Oktoberfest Beers, Festbiers and Pumpkin Ales (2 Viewers)

[Ministry of Pain]

While we prefer to focus on Oktoberfest, there also is the reality that pumpkin' beers tie in to the fall festivals even though not traditional with Oktoberfest
This is really a September festival in Germany but here in the States we're a little slow to catch on and I see active parties coming in the actual month of October, so be it

-Sailfish - Pt St Lucie, FL - "Oktoberfest" - German Style-Marzen Lager, 6.0% ABV and that's about the right mark across the board, most of the beers I like from this genre hit that percentage
It's a local beer here in Florida, comes out the PSL area North of Palm Beach and South of Vero
Not a huge fan of the brewery but this entry hits all the right notes, very fresh vibe due its home base. Has that caramelized taste you want without being overwhelming
I don't know that it's my all time fav, in fact I have another beer I like better but the style of many of the ones I am gonna discuss,
They are in that Marzen-Lager area, don't enjoy IPAs much these days, this is an easy genre to like and get behind especially with the NFL kickoff/early season and then flows into Halloween

-Paulaner "Oktoberfest Marzen" this is distributed by bottle in a 6-pack for about $13...there is 4-pack tall boys but its a different beer which I'll discuss later in another post, this is strictly the bottle.
Brewed in Germany so it's not going to be as fresh as things you might find in the U.S. or locally wherever you might be. That said, I think this is a very enjoyable and drinkable beer, sometimes I pour it out into a glass, other times I just sip 'em from the bottle, it all works with this one. If this is priced more than $10-$15 in your area, they're ripping you off.

-Gave up on the beer store with the drive thru, found out my partner had not paid taxes for many years with the IRS, had to let that go

What Oktoberfest beers you got for us?

 

[Joe Schmo]

Sorry to hear about your misadventure with the beer drive-thru but happy you didn't sit on the sidelines and let the opportunity get away.

Hacker-Pschorr- Bavarian brewery that created the marzen style, has a great malt front and finish. One of six breweries allowed to serve this style at Oktoberfest in Germany.

Ayinger- Dark amber, light head (tee-hee) but a nice toasty malt taste with a touch of hops for mouth flavor and feel. Really good super cold, imo.

As to a local fave, Oliver Brewing's I Wish I was in Munich is a nice one. Malty sweet and a touch bready brings a good balance, imo.

 

[Northern Voice]

My brewery released it's Pumpkin Spice IPA (I know...but it sells incredibly well) about three weeks ago and we're doing our Oktoberfest (Bobtoberfest) event tomorrow.

Live music all day, German dance lessons and performances, outdoor beer garden, Oktoberfest sausages, etc...

I'll half dox myself I guess, https://www.instagram.com/bobcaygeonbeer/?hl=en

 

[Ilov80s]

Unforutantely not styles of beer I really enjoy

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Tampa Bay Brewing Company -TBBC "Gourds Gone Wild"
-This pumpkin ale always finds it s way into my fridge, little on the sweet side to me, my son and his friends absolutely love it
Florida Fall Classic I would say at this point, several editions over the years, formula never changes or tastes any different that I notice
Not a hug fan of this genre but I do like the taste of this pumpkin beer, usually just 1 tall boy does the trick, 4-pack will last several weeks thru Oct and Halloween

 

[AAABatteries]

Pipeworks Oktoberfest is great.

 

[AAABatteries]

One of my favorite seasonal beers is New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin

 

[FarFromHome]

If this thread is about pumpkin beer Ive never had it, but it sounds good.

If this thread is about Octoberfest in Germany, Ive been to two. I still have my killer stein I drank during both and it was the first time I seen someone dancing naked on a giant table. Total blasphemy comes to mind. Ha ha

 

[Godsbrother]

Great Lakes (Cleveland) has a great Oktoberfest though I’m not sure if it makes it down to Florida.

Spaten Oktoberfest is very good and shoukd be available.

