IIRC aren't there TWO styles of what is considered "Oktoberfest" beer nowadays, right?

1. Marzen: the older style which is darker and malty and what most American craft brewers make but not that common in Germany any longer. I think they only make Marzen to export it to us now.

2. Festbier: more a lighter colored, lower-alcohol lager and what you'll find in Germany at the actual Oktoberfest. A few American craft brewers make and sell this as "Oktoberfest".

I actually prefer the festbier style myself these days.

What makes me crazy though is WHY are we talking about and buying Oktoberfest beers in July? I hate this damned beer arms race. By the time it's actual Oktoberfest weather, we are all talking about Christmas beers or even spring beers!

The lighter Wiesn (what you called a "Festbier") is actually a decent end-of-summer, warm weather style of beer, while the darker Marzen makes for a better cool weather beer.

I tend to stock up on both Octoberfest types when they first become available around August, drink the Wiesns first at the end of Summer and early Fall, and save my Marzen stockpile for the later Fall and Winter.

I already have some Spaten Octoberfest (a Wiesn), which just hit shelves here at the end of last week. The others will trickle in over the next 6ish weeks.

If you live in Texas, try St. Arnold's Octoberfest.

I will say I am no beer aficionado but I happen to enjoy Sam Adams Octoberfest (as they spell it). It's hard to come by here in the Southside Va. area.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
If you live in Texas, try St. Arnold's Octoberfest.

I'm hooked on Shiner Bock (Texas), available in Arizona.

Oktoberfest in July? They must be taking a cue from the people who put out Halloween shit in August and Christmas in October.

I never got into the hole Octoberfest beer thing. I hate any bear that has too much hops. I like a nice, crisp, malty lager. I drink the same beer all year round. My tastes don't change with the seasons.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
Spaten is just lovely,

Mmmmmm, tasty.

Spaten Premium Lager is my go-to, always in my fridge, beer.

quote:

Originally posted by Micropterus:
I never got into the hole Octoberfest beer thing. I hate any bear that has too much hops. I like a nice, crisp, malty lager.

I'm confused. You claim to dislike Octoberfest beers, and then proceed to describe your ideal beer, which is a dead ringer for an Octoberfest beer...

Octoberfest beers are crisp lagers with light hops and heavy malt. (Granted, it's marginally more hoppy than something like a Bud Light, but then so it just about every other style of beer.)

Perhaps you thought you've tried an Octoberfest beer, but really had tried something else?

Or perhaps you managed to get one of the uncommon "hoppy Octoberfest"/"Hoptoberfest" beers, which is definitely not the norm for that style, but for some godawful reason some craft brewers feel the need to cram maximum hops into everything they brew.

I’ve always been a fan of Sam Adams beer. But I have to agree the seasonals have been off lately. Cold snap and summer hot had a bad aftertaste this year. Winter was horrible and I used to love it. Maybe it’s my tastebuds and not the beer. We have so many awesome microbrews around now that Sam is sure to lose some market share.

As to October in July I saw Halloween candy in the supermarket yesterday. Wtf.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:


I'm confused. You claim to dislike Octoberfest beers, and then proceed to describe your ideal beer, which is a dead ringer for an Octoberfest beer...

I don't like bitter beers. The Octoberfest beers I've had taste too bitter to me. I equate hopiness to bitterness.

I don't like bitter beers. The Octoberfest beers I've had taste too bitter to me. I equate hopiness to bitterness.[/QUOTE]

Never had a hoppy/bitter Octoberfest beer. They've all been on the malty side.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuisis:
Never had a hoppy/bitter Octoberfest beer. They've all been on the malty side.

As mentioned, there's a small subset of Octoberfest beers being produced by a handful of craft brewers that are "hoppy Marzens", often referred to as "Hoptoberfest" beers. These are hoppy/bitter. Sort of a cross between a Pale Ale and a Marzen. Perhaps he got one of those, although there aren't a whole lot of them out there.

Or perhaps he got an Octoberfest that had been "skunked" by excessive sunlight exposure.

Or perhaps he's just one of those old school beer drinkers that thinks anything with any more flavor than the weak/watery American quasi-pilsners (Bud/Miller/Coors/etc.) is "too bitter".

Actually, like German lagers very much. I'm just not a fan of octoberfest style beers.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Kuisis:
Never had a hoppy/bitter Octoberfest beer. They've all been on the malty side.

As mentioned, there's a small subset of Octoberfest beers being produced by a handful of craft brewers that are "hoppy Marzens", often referred to as "Hoptoberfest" beers. These are hoppy/bitter. Sort of a cross between a Pale Ale and a Marzen. Perhaps he got one of those, although there aren't a whole lot of them out there.

Or perhaps he got an Octoberfest that had been "skunked" by excessive sunlight exposure.

Or perhaps he's just one of those old school beer drinkers that thinks anything with any more flavor than the weak/watery American quasi-pilsners (Bud/Miller/Coors/etc.) is "too bitter".

For the life of me I don't understand how anyone can drink that Miller Lite and call it beer.

"Hoptoberfest" yumm! I'd brew one but I'm not set up for cold fermentations and lagering.

The whole holiday creep in general bothers me, I'd like to think I can get my O-fest beers in Sep/Oct but I know the shelves will have nothing but "Winter warmers" by then.

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:


The whole holiday creep in general bothers me, I'd like to think I can get my O-fest beers in Sep/Oct but I know the shelves will have nothing but "Winter warmers" by then.

You can thank Sam Adams for starting that crap.

And then around Christmas you go to the beer store to find a nice Christmas ale and NOOOOOO, they've been gone since before Thanksgiving.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:


The whole holiday creep in general bothers me, I'd like to think I can get my O-fest beers in Sep/Oct but I know the shelves will have nothing but "Winter warmers" by then.

You can thank Sam Adams for starting that crap.

And then around Christmas you go to the beer store to find a nice Christmas ale and NOOOOOO, they've been gone since before Thanksgiving.

I've had to start buying it and storing it for a few months until the weather cools off some.