beers. My personal fav style is the Doppelbock.

I just finished the 6er of Sam Adams. I thought it was a great American example of the style. Next time I get a chance, I'll pick up a bottle of Becks and leinenkugels and probably some more Widmer okto ale.

They also have a Newcastle werewolf beer that caught my eye... But I digress.

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Newcastle werewolf is terrible. Do not waste your money.

I like Hacker-Pschorr. Plus the $8.00 rebate was a nice bonus.

Ayinger and Spaten are my personal favorites.

For American made versions Great Lakes is very good as is the Revolution Oktoberfest I have been drinking this last week.

I have had the pleasure to sample pretty much all of the commercial samples plus a few locals tonight. So far Paulner, Warsteiner, Hofbrau, and Wheistpehaner have taken the cake. Had Choc choctoberfest and left hand Oktoberfest both good but not like the 4 previously mentioned. I like Ayinger okay. It's really hard for me to choose the best. That style is my thang. Plus there's a huge " Choktoberfest" party in Choctaw Oklahoma. It all helps.

This is a bad picture of the 50+ Oktoberfest/German style brews they have on tap.

I had the Widmer Okto ale on tap at the Gaushaus pub. Damm tasty ale.

Berkshire Brewing makes an exceptional Octoberfest.

Melana said:

Berkshire Brewing makes an exceptional Octoberfest.

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I'll second that. I hope a bomber or 6 is in my future.

In CO, Left Hand makes a great oktoberfest.

beergynt said:

:rockin: Course, you can only get it in WI. Worth the drive for me...

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The Staghorn! Man a great beer!

Ayinger is the best I've had so far, even my wife liked it and she, as a rule, doesn't like beer. Pretty hard to get around here though.

I tried a Legend Octoberfest the other day, and it was VERY good. A little biscuitier than most Octoberfests I've tried, but I was real into it.