Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen

“Moist dark-bread nose with some brown-sugar accents. Fresh and malty in one of those obvious but enjoyable ‘they’re brewing today’ ways. Sweet, grainy flavor on medium body, with minimal bitterness. Leans sweet, more like artisanal spent-grain bread than malt beverage.”

“Toffee-toasty fireworks in the nose and mouth. Pleasant, well-integrated aroma—light caramel, a bit of nutty toasted malt, and some fresh wort, with light herbal hops. Bright sweetness is grounded by a shadow of molasses. It’s not as clean or crisp as my memories of Bavaria, but it does seem well-matched for a cool fall evening.”

**Aroma:** “Wow—really heavy on the strawberry, grapefruit, peach, banana, and melon, creating a nice balance between the fruit esters and spicy phenolics. Good wheat malt, mineral background, and lots of candy. Mild herbal hops nose.” **Flavor:** “The wheat flavor in this one is soft, with a smooth creamy body and light carbonation. Crisp hops bitterness without being dominant that provides balance and character. Moderately sweet banana esters, but the phenol is less pronounced. The finish is dry, with a touch of light bitterness. The style is Germanic, but not excessively so.” **Overall:** “Awesome Bavarian yeast aromatics, nice hops bitterness, and some really fun caramelly malt, but the aromas were pretty muted overall. It’s a good fruity hefe, with a lingering wheat and fruit aftertaste I loved. Nicely balanced and refreshing, but mildly flavored.”