I had an Oktoberfest from Bell’s that I thought was not bad.

ETA: if you get 3 Floyd’s their Munsterfest is very good

 

[Zow]

Owners change awhile back and I've stepped out of the beer scene for the last few years, but my old time favorite is Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter. And I don't generally like pumpkin flavored things or porters (I'm an IPA and sour guy).

Spaten Oktoberfest is also very good.

 

[jwb]

I'm about as big a "have you tried the local <whatever>" beer nerd there is, but when it comes to fall/winter beers, Sam Adams never disappoints. Year after year, their Oktoberfest and Winter Lager are always great.

 

[HellToupee]

Love Marzens
1-Hacker Pschorr
2-Spaten
3-Sam Adam’s Octoberfest
4-Paulener
5-Ayinger
Honorable mention - Tap Brewing Marzen Scorseze -an average Oktoberfest but great name

 

[AAABatteries]

Couple others I enjoy:

• Elysian Night Owl
• Ayinger Privatbrauerei

 

[HellToupee]

I'm about as big a "have you tried the local <whatever>" beer nerd there is, but when it comes to fall/winter beers, Sam Adams never disappoints. Year after year, their Oktoberfest and Winter Lager are always great.

Their Octoberfest is really good. Not a fan of their Boston Lager but if nothing jumps out on a menu any Sam varietal is a safe choice

 

[Drunken knight]

To add to the Germans:

Erdinger
Augustiner
German lowenbrau

Like Gordon biersch marzen

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

 

[HellToupee]

need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Total wine has it at least the one I go to does

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Paulaner "Oktoberfest Bier" 6.0% ABV -These come in 4-packs of tall boy cans and should be no more than $10
-For just an easy drinking lager/marzen, this is the cheapest way to have a nice tall glass of German/Euro Oktoberfest
There's better tasting beers but you won't go wrong drinking down 2 or 3 of these while you're watching the games on Sat/Sunday

I like the bottles a little better and it's a slightly different beer but these cans come in handy, can take them to the beach/parks as well

 

[Ministry of Pain]

need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Total wine has it at least the one I go to does

I went there and that's where I initially got a lot of these, had them for weeks and meant to fire up a thread about them
I figured I might have been early, I might revisit in the next few days.
Publix is carrying the Sailfish one I posted, easy to grab.

 

[HellToupee]

Was in Publix yesterday and was looking for Sam A Octoberfest but they were out. Picked up Yuengling Oktoberfest. It tastes like Yuengling marzen style, it’s a better version of Yuengling and drinkable but not a top in this class

 

[HellToupee]

need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Total wine has it at least the one I go to does

I went there and that's where I initially got a lot of these, had them for weeks and meant to fire up a thread about them
I figured I might have been early, I might revisit in the next few days.
Publix is carrying the Sailfish one I posted, easy to grab.

Costco had cases of a cases Hacker , Paulener , Sam German variety pack

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I keep forgetting to post what I think is the best one I've had this season
Stortebeker Brewery is in Germany and they did a COLLAB with a very popular craft beer, one of the original from my memories of the 90s

Sierra Nevada "Oktoberfest Festbier" Limited Collab Edition w/Stortebeker 6% ABV IBU 32
-Captures the taste of what you are craving when you open a can of these marzen-lagers, Sierra not known as a big lager brewery to me, more pale ale and IPAs but this hits the bullseye
No doubt the collab works with another brewery from Germany that might have supplied the recipe, perhaps some of the hops as well, who knows?
If you see it, just grab it. Make sure it's the collab edition, there might be another type of festival beer floating around from them
I find this one at Fresh Market $13-$15 6-pack, not cheap

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Was in Publix yesterday and was looking for Sam A Octoberfest but they were out. Picked up Yuengling Oktoberfest. It tastes like Yuengling marzen style, it’s a better version of Yuengling and drinkable but not a top in this class

I am not a huge Sam Adams Oktoberfest fan, my son loves that beer and I typically will partake when I visit him somewhere between now and Halloween
It's tradition and it's not like I hate the beer, just usually find other stuff I like better.
Very reliable taste, much better than a regular Sam Adams lager

 

[Ron Swanson]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

 

[Ilov80s]

If this thread is about pumpkin beer Ive never had it, but it sounds good.

