Favorite Octoberfest
- Thread starter dukes7779
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
ReverseApacheMaster
Well-Known Member
I tried the Hofbrau out of the bottle. It was not good. Green bottles really destroyed it.
Rahr? Really? I tried it at the Gingerman here in FTW and it was foul. Maybe it was a bad keg.
KingBrianI
Well-Known Member
Not my favorite oktoberfest (it tasted more like a helles) but I enjoyed it.
graduate
Well-Known Member
Anyone have any New Belgium Hoptoberfest? I'm headed for Myrtle Beach this weekend and it is Octoberfest weekend. Lucky me! Looking to try a few and enjoy the weekend.
I believe its just called hoptober...and yeah, its pretty nice. Aroma is great, not alot of bitterness but a good beer overall and not to malty..Has some nice citrus notes as well
intense3123
Active Member
Had a Karl Strauss oktoberfest a few years back at California adventure park in Disneyland. That was the best Okt I've ever had. I don't know if it had anything to do with being in Disneyland and drinking a beer overlooking the water at paradise pier or not 
Had a Karl Strauss oktoberfest a few years back at California adventure park in Disneyland. That was the best Okt I've ever had. I don't know if it had anything to do with being in Disneyland and drinking a beer overlooking the water at paradise pier or not
I LOVE the KS Octoberfest. It's not a style I'm a huge fan of (not much a Lager drinker at all, actually, but I don't discriminate) usually, but this one is great. Rock bottom is another commercial-ish small batch brewpub (Like Karls) near me in San Diego, and they make a "Rocktoberfest" that is excellent as well. A new fave.
These observations make me think maybe I'm not a big fan of the style, as I'm going to guess that these two varieties aren't "to style" or even anywhere close. I am obviously not a BJCP judge, of course.
They are damn tasty beers though: I make it a point to get a pint at both joints.
SaccharoVices
Well-Known Member
Had the Paulaner Wiesn (bought w/ the HUGE mug) really nice- but I do prefer a Marzen style beer for Oktoberfest. The Hacker is really nice, a real toothy sugary thing when it warms up. Looking for the Ayinger, probably my favorite brewery in the world. I will stay away from the Sam Adema, Looniekugels, etc...
That should be easy enough to find... they've got Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen at Trader Joes around here.
aeonderdonk
Well-Known Member
Victory Festbier was pretty good. Sam Adams and Spaten were good not great.
remilard
Well-Known Member
The Paulaner Weisn is the only actual Oktoberfest (served at Oktoberfest) beer you can get in the US. As for amber Maerzen type things, everything is a close second to Ayinger for me.
wildwest450
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2007
- Messages
- 8,978
- Reaction score
- 191
Beck's by a country mile. Not really to style, but fantastic.
_
_
CountryRootsBrew
Drunk
Haven't tried many this year, but I did like Bell's Octoberfest quite well.
thegerm
Well-Known Member
I've sampled several american versions this year. so far Magic Hat 'ourtoberfest' has been my favorite.
I can only remember two... both were pretty good.
Most recent was Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest on draft. I thought it was pretty good, smelling of honey.
I've also had the Gorden Biersch Märzen, which is also good.
Both were very sweet...
Most recent was Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest on draft. I thought it was pretty good, smelling of honey.
I've also had the Gorden Biersch Märzen, which is also good.
Both were very sweet...
rycov
Well-Known Member
i'll second the Gordon Biersch Marzen. that was a great beer
SaccharoVices
Well-Known Member
Gordon Biersch? Really? OK, to each his own, but I am surprised that a brewery chain that does not mash, that only uses extracts to brew, could produce a 'great' beer- (no offense intended to the numerous homebrewers that use extract- I was one for years)
thegerm
Well-Known Member
Where'd you get the idea that GB brewed with extracts? I've heard dan Gordon talk on the brewing network several times and I would swear that he didn't say anything about using extracts. The biggest thing that stood out was how rigorous they were in staying loyal to the reinheitsgebot. To the point of producing their own lactic acid from lacto present on their pils malt, in order to adjust mash ph with a ingredient that wouldnt violate the reinheitsgebot...
rockfish42
Well-Known Member
Dan Gordon was trained at Weihenstephan, their page for Marzen lists imported malt as an ingredient, they also brew in my home town. Their technical skill isn't really up for question, and I'm really amused that people think they use extract to brew. On the other hand, their beers aren't very exciting at least to my palate.
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
rycov
Well-Known Member
yes, Gordon Biersch. Really.
i don't care if the beer was extract, it was a really good beer. don't be a jackass
SaccharoVices
Well-Known Member
rycov- Why call me a jackass for expressing my opinion, without having directed any insults at anyone? Anyhow, I was watching a tv program during the past month or so that was about a brewer at GB, and it showed him brewing- with extracts. Maybe I'm wrong? But my opinion (just an opinion, mind you, which both you and I and every other person has for their own) is that GB beers are not 'great' - Like I said, 'to each his own'
Edit: additionally, it should be understood clearly that communication via text on a computer inadequately conveys tone, feeling and often times intent. Look, friends, if we were all sitting by the fire, enjoying a few, we could much more easily have this conversation without any feathers getting ruffled-
Edit: additionally, it should be understood clearly that communication via text on a computer inadequately conveys tone, feeling and often times intent. Look, friends, if we were all sitting by the fire, enjoying a few, we could much more easily have this conversation without any feathers getting ruffled-
I have to concur, most Gordon Biersch brews are pretty boring. However, I recently had the Czech Pils from a bottle and it was very good. It had that same soft-peaks-egg-whites head that every GB seems to have....
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
You're right. It's in no way jackassery to tell people that extract beers are bad when so many people use them and make good beers. He should have included the obligatory no offense at the end of his post.
KingBrianI
Well-Known Member
Ayinger Oktoberfest last night at Tyler's in Durham. Wow, great stuff. Malty, but not sweet. This stuff is the real deal.
rycov
Well-Known Member
lemme get half that sandwich
We got our first taste at Flying Saucer on the lake for glass night, really nice Ofest mugs from Rahr this year that double as coffee mugs in our house. We were pretty impressed with it then, but drinking beers on that nice patio always makes things better. So we bought another sixer in bottles and loved it.
As a side note, Rahr is using different bottles for the Ofest beer that you cant re-cap with a wing capper. The rest of their bottles worked fine in our last batch. Weird.
I'm pretty sure that, traditionally, an Oktoberrfest can be more like a Helles. We think of the style as being a marzen, but that a lighter, slightly hoppier version is technically "correct" as well. The Hofbrau I guess is in that vein, although when I've had it, it was so skunked it might as well have been a Heinekin.
KingBrianI
Well-Known Member
Yeah, when I think of an "oktoberfest-style" beer I think Maerzen, but I know the hofbrau wiesn bier is served at oktoberfest. I think it is falls under the more general term "festbier".
stimmo520
New Member
Paulaner weisn liter-can was terrific. Missing Helen Georgia this year, they usually got this on tap.
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
Haven't seen that one yet. Is it really malty like sams or is it more if a fest beer?
Similar threads
