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 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 Surfer, Jack’s Abby/Otter Creek Joint Custody, Otter Creek Backseat Berner, Otter Creek/Lawson’s Finest Liquids Double Dose, Otter Creek Fresh Slice, Otter Creek Citra Mantra, Otter Creek Kind Ryed
Two Roads Ok2berfest pours deep orange with a small white head. The aroma is rich with toasted malts. The flavor has the full malt flavor that fits the style, notes of caramel, toasted bread and honey along with just a hint of sweetness. This is balanced by a little late hop flavor, herbal and earthy. Ok2berfest is medium bodied and drinks smooth, not too boozy at 5.8% ABV. The finish is clean with some lingering malt flavor. This is a really nice Oktoberfest, a perfect beer for the cooler fall temperatures. Prost! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Idle Hands Brocktoberfest pours bright copper with a small white head. The aroma is mild, just a bit of toasted malt. The flavor is malt forward, notes of bread crust roasted nuts and honey. There is plenty of malt flavor but the beer avoids the cloying sweetness that is present in too many American marzens. A bit of floral and grassy hop flavor adds balance. Brocktoberfest is on the light side for the style, refreshingly drinkable and not too boozy at 5.6% ABV. The finish is clean with minimal aftertaste. This is a really nice marzen, it delivers the big malt flavors you expect in the style while keeping the beer light and easy to drink. Grab a big mug and toast the season with this (Br)Oktoberfest! Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Spencer Festive Lager pours a deep amber with a minimal white head. The scent is mild, mostly caramel malts. The flavor is malt forward, notes of toffee, roasted nuts and bread dough. This is balanced by noticeable hops, hints of herbs, grass and spice along with a little bitter bite. Festive Lager has a medium body and drinks smooth, but packs some punch at 7.5% ABV. It has the clean finish you expect from a lager with a touch of lingering malt sweetness. While I still wish that the brewery had taken a slightly different direction, this is a solid beer. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Castle Island Festbier pours deep orange with a small white head. The scent is mild, just a little malt and a hint of old world hops. The first thing you notice when you taste the beer is that it’s on the light side for an Oktoberfest, I usually expect my fest biers to have a pretty full body. At 4.6% ABV it’s also lower in alcohol than most, a session beer by many definitions. Festbier still packs full malt flavor, notes of caramel, biscuits and honey. This is complemented by noticeable hop flavor, earthy and grassy with a crisp finish. The beer is brewed with ale yeast but you wouldn’t know it, it has the crisp and clean flavor you’d expect from a lager. Castle Island Festbier is different from any other Oktoberfest I’ve tried, but that isn’t a bad thing, it’s a well made and flavorful beer. Hoppy Boston score: 4.0/5.
Berkshire Brewing Oktoberfest pours a clear bright copper with a small white head. The scent is richly malty. The taste is also malt forward, notes of caramel, bread dough, roasted nuts and honey along with enough sweetness to notice without becoming cloying. This is balanced by a little hop flavor, touches of grass and herbs, along with a hint of bitter bite at the finish. BBC Oktoberfest is medium bodied and very smooth, but packs some serious punch at 7.5% ABV. It has the clean finish you expect from a lager with just a touch of lingering malty flavor. This is a really good beer, tons of flavor and super drinkable, one of the best marzens I’ve tasted. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