It's usually not IMO. I can have maybe 1 during the whole season and feel more than satisfied for the year.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

Thank you for the correction, Sierra Nevada threw a nice curveball by using both on their release

 

[AAABatteries]

I keep forgetting to post wha I think is the best one I've had this season
Stortebeker Brewery is in Germany and they did a COLLAB with a very popular and one of the original craft beers from my memories of the 90s

Sierra Nevada "Oktoberfest Festbier" Limited Collab Edition w/Stortebeker 6% ABV IBU 32
-Captures the taste of what you are craving when you open a can of these marzen-lagers, Sierra not known as a big lager brewery to me, more pale ale and IPAs but this hits the bullseye
No doubt the collab works with another brewery from Germany that might have supplied the recipe, perhaps some of the hops as well, who knows?
If you see it, just grab it. Make sure it's the collab edition, there might be another type of festival beer floating around from them
I find this one at Fresh Market $13-$15 6-pack, not cheap

This one is really good - had a 6-pk a few weeks ago and it’s gone.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

If this thread is about pumpkin beer Ive never had it, but it sounds good.

It's usually not IMO. I can have maybe 1 during the whole season and feel more than satisfied for the year.

Always want to have one on Halloween or the weekend of as a celebration but yeah i don't seek them out
Shipyard sells a very popular pumpkin beer, Dogfish Head does the same thing, not a big fan of either

 

[AAABatteries]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

A really well done Dunkel is my favorite style that would fall under the umbrella of Oktoberfest beers. But for some reason I find it harder to get good ones than Marzen and Festbiers.

Anybody got some recommendations for Dunkels?

 

[AAABatteries]

If this thread is about pumpkin beer Ive never had it, but it sounds good.

It's usually not IMO. I can have maybe 1 during the whole season and feel more than satisfied for the year.

Always want to have one on Halloween or the weekend of as a celebration but yeah i don't seek them out
Shipyard sells a very popular pumpkin beer, Dogfish Head does the same thing, not a big fan of either

Try the Night Owl - generally I don’t care for most pumpkin beer but think that one is great.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

OK I'll be beer geek guy here, knowing its unwanted.

Oktoberfest beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich these days is really just a pale lager that has a somewhat higher abv and a little more flavor. Great beer for a festival. You pound them down by the liter like they are normal German pale lagers until it catches up with you and wake up on a bench in the train station wondering where your friends are (personal experience.)

Most American Oktoberfest beers are based on the German Marzen style, which is an amber/reddish lager beer that has some sweetness and a big more mouthfeel.

For me, these have nothing to do with Pumpkin beers or other spiced beers, other than generally being released around the same time, associate with the fall.

I did a personal blind taste test years ago one day - my wife assisted by pouring the beers into small numbered glasses while I was watching a football game. I can't remember all the contestants but the winner was Great Lakes. I've got no use whatsoever for spiced beers of any kind.

 

[Drunken knight]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

A really well done Dunkel is my favorite style that would fall under the umbrella of Oktoberfest beers. But for some reason I find it harder to get good ones than Marzen and Festbiers.

Anybody got some recommendations for Dunkels?

I prefer dunlekel Weisse to the dunkel lagers (still like them though)

Fransiskaner is up there for me

 

[Ministry of Pain]

OK I'll be beer geek guy here, knowing its unwanted.

Oktoberfest beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich these days is really just a pale lager that has a somewhat higher abv and a little more flavor. Great beer for a festival. You pound them down by the liter like they are normal German pale lagers until it catches up with you and wake up on a bench in the train station wondering where your friends are (personal experience.)

