Oktoberfest Tel Funf

As the grandiose month of October winds down, I wanted to take a look at a different kind of Oktoberfest beer. One that doesn't quite have that crisp, fall taste indicative of so many of the others.
The Bruery(whom regular readers of this blog know I love) has an offering called Autumn Maple. While not technically an Oktoberfest, it is their fall, pumpkin-type brew so I thought I'd take a look at it.

This is a very sweet(not sweet in the colloquial term, but like syrupy-sweet) beer, made with cinnamon, allspice, maple, nutmeg, molasses, and vanilla. And it wieghs in at a whopping 105 abv.
so crack open a few of these(but not too many, enjoy responsibly!) with perhaps a brunch meal of strawberry pancakes.

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Oktoberfest Tel Vier

As the fine month of October gets a bit chillier here in the northeastern United States, our Oktoberfest brews that we will sample will have a bit more bite.
I am a big fan of October, as readers of this blog know, the chill, crisp air still comfortable and without the bite of winter months, and images of pumpkins and leaf raking dancing in our heads. It is truly a grand time to be alive.
And truly a grand time for tasting good beer. Up next in our Oktoberfest tour is the offering from Detroit's Atwater Brewery, called Bloktoberfest.
It has a nice, but not overpowering, scent of caramel at the top, and a very even mix of malt and sweet hops upon first taste. It was a very nice, reddish-amber color, reminiscent of lazy autumn days. It has a musty, dry aftertaste that leaves a pleasant reminder in your taste buds that it was there.
I would recommend this with a hearty, warm stew on a crisp, but not freezing, fall day. And why not seek out a six pack and help out the local economy for our friendly acquaintances in Motown.

Oktoberfest Teil drei

It is still slightly warm in the northeast, but the bite of the crisp air is here just enough to make it feel like October.
And crispness is certainly a part of any self-respecting Oktoberfest brew. It has been my endeavor this month, nay my sacred mission, to sample all the fine Oktoberfest's of the wold. I have already shared a few favorites with you, and will continue to do so as the days pour on.
I would like to discuss the Oktoberfest offering by a classic German brewery, Hofbrau. I have seen this particular beer maligned by some reviewers, though praised by many others, and I will admit it is a bit plain.
But it tastes distinctly Germanic, it is obviously brewed with pure, crisp water. It is very light, and was a slight tastes of twig, though the good kind. Overall, it is not very memorable, but tastes like a clear, odorless German fall afternoon. So try one, just to get the palatae going, and move on to others, which are coming shortly.

Oktoberfest Teil zwei

And we are now getting full swing into our Oktoberfest drinking. It is a like a fat, lazy lumbering person waking up from a long sleep; we start off a little slow in the beginning, but once we get up and running nothing can stop us.
Oktoberfest in Germany actually mostly takes place in September, but that it a trivial occurrence. This is America, dammnit, and we will celebrate our Octoberfest's whenever we please; even in April if need be.
And in that spirit, may I recommend a fine American Oktoberfest brew for you? Listen, I know this is a time for German beers to shine, and I gave you a great German 'Toberfest selection last post, and there will be more of that.
But let's give Long Island's Bluepoint Brewing co. a shout out. They have a fine Oktoberfest offering, and a uniquely American one.
It has a rich, copper color, for those who care about those things, and a nice, sweet, malty taste. It kind of tastes like an "Americanized" Oktoberfest, and I don't mean that in a disparaging way. It just feels a tad more citrusy than a Germanic Oktoberfest. But we are Americans, and we like things our way.
Coming shortly: More reviews of German Oktoberfest offerings.

It is Oktoberfest

Ah October, when a young man's fancy turns to beer. Or something like that.
Anyway October is here. Leaves are turning, if you live in northeast, the weather is getting a bit nippier, football is in full swing, and Oktoberfest brews are upon us.
I plan on drinking as many different kind of Oktoberfest offerings as possible this month.
First up, the best, at least according to my beer people. That would be the Oktoberfest from Ayinger, a fine German brewery. And of course one would assume the Germans would make a fine Oktoberfest, having invented the style. I think. Hell it sounds good, so let's say they did.
This is a fine 'Toberfest: Crisp, airy, just the right amount of bitterness, it tastes like a fall day. I can sense fresh grains, toasted malt, clean, Teutonic air. I highly recommend it.