Beer of the Weekend #897: ReUnion Marzen
The 2018 edition of the Summer of the Growler did not go well. It was a total failure, actually. BotW featured just four beers served by growler, including one from a crowler.
However, to close summer and welcome autumn, which begins today, I decided to atone for that pitiful record by filling my growler with Marzen, brewed by the ReUnion Brewery of Coralville, Iowa.
The color is ruby amber. One finger of very buttery, light tan head leaves a collar of foam and an even skim with a thick spot of bubbles in the center.
The aroma is sweet, malty, and toasty. There are scents of toasted malt, caramel, red licorice, and light cocoa. There are also earthy hops that provide a touch of spice and portends bite.
The flavor is well balanced, but it leans bitter and spicy at first. The bitterness sits on the tongue and lingers on the tonsils. However, the malts keep it from being overly bitter with flavors of toasted malt, caramel, light cocoa, and cherry licorice. The sweetness gains prominence as the beer continues to warm. The caramel takes over and it starts to tastes like a caramel apple—minus the apple. The toasted malt and licorice do not fade, either.
Fun facts about ReUnion Marzen.
• Style. Marzen.
• Price: $12 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the ReUnion Brewery in Coralville.
• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
• IBU: 25.
• Munich’s Oktoberfest begins today, so tonight I plan to commemorate the festival’s opening by filling my ceramic 1982 Oktoberfest Maß for the first time. ReUnion’s Marzen is a fitting beverage for the occasion.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
However, to close summer and welcome autumn, which begins today, I decided to atone for that pitiful record by filling my growler with Marzen, brewed by the ReUnion Brewery of Coralville, Iowa.
The color is ruby amber. One finger of very buttery, light tan head leaves a collar of foam and an even skim with a thick spot of bubbles in the center.
The aroma is sweet, malty, and toasty. There are scents of toasted malt, caramel, red licorice, and light cocoa. There are also earthy hops that provide a touch of spice and portends bite.
The flavor is well balanced, but it leans bitter and spicy at first. The bitterness sits on the tongue and lingers on the tonsils. However, the malts keep it from being overly bitter with flavors of toasted malt, caramel, light cocoa, and cherry licorice. The sweetness gains prominence as the beer continues to warm. The caramel takes over and it starts to tastes like a caramel apple—minus the apple. The toasted malt and licorice do not fade, either.
Fun facts about ReUnion Marzen.
• Style. Marzen.
• Price: $12 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the ReUnion Brewery in Coralville.
• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
• IBU: 25.
• Munich’s Oktoberfest begins today, so tonight I plan to commemorate the festival’s opening by filling my ceramic 1982 Oktoberfest Maß for the first time. ReUnion’s Marzen is a fitting beverage for the occasion.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