Most American Oktoberfest beers are based on the German Marzen style, which is an amber/reddish lager beer that has some sweetness and a big more mouthfeel.

For me, these have nothing to do with Pumpkin beers or other spiced beers, other than generally being released around the same time, associate with the fall.

I did a personal blind taste test years ago one day - my wife assisted by pouring the beers into small numbered glasses while I was watching a football game. I can't remember all the contestants but the winner was Great Lakes. I've got no use whatsoever for spiced beers of any kind.

Eredita "Festbier" 4.8% ABV, Twelve Percent Project is spitting this out, they make beers for other outfits like Fat Orange Cat, comes out of New Haven, CT
-Long story short, didn't care for this at all. Would not waste your money on a 4-pack of this, tasted closer to a Belgian-style Ale, not what I was wanting.
Wasn't cheap, maybe $17 4-pack maybe?

 

[AAABatteries]

I've got no use whatsoever for spiced beers of any kind.

Most of what I would call spiced beers are around Christmas and there’s many I like. Are you considering a Pumpkin beer a spiced beer?

 

[Desert_Power]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

A really well done Dunkel is my favorite style that would fall under the umbrella of Oktoberfest beers. But for some reason I find it harder to get good ones than Marzen and Festbiers.

Anybody got some recommendations for Dunkels?

I prefer dunlekel Weisse to the dunkel lagers (still like them though)

Fransiskaner is up there for me

That monk always looks so pleased with what he brewed, and he should be!

 

[Ilov80s]

If this thread is about pumpkin beer Ive never had it, but it sounds good.

It's usually not IMO. I can have maybe 1 during the whole season and feel more than satisfied for the year.

Always want to have one on Halloween or the weekend of as a celebration but yeah i don't seek them out
Shipyard sells a very popular pumpkin beer, Dogfish Head does the same thing, not a big fan of either

Try the Night Owl - generally I don’t care for most pumpkin beer but think that one is great.

Maybe I will give one a whirl if I see it. I used to enjoy the pumpkin beers 15ish years ago. Ichabod from New Holland and Southern Tier Pumking

 

[Navin Johnson]

Oktoberfest (Wiesn) just started today, I may try and go tomorrow night or MOnday.

Usually go to the Hacker Pschorr tent, more so for the music, but the beer is decent.
Augustiner, Hofbrau Tegernsee, are my favorites. Lowenbrau is also pretty good.

 

[The General]

Not really an Octoberfest thing but are the “fresh hop” beers a thing everywhere or is that a PNW thing? We get these in the fall at all the breweries for a few weeks. So good.

Take them over the pumpkin beers all day.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I've got no use whatsoever for spiced beers of any kind.

Most of what I would call spiced beers are around Christmas and there’s many I like. Are you considering a Pumpkin beer a spiced beer?

Yes I consider them spiced beers, understanding there may be exceptions to that. I know some breweries use actual pumpkins for some or all of the mash bill, for whatever that's worth, but I think pumpkin beers generally are going to have some combination of the classic pumpkin pie spices - cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cumin, etc.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Not really an Octoberfest thing but are the “fresh hop” beers a thing everywhere or is that a PNW thing? We get these in the fall at all the breweries for a few weeks. So good.

Take them over the pumpkin beers all day.

One of the big ones is Sierra Nevada Celebration that should be showing up on shelves soon. I used to always buy a case for me and my wife but we don't drink nearly as much beer anymore so will probably just get a six pack when I see the familiar red label this year.

Celebration IPA | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Available Oct–Dec Freshly picked hops, rushed from farm to brewery, fill Celebration IPA with powerful citrus and pine flavors. When you’re on the slopes with friends or building a backyard campfire for the fam, you need a beer as fresh as fallen snow. Pure hops, balanced with rich caramel malt...

sierranevada.com

 

[heckmanm]

Weihanstephaner "Festbier" 5.8% ABV - One of the last remaining Marzens brewed underground during the summer or so the story is told
-great right out of the bottle, definitely on the top tier of my rankings, Top 5 for what i've tasted in this genre.

