Beer: Paulaner Oktoberfest

Brewery: Paulaner Brewery Munich, Germany

Overview: Paulaner is a traditional German brewery, but it is known more in America for its Hefeweizen than the bulk of its brews.  Still, the traditional beers are very good, and the Oktoberfest is no exception.

Aroma: Heavy malt sweetness, some light toasty notes.  Clean smell with very pure malt. Resembles smell of wort before fermentation.  No noticeable hops.

Appearance: Beautiful clear copper with thick white head that persists.  Does not leave any lace on the glass, but head continues in a ring as the beer dies down.  Orange highlights when held up to light, may look darker brown in pub lighting.

Flavor:Very complex malt flavors, light to no bitterness.  Bread notes in the body, like a fresh loaf from the oven.  Mild notes in the finish like a slightly overcooked piece of wheat toast.  No off flavors.  Light malt syrupy mouthfeel on the tongue, not slick.  Dry and slight bitterness comes in the aftertaste.

Overall Impression: Paulaner has made a very stock version of an Oktoberfest which will stand up to many of the others.  The robust malt flavor and the gorgeous amber color are impressive, and I like the toasty notes that go along with it.  Much better on the maltiness than some of the other Maerzens, but lacking a little of the alcohol punch.  Still, a great way to celebrate the fall.

Vitals:
Style Maerzen/Oktoberfest
Price $3.99/1 pt. 0.9 oz. bottle
Found In Local Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 5.8% by volume
Availability Year-round, though produced seasonally

Rating: 95

Beer: Spaten Oktoberfest

Brewery: Spaten Brewery Munich, Germany

Overview: Spaten, sponsor of Oktoberfest celebrations the world over is a classic German brewer of the style, so I had to pick some up to review this September.  So here we go.

Aroma: Sweet bread, fresh hops.  Heavy malt smell with some underlying sweetness.

Appearance: Dark gold to light amber.  Clear.  Foamy white head that dissipates quickly.

Flavor: Malt, malt, malt, malt, malt.  And perhaps some malt in there.  This has a heavy bread-like quality to it and you chew your way through the center but it avoids sweetness.  Some light bitterness in the finish, but not overwhelming, with a very clean finish on the tongue erasing the malt.

Overall Impression: Overall just a perfect example of what I expect the style to be.  Malt-heavy but not so overwhelming as to fill you up, and just a note of spicy hops in the finish to balance the malt and counteract any sweetness.  I could sit and drink an entire six-pack of these at once, but I'd be wondering if I could get up afterwards.  This is a great celebratory beer to pour in September or October and raise your glass (bottom end up, top in your mouth).  Truly enjoyable.

Vitals:
Style Oktoberfest
Price $8.99/six-pack
Found In Chain Import Store
Alcohol Content 5.9% by volume
Availability Seasonal (August to October)


Rating: 96

OKTOBERFEST!!!

Saturday, September 18 is the beginning of Oktoberfest 2010 which will last until Sunday, October 3.  Find yourself some traditional Maerzen beer and celebrate!

For the regularly scheduled September 20 and 27 reviews as well as the October 4 review I will sample a few Oktoberfest selections (two German and a Texan) and then if I find any more along the way I will toss them in here too.

Strap on your lederhosen and down a beer!

Beer: Real Ale Fireman's 4

Brewery: Real Ale Brewing Blanco, Texas

Overview: Fireman's 4 is a blonde ale that is brewed for the purpose of enjoying during a hot Texas summer day.  The brewery suggests pairing with spicy foods, which may suggest it would complement a Tex-Mex cuisine menu for a mid summer's evening fiesta.  I always enjoy trying local Texas beers, so I intend to continue to make the rounds trying a variety from breweries such as Real Ale.

Aroma: Clean, crisp malt, some floral and citrus but not prominent.  Good malt not overwhelmingly bready.  Matures to a warm, baking crusty bread aroma as the beer warms up.

Appearance: Straw with some richness in color, but perfectly clear.  Ample white head leaves some traces on glass and fades to a thin film.

Flavor: Smooth and malty with a bitterness profile that kicks in very late towards the finish.  Some woody and leafy hop flavor.  Freshly mowed grass. Hint of orange.  Some biscuit malt flavor.

Overall Impression: A pretty good beer for a session blonde overall.  I could easily sit back in the summertime on the porch (hopefully in the shade) and polish off a six pack of these (and I might have already accomplished this task).  Overall there is little that is complex about this beer.  The taste is an enhanced version of the aroma, with a more powerful hop presence coming through.

