It seems like Oktoberfest beers come out earlier and earlier every year, which means we’re recording our regular Oktoberfest beer podcast earlier and earlier. This year we’re tasting these blind, with producer Jim as our dungeon master. We’re sampling 12 Oktoberfest Märzens, both import and domestic, along with a line-up of delicious meat sticks from Pat’s favorite butcher.

Great Lakes Oktoberfest – A very Märzen-y beer, nice toasted caramel. It’s a little boozy. 

Hopewell Oktoberfest Lager – Very dry, with a bit of a rye spiciness. It’s a little bitter and grainy too.

Spaten Oktoberfest – It’s pretty easy to tell what this one is during a blind because it’s in a green bottle. There’s a good beer underneath it.  

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier – All the beers here are labeled Oktoberfest, but this one also adds “Festbier”. This is a lighter beer, very drinkable.

Half Acre Lager Town – This beer is richer, but still balanced. It’s got some nice zippy carbonation on the finish that keeps it clean.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen – This one is pretty boozy and grainy. There’s a yeasty character here, but it’s still drinkable.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest – There’s a sharp alcohol aroma here, but it’s definitely still within shades of the style.

Goose Island Oktoberfest - It’s a big beer but you could drink a lot of them. It’s delightful.

Ayinger Oktoberfest Märzen – This one is more plush, more spicy. It’s smells maltier. Finally, malty!

Three Floyd’s Munsterfest – This smells pretty corny and it’s a little thin. There’s some yeastiness in the nose also.

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen – This one seems softer, more plush and easier than several of the other beers. There’s a nice spicy hop character on the nose too.

Metropolitan Afterburner Oktoberfest – This one has the look of an Ayinger and smells very rich. It’s a big beer.

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