Favorite Oktoberfest Beer?

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Rhoobarb

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One of my favorite beer styles is coming due right now - Oktoberfest. :D :drunk: :cross: What are your favorites - domestic or import?

I have mine, but I'll offer them later in the thread! ;)
 
Spaten is my favorite Oktoberfest bier.

Which, the local Costco has for 19.99 a case. :)

Edit: Sam Adams makes a good oktoberfest as well.
 
I really don't have a real favorite Oktoberfest beer because way back in 1975 when I went to my first Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany I planned on having 1 liter in each tent of Munich's big 6 breweries.

I have been to the O'fest at least 12 times. :drunk: :D

I always start with a Paulaner or Spaten though.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
I really don't have a real favorite Oktoberfest beer because way back in 1975 when I went to my first Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany I planned on having 1 liter in each tent of Munich's big 6 breweries.
.


I attempted the same task in 1986. Nope, I didn't make it either. Made it to the first four, eating and drinking in each barn. You just gota love those roast chickens and pretzels. Between barn 4 and barn five, I had a pickled herring and onion kaiser roll and that one did me in. Nope, nothing else for me.

But I do still like Octoberfest style brews. I'll be attempting my own next March but, to this date, my favorite is Pauliner Marzen.
 
Rhoobarb said:
One of my favorite beer styles is coming due right now - Oktoberfest. :D :drunk: :cross: What are your favorites - domestic or import?
Mine! Which is as about domestic as it can get. :D

Wild
 
I was just going to make this same post today :p

I've only had Beck's and Sam Adams Octoberfests. Looking forward to trying some others this year... this is one of my favorite styles, and I don't have the setup to make it myself!
 
I used to like Sam Adam's Oktoberfest but I'm afraid to buy it now since I've become such a beer snob. If i can find a single bottle of it somewhere I'll revisit it. :)
 
I just found a "new to me" wine/beer store in town. Dropped in today and was pleased to find their seasonal display....all oktoberfest. So I picked up sever....Spaten, Lowenbrau (sp?), Old Dominion, Brooklyn, Paulener (sp?), and one other (cant remember the name).

What Im amazed by is the vast difference between each beer within this style. I had the Spaten, Lowenbrau, Paulener and Old Dominion. All were good. The Lowenbrau didn't seem to be much of an O'fest though...more like a plain old German Lager. I loved the other 3. No real preference between them. This is a style that I really hadn't been exposed to until this year....and man do I love it.
 
Can't beat Spaten in my eyes. Then again the only other I've ever had was Sam Adam's octoberfest. Anyone out there ever had Sam Adam's choclate bock? It may not be related to octoberfest but that is one of my winter faves.
 
Well, my favorite will scare some people. I used to really like Goose Island, Sam Adams, Summit, Spaten and Paulaner. This year's Goose Island is not bad, but it has a slight, for lack of a better term, 'charcoal' aftertaste. I haven't tried the others - yet! :D

In the town were I grew up (Naperville, IL) they have an Oktoberfest every year and I always go. They have offerings from area brewpubs and micros. I missed last year because of a knee surgery, but the year before, they went corporate and Becks was a main sponsor. There were still some brewpubs and micros there, but only about half. It is my sworn duty to try every Oktoberfest style offered. I waited until last to try Beck's version, because I knew it would be the weakest.

Well, sir - I liked it best of all the ones at this O'fest! No one was more surprised than me! It was on tap and not bottles, so that may have made a difference. But I found it on sale that same year in bottles and I still liked it a lot. Go figure!
 
Yeah I really liked the Beck's Octoberfest too, but I can't find it around here. I think Beck's gets a bad rep just because they are a big brewer... their beers are all pretty good to me.
 
What makes a beer an octoberfest beer? Heavy Hops?

I just bought a 6 of spater octobefest today and I will consume this evening.
 
Just finished the 6'er of Spaten Oktoberfest. Wasn't too keen on it. It was nice and malty but seemed to lack complexity. I think it needed more hops. But what the hell do I know, I drank Bud, bud lite and other crap for years untill i appreciated good beer.
 
AHammer16 said:
What makes a beer an octoberfest beer? Heavy Hops?

I just bought a 6 of spater octobefest today and I will consume this evening.

It's a Marzen brew.

I just brought back 2 cases of Spaten O'fest from a military base I visited last week.

Last night we killed a case of it at my son-in-law's B'day party. (Shhh! They don't know I have another case).
 
Rhoobarb said:
There were still some brewpubs and micros there, but only about half.

What do you say? Next year, let's have Hocktoberfest - Hombrewers Oktoberfest. Spread the word now so everyone can get ready to brew in March.
 
Spaten Oktoberfest seems to be the favorite, at least in this thread. I just got some and although it is good, I think I like Hacker Pschorr's better. Interesting about Beck's-- they have it in the stores here-- never tried their Oktoberfest, though. I used to like regular Beck's dark.
 
I went in to my local bottle store that carries a good selection of craft brews and imports to get some O'fest last week. Luck would have it, they were having a O'fest tasting! They had 6 or 7 there, including most mentioned here (except Beck's I think), and I liked the Goose Island the best and bought some.

I'll have to keep and eye on theie sign on the way into work to catch the next tasting!
 
By far, the best Domestic Oktoberfest is August Schell's. The Schell's brewery is the second oldest family owned brewery in the U.S. and puts out some excellant brews. Thier Firebrick Lager is heavenly.

The Oktoberfest that they brew has just the right amount of sweet malty flavor. Not too bitter. I love it.

It stands head and shoulders over our other local brew, Summit Oktoberfest. I don't even know if James Page makes one anymore, or ever did in the first place.
 
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