Otter Creek Oktoberfest

Seasonal beers played a major role in my transition from macro lagers to more flavorful beer, I loved how certain beer styles fit perfectly with the seasons. One of my favorites has always beer the marzen/Oktoberfest, the rich malt flavors pair perfectly with crisp fall weather. One criticism of many American Oktoberfest beers was that they could be overdone, cloyingly sweet and overly boozy. These characteristics cut down on the drinkability of a beer style meant to be enjoyed in large steins. Recently you’ve seen these complaints addressed by some breweries, and a few have even reached out to breweries in Germany to collaborate on their fall seasonal brews. One great example of this is the new Oktoberfest from Otter Creek Brewing Company, brewed in collaboration with Camba Barvaria, a brewery from just outside of Munich. Otter Creek Oktoberfest is brewed with German malts and a solid dose of traditional noble hops, and is available for a limited time on draft and in 12 oz bottles.

Otter Creek OktoberfestOtter Creek Oktoberfest pours clear light yellow with a small white head. The scent is mild, just a little toasted malt. The beer is very malt forward, notes of bread dough, caramel and roasted barley but with minimal residual sweetness. There is some hop character here too, floral, herbal, earthy and spicy. Oktoberfest has a medium body, drinks very easy and isn’t too boozy at 5.5% ABV. There is a crisp and clean lager finish with a very light aftertaste. I really like these American/German collaborations on the marzen style. This beer has the malt flavor you want in the style along with the drinkability you love from lager beers. Grab some before it’s gone! Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.

Previous Otter Creek Reviews:

Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout, Otter Creek Couch SurferJack’s Abby/Otter Creek Joint CustodyOtter Creek Backseat BernerOtter Creek/Lawson’s Finest Liquids Double DoseOtter Creek Fresh Slice, Otter Creek Citra Mantra, Otter Creek Kind Ryed

 

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