Favorite Oktoberfest beer this year?

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Damsie101 said:
Seems like all breweries put out their Octoberfest/Harvest beers at the same time. Grabbed a harvest mix-6 pack at my local bev center. Southern Tier Harvest is really good, Flying Dog Punkin Ale is good as well. Pass on anything Magic hat, they have two out right now. Pass on Weyerback(sp?) Imperial Pumpkin, way too much spices trying to cover up astringent alcohol taste.
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I seem to notice that with a lot of the Weyerbacher beers. They really have a hard time masking the alcohol heat...

On a side note, I picked up some Pumpkin/Octoberfest beers last night. Namely, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Brooklyn's Post Road Pumpkin is in there too, but I cannot wait to try the Dogfish... Mmmm...
 
Picked up the case of Spaten Okt at Sams for $24 for a firends bday the other night.

I really wanted SA but they had sold out of it already.

I found the Spaten to have a sweet/fruity flavor to it. Not what I expected . I wanted a more malty flavor.

It was good enough but I had to get past initial disappointment.

Any one else get a fruity hint or is it just my case?
 
I'm happy to report, for myself at least, that SA's Oktoberfest is much better this year. Last year it was pretty rough, too many burnt flavors, zero head, and other off flavors I can't quite put my finger on now. But this year, pretty tasty! Its not exactly My favorite, but one that I do enjoy. Our local brew pub (Legends) puts out a great Oktoberfest.
 
Picked up a 6 pack of Bell's and it is so so. Here is an updated list of the ones I've tried so far this year from best to worst imo.

Paulner
Sam Adams
Spaten
Great Lakes
Bell's
New Glarus (really didn't like this one at all was kind of surprised from New Glarus but I guess not everything they make can be magic.)
 
Grabbed a 12 of SA, but also picked up a of Brooklyn's Oktoberfest last weekend. Had one of the SA's but finished off the Brooklyn
 
Weihenstephaner's Festbeer is a new favorite of mine.

Also recently tried a sixer of Otter Creek Oktoberfest - very similar to Sam Adams version at a lower price.
 
StoutFan said:
Leinenkugels!!!!!!
http://leinie.com/oktoberfest.html
But I'm partial up here in the northwoods.......
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i also have had leinie's oktoberfest. it was good. still like the spatan oktoberfest the best though.
just came back from visiting freinds in minnesota and brought back some schell's oktoberfest. schell's make good beer, but their oktoberfest is the best they make. though it's hard to find where i live, schell's oktoberfest i like better than sam adams. :mug:
 
New Glarus' Staghorn is back to true form after a dissapointing year last year. It is my perennial favorite. Its the only American Maerzen that tastes like a Bavarian example, but we get it fresh and well treated. Great beer.
 
Grabbed a sixer of the Highland Brewing Company's Octoberfest last weekend for a jam session with fellow brewers. I like that one a lot. The only one I haven't liked was Left Hand's, which had a strong candy note to it that was pretty unpleasant.
 
Just tried the Harpoon Oktoberfest. A little on the bitter side but not bad. (Sam Adams [last years] can be on the cloy/burny side for me also - haven't tried it this year yet).

So far the Hacker Pschorr is my favorite this year.
 
Only one I've tried this year was the Hooker's Oktoberfest from Connecticut. It was... not good. It didn't really have enough malt backbone, and the hops produced an odd grassy/vegetable flavors. Next trip to CT I need to pick up something else of theirs and see if it was an off batch or what. It had a brew date of 9/3/10 stamped on the bottle.

I'll have to hit up the package store here and see what they have in, I haven't bought much recently. :)
 
I really liked magic hats hex so far but thats besides the sam adams i drink all the time... has anyone had Dundee...im not sure if its any good bit leary to try. (bottled by the high falls brewing co)
 
I tried to get SA today the damn store has the Summer ale still in stock and not the fall seasonal. I got the Ayinger. I like mine better. Too bad it's going stale, I should have drank it all months ago.
 
Julohan said:
So far I have had Ayinger, Avery (Imperial Oktoberfest), Left Hand, and Great Lakes. By far I thought Great Lakes was the best, but that could be also that it is fresh and local for me and is on tap. So It has an advantage.
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I won one (Great Lakes) in a craft beer drawing at out local brew club. I thought it was simply awesome myself. I wondered if it was just me because it just 'hit the spot' at that particular time or if it was as good as I thought. I'm down in Ytown, so it isn't too far from the source....
 
