Beer of the Weekend #25: Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen

Tonight at BevMo! I saw the personification of the credit crisis. You know how some people have wallets thick with cash? The leather is literally bursting from the strain of greenbacks? Well, the man ahead of me at the check-out line had a wallet bursting with plastic cards, all of which, I noticed, had a Visa or MasterCard logo printed in the corner.

The beer this weekend is Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen brewed by Spaten-Bräu of Munich, Germany.


Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: It’s either copper or brown. Every time I look at it I change my mind, so I’ll say brown-copper — alphabetically sorted, of course. My first pour wasn’t the best so there was only a millimeter of head that dissipated quickly, leaving a ring of foam along the outside.

Smell: The first thing I thought was, “Smells like Spaten’s lager.” This was my experience with Paulaner’s Oktoberfest brew last week. Barnyard malts, which I love.

Taste: Lager-like. Very lager-like. Or, should I say, helles lager-like. (Yes, I wrote it.) It’s very clean, crisp, and the malts dominate. A subtle caramel sweetness makes it smooth. No hops at the back of the tongue, and I thought for a moment I caught a hint of fruit and honey.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. It’s ideal for next year’s Oktoberfest. (Yeah. Why am I drinking Oktoberfest beer after Oktoberfest? Blasphemy!)

Fun facts about Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen:

-Serving temp.: 48°F.

-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.

-The Great Beer Guide includes Spaten Oktoberfestbier, but it’s completely different than tonight’s beer. Obviously the name is different, but the mug pictured in the book is filled with a pale gold brew. The description says Spaten has (had?) lightened its märzen as other breweries have, but it doesn’t say why. The book’s first edition came out in ’98, so who knows when or why things changed.

-Spaten’s Oktoberfest beer is traditionally the first beer to be tapped at the festival.


The Quiet Man’s Grade: B+.

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