It’s that time of year — campfires, cold nights, and big pints of Märzen beer.
This year’s pick 6 of Oktoberfest beers features a good variety from all over. And even a contender to one of my personal favorites from last year, which was Revolution’s Oktoberfest.
Port Huron Brewing — Oktoberfest — 6.2%
“Port Huron Oktoberfest is brewed in the style of a Marzen/Oktoberfest beer. A malty, satisfying lager, Oktoberfest is a great beer for the Fall Season.”
It starts off very sweet, with a creamy caramel flavor and nuttiness. But it transitions into a weird finish, like a super strong sweet, almost sour note that’s just not selling me on it.
‘This beer reminds me of when I was young,
roasting marshmallows,
over the gas stove,
an open flame
but not the right one
and it always left the smores with that weird taste
of propane.’
Titletown — Bent Tuba — 6.5%
“Want a beer that kicks some serious brass? Bent Tuba is a smooth German-style amber lager, loaded with rich, toasty malt flavor, and complemented by a touch of crisp Bavarian hops. It’s playing your song.”
This one has a strong roasted malt flavor, with hints of hazelnut, caramel, and doughy bready malts. It balances out the sweetness with a spiced hop finish, which is a lot better than the beer above.
‘Fall is full of great colors
gourd orange
deep wine reds
golden brown beers
it’s a nature’s way
to contrast the skies, so grey.’
Ballast Point — Dead Ringer — 6.0%
“Our Dead Ringer Oktoberfest lager is inspired by old-style Märzen brews customarily enjoyed during Bavaria’s world-famous beer festival. Thanks to an abundance of toasted malt and a lower hop bitterness, this dark reddish brown lager is loaded with sweet, caramel toffee flavors and aromas.”
Like the others, a strong nutty caramel flavor to start, but it differs in its finish, with an almost smoky, dark roasted malt flavor at the end.
‘I drank a pint
and sat outside
I drank a pint
a felt more alive
I drank a pint
and remembered I die
I drank a pint
and got up to dance
I drank a pint
to roam the living land
I drank a pint
cause I’m a skeleton man.’
Summit — Oktoberfest — 7.1%
“Brewed in the classic Märzen style with Northern Brewer hops from Germany. Rich, toffee malt flavors up front with a clean hop finish as crisp as the autumn air.”
The Summit starts with rich caramel and toffee flavor, but this one is the hoppiest of the bunch. It has a nice grassy, floral hop flavor that mellows the sweet maltiness.
‘Sitting outside, case of Summit by our side
we sit looking
at the sangria sunset
as it cuts across the coming of the gray
sky
thinking how good it is to be alive.’
Ale Asylum — Oktillion — 6.0%
“This Märzen lager boasts an intricate blend of American and European malt for a light amber color and soft, bready malt flavor with a crisp finish and no residual sweetness.”
Like Summit’s, it’s strong on the hops. It starts out with dominant malty, toffee sweetness, with notes of honey and then flows right into a spicy hop finish at the end.
‘In a fever dream on Halloween I remember seeing
the ghost of the person I used to be
and you were you
and we sat drinking things
saying things
about the way
it used to be.’
Sierra Nevada — Oktoberfest 2018 — 6.0%
“We’ve partnered with Bavaria’s Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, for this American take on the classic German Oktoberfest. A malt backbone is balanced by subtle hop character in this crisp, clean, and drinkable crowd-pleaser.”
And we found a winner. This one is my favorite of the 6. It closely resembles what I love so much about Revolution’s Oktoberfest. It has the classic caramel, toffee notes that the others have, but it shines in its transition to the finish. Which is both hoppy and with an abundance of fruit forward sweetness. I love it.
‘My favorite thing about fall nights
is sitting there crisp cold air café lights
outsides to Essen haus half liters in hand listening to the band and
soaking in the warmth pumped from blood steeped in love
just taking it all in with you.’