Marzen / Oktoberfest Discussion

[7SeasCellarman]

I recently saw a brewery post that showed their tap list to which they have a beer name "**** everything pumpkin" gave me a good laugh! This is the start of all my favorite beer styles to come out; Marzen/Festbier , Fresh Hop, and in the tail end of the year winter ales. So far having tried a few Marzens in between working I gotta give it to Ayinger and Sierra Nevada for bringing the fest ! Alas, being in the west coast I haven't had the pleasure of trying any of the festbiers on the East Coast (Harpoon I hear does a damn good festbier) but thanks to this thread I now have some new ones to seek out!

 

[nodamagedone]

I went to a great German Beer Bar for their Oktoberfest this weekend. Got some pours of Warsteiner, Hacker Pschorr, and Aecht Schnlenkerla-Marzen. They had quite a bit of german festbiers, and other non-marzen beers on tap too.

My favorite was the Aecht Schlenkerla, but I realize it's not exactly traditional.

This weekend I am taking part in a blind Marzen tasting which will include both German and American examples. I'll update the thread with the results.


Marzens are one of the perfect seasonal beers - the fully encapsulate what it means to drink on a cooler fall day.

I blame you. Your post didn't contain the word "Rauchbier" at all when mentioning Aecht Schlenkerla, now I know what you mean by "not exactly traditional." Generally not a style I enjoy, but this was drinkable.

 

[CADMixes]

It hasn't been cool enough here yet for Marzens but I'm soldiering on with some Ayinger. Tried this year's Sierra Nevada and was unmoved but I'll revisit it--most likely I'm just missing last year's, which I thought was an excellent Marzen and just an excellent beer in general

 

[Hopping Tiger]

How about Metropolitan Afterburner? I thinks it's the best American marzen. Killing a sixer tonight. Abosuletky killing it.

 

[Skittle34]

I don't know why this year has gotten me so wet about Marzen, but I'm fully ready to motorboat these malty lagers

 

[furley]

I don't know why this year has gotten me so wet about Marzen, but I'm fully ready to motorboat these malty lagers

 

[ccbstl]

Urban Chestnut has their Oktoberfest this weekend and I'm at a half chub just thinking about it

 

[furley]

you guys all but forced me to go buy a mixed 6 of Oktoberfests over lunch today

 

[KSHunt]

I prefer Weizenbocks, such as Weihenstephaner Vitus and Ayinger Weizenbock, but I just had the Weihenstephaner Festbier and it was awesome!

 

[americanzero4128]

So far this year I've had Revolution, Ayinger, Spaten, Sam Adams, Warsteiner, Scorched Earth, and New Glarus. Really liked New Glarus and was pleasantly surprised with Scorched Earth's as well. Went up there last Sunday, it was very easy drinking and I could have put back more than one if I wasn't driving. I would recommend Scorched Earth's if you're in the Chicago area and you see it on draft. Not too sweet, not too bitter, clean finish, just a very enjoyable beer.

 

[Barroomhero]

you guys all but forced me to go buy a mixed 6 of Oktoberfests over lunch today

Yup. First up...

I thoroughly prefer the marzens over the festbiers. Not bad, but doesn't have much malt depth compared to a marzen. A sweeter helles; bit of spicy hop bite on a sweet body that stays light, but just so.

 

[Barroomhero]

Cabbages and such aside...

This is well done, though a bit on the light side. Nutty, light bready sweetness, mild spicy bitterness in the background. Thoroughly sessionable.

 

[TheeWalrusHunter]

I blame you. Your post didn't contain the word "Rauchbier" at all when mentioning Aecht Schlenkerla, now I know what you mean by "not exactly traditional." Generally not a style I enjoy, but this was drinkable.

hahaha do you not usually enjoy marzens or rauchbiers?

Aecht Schlenkerla = rauchbier. I swear to god if they made a pilsner it would somehow be smoked and still taste delicious.

 

[TheeWalrusHunter]

Had me one of these tonight. Man this is such a damn good beer.

 

[nodamagedone]

hahaha do you not usually enjoy marzens or rauchbiers?

Aecht Schlenkerla = rauchbier. I swear to god if they made a pilsner it would somehow be smoked and still taste delicious.

