Bierstadt Lagerhaus Oktoberfest

“Brilliant copper color, good foam. Pleasant, mellow dark-bread notes, like pumpernickel drizzled with light honey, with some welcome if subtle herbal hops. Integrated flavor—light sweetness fully melds with a smooth, restrained bitterness, drying out beautifully, getting some lift from ample carbonation. Everything a good Oktoberfest should be.”

“Cracker and bready malt up front; classic herbal, grassy Noble-hop profile. Slight sulfur gives the impression of freshness. Subdued flavor compared to the aroma, but more bready malt and herbal hops. Dry, low residual sweetness, maybe a touch thin. Very classic and well executed. Would be very approachable on a hot summer day.”

Aroma: “Pine—both freshly cut wood and needles. Slightly yeasty with moderate biscuit and bready malt aromas. Overall, it’s clean Pilsner malt with moderate sulfur and a low floral hops character.” Flavor: “Malt-forward with bread, cracker, and biscuit notes. There’s an almost ‘peanut butter–like’ sweetness. Bitterness is slightly high, but it doesn’t linger, and it does help to cut the sweetness of the malt well. Floral hops notes carry into the finish. The carbonation makes it fluffy before giving way to the bitterness.” Overall: “Pretty easy drinking. Starts sweet and finishes sweet. Just not enough hops-derived bitterness to cut through the malt presence.”