Good Tasting Brew for the Autumn Season
Written: Oct 14 '01 (Updated Oct 17 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Complex flavors
Cons: Marzen is not to everyone's liking
The Bottom Line: Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a very good beer, with complex flavors and a malty taste.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Samuel Adams Octoberfest |
Samuel Adams products are among the best- known in the craft- brewing market. Among all the "micro" breweries, Boston Beer Company is the largest and best known, with several awards under its belt and with much recognition from the beer drinking public for its beer making expertise.
The regularly- brewed products are tasty, but even Samuel Adams seasonal beers are very good, for the most part. The subject of this review is the fall offering, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, a marzen- style beer brewed just a few months each year for the autumn season.
Basic Characteristics:
This product has some typical octoberfest/marzen qualities. First of all, the color of the beer is copper, with clear clarity, and the aroma is sweet and malty with just a touch of fruitiness. The foam starts out heavy, and then it slowly settles down.
The flavor of this beer could be described as malty and sweet, with the taste of caramel, nuts, and a hint of vanilla. The taste reminds me of the flavor that you experience when you heat table sugar, and a touch of butter, in a saucepan.
Samuel Adams brews this beer with Harrington, Caramel, Munich, Crystal, and Maravian malts, along with Tettnager and Hallertauer hops. The hops are detectable, but the overall taste is malty. The hops help to balance out the taste of the malt, and keep it from becoming too sweet.
This beer is a little more full- bodied than other beers. The original gravity is 1.057, and the alcohol level is 5.7 percent by volume and there are 165 calories per 12 oz. serving.
Food Compatibility:
This product would match up nicely with grilled, light- colored meats, like grilled turkey, chicken, or pork. It would also go well with beef stew and some other meat dishes. It doesn't go with desserts, in spite of its sweetness.
Final Thoughts:
Octoberfest/marzen beers are among my least favorite types of beer. I have sampled many of them, and while I find that some are ok, the majority of them are not that tasty. Samuel Adams Octoberfest is one of the few exceptions.
This Octoberfest is brewed without any dry- hopping process, like other Octoberfests. The result is a more smooth tasting beer, without too much dryness. The hopping level is just right, to keep the beer from being too sweet.
Samuel Adams introduced this beer in 1989, and it has been brewed each fall season since then. It's a good- tasting, complex brew with a sweet malty flavor that's balanced by the hops. I'm not a big fan of Octoberfest beer, but this one is very good and it's one I will look forward to every Fall season.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews on Other Samuel Adams Products:
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Ale
Samuel Adams Golden Pilsner
Samuel Adams Spring Ale
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Scotch Ale
Samuel Adams Vienna Style Lager
Samuel Adams Black Lager
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Samuel Adams Light
Samuel Adams Hefeweizen
Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Brown Ale
Samuel Adams Cream Stout
Recommended:
Yes
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