Vitals:
Style Blonde Ale
Price $7.99/six-pack
Found In Grocery Store Beer Aisle
Alcohol Content 5.1% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 21 IBU

Rating: 94

Beer: St. Peter's Cream Stout

Used with permission
St. Peter's Brewery

Brewery: St. Peter's Brewery Suffolk, England

Overview: The St. Peter's Cream Stout is one I stumbled across at a local pub and had to come back and review it officially for the site.  It comes in quite a unique bottle, and brings with it an equally unique flavor and aroma combination.

Aroma: Plums, cherries, and dark fruits.  Slight hint of vanilla and alcohol.  Some orange rind.

Appearance: Thick opaque tar black with a thick frothy tan head, faint orange highlights around the bottom against the light.

Flavor: Creamy chocolate cocoa.  Finish like bittersweet baking chips melting.  Mouthfeel is consistent and milky smooth.  Light roasted flavors in the end.  Gives a sensation at times of eating dark chocolate covered cherries.

Overall Impression: The St. Peter's Cream Stout is a wonderful, chocolate delight.  The only thing I was really surprised about was how much fruit I could smell in the aroma, but the lack of the fruit in the flavor.  Still, I was not disappointed by this, when faced with the smooth and creamy cocoa flavors.  This was quite a delicious drink, well suited for a post-dinner dessert beverage.

Vitals:
Style Sweet Stout
Price $4.99/1 pt 9 oz bottle
Found In Regional Liquor Store, Local Pub
Alcohol Content 6.5% by volume
Availability Year-round


Rating: 97

Beer: Trois Pistoles

Brewery: Unibroue Chambly, Quebec, Canada

Overview: Until I started looking into this beer, I had no clue that Unibroue had so many beers, but Trois Pistoles is one of the wider distributed ones, along with Ephemere, Maudite, and La Fin Du Monde.  Trois Pistoles is another classic Belgian example from this French-Canadian brewery.

Aroma: Sliced Granny Smith and Fuji apples like a fresh , some cotton candy off the side of the glass.  Candy sugar sweetness from the nose.  Thick molasses and brown sugar underneath.  Sweet fruits, plums and light grape notes underneath.

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby or plum highlights just around the edges when held up to light.  Giant three inch tan foamy head that sticks around in a foamy circle in the center of the surface.

Flavor:Extremely complex beer.  The initial flavor is like a highly carbonated port wine, with some light toast coming later.  Heavy dark fruits caramelized with molasses.  Light bitterness with some lime juice and tart apple notes.  Light cocoa.  Some raisins hiding in the finish.  A slight alcohol taste lingers, but without any heat or slickness.

Overall Impression: Overwhelmingly delicious.  I have yet to have any experience with a Unibroue produced beer that is less than positive, and this beer is absolutely wonderful.  Clearly too potent for a long-drinking beer, Trois Pistoles is a wonderful experience to finish out your evening and relax.  The large bottle is more than enough to enjoy, think about, relax, and enjoy some more.

Vitals:
Style Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Price $5.99/1 pt. 9.4 oz bottle
Found In Regional Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 9% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 15.5 IBU

Rating: 98

Beer: Leibinger Zeppelin

Brewery: Brewery Leibinger Ravensburg, Germany

Overview: Zeppelin is an unfiltered specialty beer produced by the Leibinger Brewery and imported to the United States.

Aroma: Heavy malt flavor, some light citrus with bready notes.  Slight brown sugar underneath.

Appearance: Light amber, some faint orange tones, with a grey-white sticky head that plays around the glass, with some persistence.  Light clear yellow appearance near the edges of the glass.  Slight cloudiness, but substantially clearer than a hefeweizen or other traditionally "cloudy" beer.

Flavor: Nice strong malt dominance in the flavor up front, similar to a malt-heavy European amber lager, and its Mexican clones.  Some powerful bitterness overwhelms the balance in the back end as it builds and sticks around on the tongue as you drink down the glass.  Over time changes to copper pennies and 9 volt battery on the tongue.  Extremely light body, with a long-lingering finish.

Overall Impression: Overall, this beer is not really one I would go to over and over again.  While an interesting departure from other European lagers, something about the bitterness didn't sit right with me.  Perhaps it is my lack of familiarity with this specialty style, but if all Kellerbeers taste this way, then it is probably not a style for me.  Some people may like it, but this one may be a while before I decide to revisit again.

Vitals:
Style Specialty Beer - Kellerbier
Price $1.99/single
Found In Chain Import Store
Alcohol Content 5.2% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 20 IBU

Rating: 76