Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen

Posted on by Evan

Still on the Oktoberfest beer kick and this Oktoberfest Märzen is from Hacker-Pschorr. This is a Munich beer with an ABV of 5.8%. Thia Märzen is only made in October. This beer pours a darker copper color with a one-finger quick head. The aroma is malty and deep. But it is a medium malt aroma. The flavor is somewhat sweet and malty with a hint of a bread note. This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel. The finish is malty with less sweetness than the initial flavor. This beer has a malty sweet aftertaste that lingers briefly. This is a good solid German Oktoberfest, but it was plain and good overall. I give this Oktoberfest a C+. I would halfway recommend it but I think if you missed it then it would be fine. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Highlander Brewing Clawhammer Oktoberfest

Posted on by Evan


It’s October and fest beers are on the store shelves. I like the Oktoberfest beer over the pumpkin beer. This one is a local North Carolina offering from Highland Brewing in Asheville (highlandbrewing.com). This beer is a Märzen Lager called Clawhammer Oktoberfest. This lager is 5% ABV. This beer has hops such as Hallertau, Mittlefrue, and German Spalt Select. It also features malts such as 2-row, Munich, Vienna, Caramel, and Pilsner. You can only find this beer from July through September, and can buy some that is leftover in October. This beer pours a copper/brownish color with a one-finger beige head. The head is fairly quick-fading. The aroma is malty, sweet, and clean. It does, however, have a light bread note. The flavor is sweet and malted with a light and clean body. The same goes for the mouthfeel. Then you come to a clean and malty-sweet finish. That same flavor carries over into the aftertaste with a slight linger. This beer is a good light Oktoberfest beer. I would say this is the best. I give Clawhammer Oktoberfest from Highland Brewing a B. The overall flavor of this beer is mild, but that’s okay. It is solid and worth a try. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. x Störtebeker Brauspezialitaten Oktoberfest Festbier

Posted on by Evan

This limited Oktoberfest Festbier is a collaboration between Sierra Neva Brewing Co., here in Asheville, NC, and Störtebeker Brauspezialitaten of Stralsund, Germany. This beer is just called Oktoberfest Festbier. This beer is 6% ABV with Munich, Pale, and Pilsner malts. There are Magnum, Opal, Perle, Spalter Select, and Tettnang hops. The yeast used is Lager. This beer is only available in limited quantities this year. Sierra Nevada collaborates with a different brewery each year for a fest or Marzen-style beer. This beer pours a deep gold with a one-and-a-half finger white head. The aroma is malty sweet, with a light bready note. The flavor is malty sweet. There is a light citrus taste. This beer is overall crisp and doesn’t feel like it has a 6% ABV. This has a medium body. The finish is malty and bread-like. The aftertaste is not that malty; it fades really quickly. This is a good Oktoberfest beer. It leans more to the lighter side. I give this a B-. I like to see this have more malt character. But I would still recommend it. So try it! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Oktoberfest Festbier

Posted on by Evan

This Oktoberfest from Royal Bliss Brewing Co. in Denver, North Carolina, is called Oktoberfest Festbier. This festbier is 5.6%. I found this at my local Total Wine. Royal Bliss Brewing Co. (www.royalblissbrewing.com) is a great brewery and is becoming one of my favorites. I am fond of these Festbiers over the Pumpkin beers that pop up in mid-August. I do not like pumpkin-flavored things. This beer pours brown with a one-finger beige head. The aroma is malty, toasted, and sweet. The flavor is malty, toasted, and sweetened. There is a light and subtle smoky flavor. This beer has a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Then it has a malty, sweet finish. The aftertaste is toasty, and that lingers for a while with a light malt note. This beer is a good-tasting Oktoberfest Festbier. It’s a good fall beer. Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Oktoberfest Festbier is an A+. If you love Oktoberfest beers, you should drink this one. I highly recommend it. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. X Gutmann Brauerei

Posted on by Evan

This Oktoberfest Festbier is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Mills River, North Carolina/Chico, California, and Brauerie Gutmann in Titting, Germany. It is 6% ABV and has hops like Saphir, Spalt Slater, and Hersbrucker. It also has Pilsner, Wheat, and Cramunich malts. Sierra Nevada collaborates with different breweries each year. I think that is an interesting take on this style. This beer pours a deeper gold with a two-finger-steady white head. The aroma is bready, sweet, and malted. The flavor is light with a balance of sweet, malty, and bready notes. This beer is somewhat crisp. It has a semi-sweet finish and a nice light malted bread aftertaste that is gone in an instant. This is an A in my book. It is a solid Festbier and one you should be drinking. I like Festbier but I am not a fanatic for them. I just enjoy them as I enjoy this one. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Westbrook Brewing Co. Festbrook Wiesn-Style Gold Lager