I have had a few oktoberfests this year and my two favs have been Summit brewing's octoberfest and Flying Dog's Dogtoberfest. Pretty amazing brews.
 
I've tried or am in the process of trying roughly 25 different varieties of Oktoberfest this season. So far I've found 2 that I really did not like at all (Otter Creek and Harpoon). The Otter Creek is actually an ale, so I partially blame my not liking it on improper expectations. I'll be posting some mini reviews/ratings when complete.
 
Left hand is good.

Ayinger on draught is good and represents the best example of an authentic (decoction + long boil with a vienna type malt) marzen you are likely to find in the US.

As for beers that are served at Oktoberfest (as opposed to marzen), the Paulanar Weisn can's are pretty good.
 
Wow, I've just had 4 okotberfests (shared)
Spaten
Paulaner
Shiner
St. Arnolds

3 people, 3 different tastes on which is best. Son liked Spaten - clean balanced.
Wife liked Paulaner, sweeter.

Both St. Arnolds and Shiner were a bit sweeter. Wish I could tell what the tastes came from. The St. Arnolds had a sweeter taste than most but dark. Shiner had a sweet taste, but more hops.

Wish I could try Midwest varities (sic)
 
I've tried several American versions this year. Victory was pretty good, but it was so rich that I couldn't sit down and have a session with it. A buddy brought over a Sam Adams the other day, and that was so far the best Oktoberfest this year. Though it's ubiquitous, it's still my favorite.
 
Tried the SA Oktoberfest after a few years of not really enjoying it. This years still didn't do anything for me. Then I tried Trader Joe's Josephs Brau Oktoberfest. I like it better, not nearly as malty and sweet, but still probably not a second purchase in line. Finally, I went back to my favorite from last year, Becks. This years is tasting great. Anybody else drink any and have any thoughts?
 
I tried Brooklyn Breweries Octoberfest this year and was very happy. I'm loving Victory Festbier. I had it on draught and in the bottle.

I tried Bluepoint's and was not overly impressed, although I love Bluepoint Toasted Lager.
 
So far this year I've had Hofbrau, Capital, and Beck's. None of them have really stood out to me which is disappointing as Hofbrau was one of my favorite's last year. It seems this year's version is more like a Helles than a Marzen.
 
I've always liked Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Some years it's better than others, but I've never really been let down.

Drinking an Oktoberfest from my local brewery right now and it's damn good.
 
The best so far for me has been the Pauliner. I picked it in a Mug with a large can of the 200th aniv Beer
 
I got that same stein at one of our local Oktoberfests. It's pretty awesome! I've had Paulaner, Spaten and Hacker-Pschorr so far this year and I'll give Paulaner the win.
 
Every year at this time World of Warcraft has brewfest.

geeky as it is, I make a batch of brew for this to share with guildies and SWMBO.

This year it's a Dampfbier. and It is gooooooood.
This is my favorite brew. and will be my longshot entry next year.

last year's Marzen was good, but I knocked it out of the park this year.

saving all my Hefeweizen and Dunkel for Oaktoberfest ( Oakland, CA ) in 2 weeks..
 
BogusOwnz said:
Ayinger is pretty tasty I had one last night.
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Yeah, thats pretty much the best marzen you are going to get in the US (whereas the liter cans of Paulaner are the best modern festbier you are likely to get in the US). It has been really easy to get draft this year.
 
I haven't had to many this year but over in the past paulaner, spaten and a local brewpub have always had my favorites. I was also really surprised when I tried the michelob marzen a few years ago. I wouldn't say it was great but it was surprisingly good. On the other hand, just last night I had Old Dominion oktoberfest and it was god aweful. Possibly the worst Oktober I have ever had.

I am also going to have to go against everyone here and say that I really do not like SA Oktober much at all. It is drinkable but I just think it is far too bitter for the style. I have not tried it yet this year though.
 
I picked up several Oktoberfests this morning on my way back to school. I stopped at a grocery store and they had half a dozen different ones in their 'mix and match' section so now I have Sam Adams, Spaten, Great Lakes, Dundee, and Point to try.
 

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