Beer of the Weekend #161: Oktoberfest
Put on your Lederhosen and Tirolerhüte, it’s Oktoberfest time!
The beer of the weekend is the aptly named Oktoberfest, brewed by the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is slightly dark copper/amber. Two and a half fingers of off-white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: It reminds me of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball with caramel or chocolate mousse inside. There is an immediate cocoa aroma laced with sweet caramel. Very enticing. Also noticeable after the pint warms are scents of toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.
Taste: Reminds me a lot of the Red Trolley Ale I drank at Dodger Stadium. The very smooth cocoa/chocolate mousse shines through in the taste, and the caramel adds a touch of sweetness. However, the tail has a nice bitter edge that leaves the back of the mouth tingling. As it warms the flavor aligns with the later emerging scents: toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.
Drinkability: Solid. From past experience, märzen was just a darker, slightly toasted lager, but Millstream’s Oktoberfest completely strays from that norm. It’s malty, toasty, slightly spicy, and just a hair heavy. Basically, it’s a damn good beer.
Fun facts about Oktoberfest:
-Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest.
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.7 ABV.
-Food pairings: The only food recommendation listed on BA is German cuisine. I guess you’re on your own, there. I suppose any kind of standard Oktoberfest or Bavarian and Austrian fare will do.
-IBU: 21.
-Color: 13 SRM, which corresponds to medium amber in Mosher’s Tasting Beer.
-Obviously, I would love to partake in the real Oktoberfest in Munich some day. For training I think I may attend the little Oktoberfest they have in Amana, which is held October 1-3 this year.
-Jason Alström, of BA’s founding Alström Bros, listed Millstream’s Oktoberfest as his favorite märzen/Oktoberfestbier. However, I see he has changed it to Great Lakes Oktoberfest.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
The beer of the weekend is the aptly named Oktoberfest, brewed by the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is slightly dark copper/amber. Two and a half fingers of off-white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: It reminds me of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball with caramel or chocolate mousse inside. There is an immediate cocoa aroma laced with sweet caramel. Very enticing. Also noticeable after the pint warms are scents of toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.
Taste: Reminds me a lot of the Red Trolley Ale I drank at Dodger Stadium. The very smooth cocoa/chocolate mousse shines through in the taste, and the caramel adds a touch of sweetness. However, the tail has a nice bitter edge that leaves the back of the mouth tingling. As it warms the flavor aligns with the later emerging scents: toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.
Drinkability: Solid. From past experience, märzen was just a darker, slightly toasted lager, but Millstream’s Oktoberfest completely strays from that norm. It’s malty, toasty, slightly spicy, and just a hair heavy. Basically, it’s a damn good beer.
Fun facts about Oktoberfest:
-Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest.
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.7 ABV.
-Food pairings: The only food recommendation listed on BA is German cuisine. I guess you’re on your own, there. I suppose any kind of standard Oktoberfest or Bavarian and Austrian fare will do.
-IBU: 21.
-Color: 13 SRM, which corresponds to medium amber in Mosher’s Tasting Beer.
-Obviously, I would love to partake in the real Oktoberfest in Munich some day. For training I think I may attend the little Oktoberfest they have in Amana, which is held October 1-3 this year.
-Jason Alström, of BA’s founding Alström Bros, listed Millstream’s Oktoberfest as his favorite märzen/Oktoberfestbier. However, I see he has changed it to Great Lakes Oktoberfest.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
Comments
Post a Comment