Posted on by Evan

This beer, Festbrook from Westbrook Brewing Co. in Mt. Pleasent, South Carolina, is a Wiesn-style golden lager with CTZ, dry-hopped with Hallertal Mittelfruh hops, German Lager yeast, Munich, Pils, and Vienna malts. This beer is 6.5% ABV. This beer, according to the brewery, is great for drinking by the masses. This feist beer pours golden with a two-finger white semi-quick fading head. The aroma is sweet, with light banana, wheat, and malt. The flavor is malty, sweet, clean, dry, light banana, and light bodies. The mouthfeel is light. This beer finishes with a lightness that is dry with some sweetness. The aftertaste is refreshing with light semi-sweetness. This beer is so delicious and deserving of an A+. I always enjoy Westbrook Brewing beers, and this one is no different, and you shouldn’t miss out on this October seasonal. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly!

Birdsong Brewing Co. Party Starter Festbier Marzen Lager

Posted on by Evan

Here is another Festbier. This is Party Starter from Birdsong Brewing Co. This seasonal Marzen Lager is 5% ABV. This lager pours a deep orange/copper color with a one-and-a-half finger beige head. The aroma is semi-sweet with toffee, malts, and bread. The flavor is toffee, malty flavors, bread, light sweetness, and crisp/smooth. This Marzen lager had a medium feel on the mouthfeel. This beer has a smooth and crisp finish with some sweetness. The aftertaste is a lingering of toffee and bread. This is a good Marzen Lager. I give this a B-. But Burial Beer Fest is better than this, but I recommend them both. I suggest you have this one, then have Burial Beer Fest and have your own comparison. This Birdsong Festbier is lighter than some Festbiers I have, and that is not bad. Please stay safe, be kind to everyone, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Burial Beer Fest Oktoberfest Lager

Posted on by Evan

It is fest beer season and time for Oktoberfest. This beer is an Oktoberfest Lager from Burial Beer called Fest. This beer is a seasonal beer that is 5.9% ABV. This lager beer pours a golden orange color with a two-finger white head. The aroma is lightly honey-sweet and malty. The flavor is sweet, caramel, honey, malty, and crisp. This lager is medium feeling on the mouth. Then this beer finishes with a malty sweet and crisp flavor. The aftertaste is malt and caramel. Overall, this Fest beer is not overly sweet. The malt flavors take some of the sweet edge off. This beer is good, A+ good. I would not pass up the opportunity to drink this. All the flavors are well-balanced and delicious. I could have several of these before I would get tired of the flavor, and you will too. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest Märzen Lager

Posted on by Evan

Coming from the New York City borough of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Brewery, this beer is Oktoberfest Märzen Lager. This is 5.5% ABV. This beer has ready malts and noble hops. This is a seasonal beer, usually for October, hence the name. I’m not the biggest fan, of the Brooklyn Brewery. But I like Oktoberfest beers. I gave this one a try. It pours a copper/amber color with a fizzy one-finger white head. The aroma is sweet, malty, bread, and rich. This beer’s flavor is bread, malty, sweet, rich, and smooth. It does have a slightly thick mouthfeel, but the mouthfeel is medium overall. Then this fest lager finishes with a cloyingly sweet, breaded malt flavor. Then you get a smooth aftertaste of sweetness and bread malt that lingers until you take another sip. This Brooklyn Brewing Oktoberfest Märzen Lager is too sweet for my liking. I give this one a C+. It’s not the worst I’ve had, but the sweetness is a little much halfway through the twelve ounces, and I don’t think I would have another after having one. The beer’s flavor is not terrible, but it does overwhelm the taste buds. Please be kind, stay safe, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Town Brewing Co. Rathaus Festbier Lager

Posted on by Evan

It’s that time of year again. Time for Festbiers! You’ll be seeing a lot of this style between now and November. This particular festbier is Town Brewing Co. Rathaus Festbier Lager, 5.8% ABV. This beer is from right here in Charlotte. I’m not the biggest fan of this style, but I do like FestBiers. This beer pours an amber color with a one-and-a-half-finger white head. The aroma is sweet and malted with a kind of bead-like smell. The taste of this beer is sweet at first. Then you get some malty flavors, that subdues the sweetness. But then you get that bread-like flavor, and then the sweetness slowly comes back to the forefront. The mouthfeel is on the higher side of the medium mouthfeel. This festbier finishes with a sweet malt flavor. That same flavor carries over to the aftertaste with a slight addition of a breaded note. Overall this was just above average for me. So I would give Town Brewing Co. Rathaus Festbier Lager a B-. It has its good moments, but overall it’s just an average festbier. So after about three pints, I felt like the flavors we got to be too much. I don’t see having more than that would be enjoyable. But that is not so bad. I would recommend Town Brewing Co. Rathaus Festbier Lager. Please be kind, be safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!