Rauchbiers. Wasn't familiar with the brewery and didn't know that seemingly every beer they brew is smoked. It was a worthwhile tick, but not one I'd tock again.

 

[HenrikO]

hahaha do you not usually enjoy marzens or rauchbiers?

Aecht Schlenkerla = rauchbier. I swear to god if they made a pilsner it would somehow be smoked and still taste delicious.

Note quite a pilsner but still delicious: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/aecht-schlenkerla-helles-lagerbier/16402/

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Lagunitas Tuberfest

A non traditional 8% ABV "Oktoberfest" from Lagunitas. Apparently contains potatoes, but all I'm getting is that typical uber hoppy Lagunitas character, toasted / nutty malt, light caramel and a bit of booze. Not bad, but not something I'll be revisiting.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest (Festival Lager)

Sierra Nevada Oktobefest / Festbier that everyone has seemed to enjoy, and while I can understand the appeal, it just tastes like a Maibock / overly sweet Helles style lager. Grainy sweetness, mild hopping, clean profile, but none of the toasted / nutty / bready / caramel character that I really enjoy in the Marzen style.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Ballast Point Dead Ringer Oktoberfest

Rich, malty, and lots of toasted / nutty / melanodin character throughout. Mild hopping to balance out the malt character and little to none hop aromatics. Clean with a bit of a sweeter finish than other American takes on the style. Solid and "bigger" than most other examples.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Very similar to the Ballast Point version from above, but with a noticeable reduction in sweetness and a cleaner finish. Probably my favorite local American version I've had so far this year (as I can't get Staghorn in IL), just a great drinkable fall beer.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Sprecher Oktoberfest

For a brewery that I'm a bigger fan of their soda than their beer typically, this was a pleasant surprise. Crisp, nutty / toasty / bready without much in the way of sweetness, firm bitterness but not too much for the style, clean finish, lacking a bit in carbonation but still a very solid example.

 

[furley]

so far a Staghorn and Central Waters Octoberfest down

neither tops Leinie's Ofest for me. love that sweetness.

 

[Arbitrator]

Great thread. Staghorn is one of my favorites in the style, if not THE favorite. Almost makes me want to trade again.

 

[TheeWalrusHunter]

This was awesome. not as sweet as the Ayingerz - a bit dryer and slightly more bitter. I could drink a lot of it.

 

[mrk_d]

This thread made me buy a 4-pack of FW Oaktoberfest and I'm glad I did. Taste is comprised mostly of a bit of malt sweetness with a surprisingly nice, subtle hoppy finish. Now I need to buy some German versions when I see them for comparison.

 

[ccbstl]

Urban Chestnut Oachkatzlschwoaf directly from the tank. I want to drown in this.

 

[furley]

Oachkatzlschwoaf

 

[TheeWalrusHunter]

BLIND TASTE RESULTS ARE IN.

So we had a 8 people doing a blind taste test. We each had a taster of beer rated it based on categories in a 10 point scale. The beers represented were:

• Spaten
• Heater Allen Bobtoberfest
• Sierre Nevada Oktoberfest
• Ayinger
• Firestone Oaktober
• Aecht Schlenker
• Paulaner
• Hacker Pschorr

Overwhelmingly, the winner was...


PAULANER

• Aecht Schlenkerla was the most polarizing
• Heater Allen was 3rd.
• Hacker Pschorr and Ayinger were also in the top
• Sierra Nevada was consistently in the bottom.

Personally, I had Heater Allen near the bottom. Tasting it again, it tasted and looked more like a hoppy bock or helles than a Marzen, the hop character was really apparent. It's a really good beer, but to style it just didn't hold up. This was disappointing because Heater Allen is one of my favorite breweries.

My personal rankings were:

1. Paulaner - 44 points
2. Hacker Pschorr - 37
3. Ayinger - 36
4. Firestone 33
5. Spaten - 31
6. Heater Allen - 21
7. Sierra Nevada - 21

I took Aecht Schlenkerla out because it was the most obvious and least attempting to be traditional.


Go drink Paulaner.

 

[Kirkse]

I'm not usually a big fan of the style, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one a couple years ago... haven't seen it since.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Half Acre Lagertown

A hop forward, very non-traditional take on the style. Lots of hop bitterness, citrusy and grassy aromas, caramel and toasted malt character but very much leaning towards an amber hop forward beer.