Brooklyn Oktoberfest

This is a new one to my area this year, so I decided to review it since I haven't had it before. As I say in the video, if there are any requests of other Oktoberfests that anyone wants me to review, let me know, as otherwise I'm not planning on reviewing any others this year.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest is very fresh-tasting, with a nice, clean, malty body and a clean dry aftertaste. Very drinkable.



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 8.0/10

Short's Noble Chaos Oktoberfest | Short's Week Day 4 of 7

Short's Week, Day 4! For information on this project, see the Short's Week Day 1 video in my archives.

Noble Chaos is Short's seasonal Oktoberfest, one I haven't had before. It turned out to be quite a nice one, with nice roasted characteristics and a great sweet/bitter balance. My description on this one gets a little... odd at times, but that's the way it goes.

The beer this reminds me of the most is actually Spaten Optimator.



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 8.0/10

Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen

Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen
Aying, Germany
5.8% ABV

Gotta love the first Oktoberfest of the season, right? It's not my favorite style, but I do have an appreciation for a good one. Ayinger makes a fantastic hefeweizen, so I was expecting this to be a good one, and was not disappointed. Perfectly smooth and overall just a very nice example of the style.



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 8.5/10

Flying Dog Dogtoberfest

Flying Dog Dogtoberfest (bottle)
Frederick, MD
5.3% ABV

An Octoberfest in January? Well, sure, if I'm going through some old beers in my fridge. It was good enough for review purposes, but I think I've pretty much said all I had to say in my BA review. Here's the text.

A: Orange-amber body, almost brown, mostly clear with only a touch of haziness, with a thick khaki-colored head that sticks around. Very nice.

S: Sweet, nutty. Hints of... citrus? Maybe even oranges? Strange for a Marzen.

T: Flavor is very bright, lots of citrus flavors, some lemon on the finish. Significant yeastiness. Only minor hints of the expected dry roasted malts.

M: Moderate thickness, with yeast coating the palate. Low carbonation, low hops.

D: This is more of a summer beer than an Oktoberfest. Doesn't really hold up to many of the expectations of the style. Is this a Marzen for those who don't like Marzens?

Flying Dog has always been a source of "meh" beers for me. Decent enough, but not really worth seeking out. This is just more of the same.


My overall BA rating: 3.45/5

Beer Review, Stoudt's Oktoberfest

Stoudt's Oktoberfest (bottle)
Adamstown, PA
5.0% ABV

Appearance: Yellow-orange, transparent, with a thin white head that sticks around. Nice. 4.0/5

Smell: Sweet, malty, slightly nutty. Hints of yeast. 3.5/5

Taste: Syrupy sweetness up front with a bitter back-end. Harsh. Slightly cloying. Hints of yeast. Leaves a dry aftertaste. Disappointing. 2.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thin, with somewhat heavy carbonation. 3.0/5

Drinkability: A disappointing example of the style. I usually enjoy Stoudt's, but this Oktoberfest isn't one of my favorites. 2.5/5

Overall: 3.05/5

Beer Review, Point Oktoberfest

Point Oktoberfest (bottle)
Stevens Point, WI
5.15% ABV

Appearance: Transparent, orange/red, with thin white head that dissipates quickly. 3.5/5

Smell: Sweet, malty, slightly nutty. 3.0/5

Taste: Rich, heavy with malt, strongly yeasty. Slightly dry on the finish. Actually quite good. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, no particular hoppiness or carbonation. Good, clean. 4.0/5

Drinkability: A nice Oktoberfest. Definitely worth a try for fans of the style. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.7/5

Beer Review, Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Marzen

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Marzen
Munchen, Germany
5.8% ABV

Bottled in June of '08.

Appearance: Clear brown-black body, thick white head that dissipates pretty quickly and leaves no lacing. Hints of effervescence, but only hints. 4.0/5

Smell: Sweet caramel malt, a hint of alcohol astringency (but only a hint). Very bready. No notes of hops. 4.0/5

Taste: Clean malty flavor, sweet on the finish, with a bit of a bready aftertaste. Somewhat yeasty. Hints of apples and cherries. A bit cloying as the beer goes on, but good. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thin for an Oktoberfest, coats the tongue slightly. 3.5/5

Drinkability: A good Oktoberfest, but not my favorite (that would probably be Paulaner). 4.0/5

Overall: 3.75/5

Beer Review, Weihenstephaner Festbier

Weihenstephaner Festbier
Freising, Germany
5.8% ABV

Appearance: Very light yellow body (so light as to be almost white), almost completely transparent with only a slight haziness. Some bubbles in glass, very thick white foamy head that sticks around. I normally like my oktoberfests a bit darker, but otherwise this is a very nice presentation. 4.0/5

Smell: Rich, malty, very yeasty. Somewhat earthy, hints of... cherries? Just that slight note of sweetness at the bottom to give it a bit of interest. 4.0/5

Taste: Heavy on the roasted malts up front, with a nice sweet yeasty backbone and a clean but dry finish. Goes down smooth, leaves a dry malty aftertaste. Very enjoyable. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, hardly any carbonation at all. Slightly chewy, especially towards the bottom of the bottle. 4.0/5

Drinkability: This was a bit of a find for me, as my local has a sixer for $7.99. At that price it's a steal. The Weihenstephaner bottles claim that they are "the world's oldest brewery" and with this level of quality it's totally understandable why they'd still be around. Pretty much a perfect beer with which to relax inside when there's a foot of snow outside. 4.5/5

Overall: 4.25/5