I wanted to first start of by thanking those who left comments for enjoying the blog. It’s good to know that some people share the same interest and find this interesting. So thanks for the kind words.

Second, I had a great time at Great Lakes Brewfest this last Saturday and will post more about it this weekend, when I have time to gather my photos on it and comment on this well put together fest. If you would like to attend next year, the date will be September 18th, and you can learn more at http://www.greatlakesbrewfest.com.

Now on to the first Oktoberfest review of the Oktoberfest season. I thought it would be best to kick it off with a German Oktoberfest, in honor of the origin of the style. The selection I have is from Hofbrau and is thier version which boasts a 6% ABV, which is on the higer end for the style. Like always, I will be comparing this beer to the BCJP guidelines for the Oktoberfest style.

The aroma is heavy with a Munich malt aroma, fairly sweet and clean with some very nice toasty tones to it. I am really liking the malt aroma in this beer.  There is some alcohol detected in the aroma, although light, the lightness of the style probably allows it to come through. There is some hops in there as well. This is also fairly light, but should not be present. I also feel that I must note that although this particular beer is in a green bottle, this one must have been taken care of quite nicely because it is not skunked. That was one concern I had when picking this one up. I actually looked forward to nailing this brewery for that, but since its not in this particular specimen I got, I can’t. But just be wary of that if you buy this one.

The color is a bit light for the style but appears to be at the low end of the acceptable range according to my color guide, and although I have never been to Germany, I have been told by friends who have been that sometimes the color tends to be even lighter than we are mostly used to seeing the states for this style. The beer is crystal clear with a nice moussey head, as you can see from the pic above of the beer I am drinking right now (although the glass is now half of what it was in the pic).

The flavor is very nice. There is a soft sweetness to the beer right up front, but the middle and finish are well balanced. The hops come to the party a bit later than the malt, but are noticed quite easily. They pop their cones in somewhere in the middle with a bit of a spicy flavor, and finish with a bit of a bitter note that fades very fast.  The beer does finish a touch sweet, but not too bad. The malty is bready, toasty, and rich with some quite evident honey notes in it as well. It think it’s and easy drinking beer. I do get a touch of alcohol in the flavor, but I am thinking it is mostly because I smell it, because it’s not really warming or anything you get when you usually can taste the alcohol.  The mouthfeel is medium, and quite creamy. It is very pleasant for this cool and foggy first day of fall evening.

Overall I really like this beer, and although not the classic example I think of when I think Oktoberfest, this is a well worth trying beer. The touch of sweetness in the finish is not big deal to me, as is the alcohol in the nose. The hop aroma in this beer is not a huge deal, but all these things ding against it for style accuracy, but regardless, it is a fine Oktoberfest. In the end, I give this beer a good B+.

Up next will be New Glarus Staghorn Oktoberfest.

-Jason