I need to find the Hacker Pschorr, where are you all picking that up at?

Festbier is not a Marzen. It's much lighter and not nearly as malty. I'd never heard of it before we went to Octoberfest and I was surprised to see that it was more common than the Marzens. Usually a choice between that or a Dunkel.

If you ever get to Germany, Weihanstephan is not far from the Munish airport in Freising and well worth a visit. I believe ti si the oldest brewery in the world.

A really well done Dunkel is my favorite style that would fall under the umbrella of Oktoberfest beers. But for some reason I find it harder to get good ones than Marzen and Festbiers.

Anybody got some recommendations for Dunkels?

High Wire from Asheville and I think some regional locations too
Phase Three - Chicago burbs

 

[Ilov80s]

Not really an Octoberfest thing but are the “fresh hop” beers a thing everywhere or is that a PNW thing? We get these in the fall at all the breweries for a few weeks. So good.

Take them over the pumpkin beers all day.

Yep, Founders does a real nice Harvest Ale and my favorite is Lagunitas Born Yesterday.

 

[Ilov80s]

A well done fresh wet hop IPA might be my favorite beer style

 

[FairWarning]

The gold standard for me is Spaten Oktoberfest.

 

[heckmanm]

Domestically, New Glarus Staghorn is delicious, albeit not distributed outside Wisconsin

 

[Brew Swillis]

I LOVE Marzens. I've had some decent American ones, but by and large, they don't hold a candle to their German counterparts.

Hacker Pschorr is my favorite, followed by Paulaner. Hofbrau and Spaten are a level below. Fun fact : even though Marzens are often labeled as Oktoberfest beers here, at the actual fest in Munich, they don't sell Marzens in the tents, they sell Festbier, which is more similar to a Helles. I still haven't managed to sample an Augustiner or Lowenbrau Marzen because they don't distribute them to the US.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I LOVE Marzens. I've had some decent American ones, but by and large, they don't hold a candle to their German counterparts.

Hacker Pschorr is my favorite, followed by Paulaner. Hofbrau and Spaten are a level below. Fun fact : even though Marzens are often labeled as Oktoberfest beers here, at the actual fest in Munich, they don't sell Marzens in the tents, they sell Festbier, which is more similar to a Helles. I still haven't managed to sample an Augustiner or Lowenbrau Marzen because they don't distribute them to the US.

Paulaner "Oktoberfest Bier" 6.0% ABV -These come in 4-packs of tall boy cans and should be no more than $10
-For just an easy drinking lager/marzen, this is the cheapest way to have a nice tall glass of German/Euro Oktoberfest
There's better tasting beers but you won't go wrong drinking down 2 or 3 of these while you're watching the games on Sat/Sunday

I like the bottles a little better and it's a slightly different beer but these cans come in handy, can take them to the beach/parks as well

Agree, had the tall boy this morning with some eggs and working on some baked potatoes for the games, topping them with leftover chicken chili made yesterday, should be even better today
My kind of foods with these drinkable beers/festbiers
-Wish I had some Klements hot dogs to top with the chili but the Mrs is cracking down on my eating habits of late

 

[titusbramble]

Will touch none. Halloween is an American holiday that the rest of the world barely cares about, so anything pumpkin related can get in the sea, and genuine marzens aren't that much better than the base beer anyway, just stronger, so I'll see myself out of the thread at this stage

 

[urbanhack]

Mostly just all the local fresh Oktoberfests, and Festbiers.

 

[urbanhack]

A well done fresh wet hop IPA might be my favorite beer style

Well my friend, I think you need to come out to Portland next year at this time of year. It’s literally the epicenter of fresh hops….we fresh hop everything, but especially IPAs. The first batches start at the beginning of September and will carry on well into October.

Fresh Hop:

• West Coast IPA
• Hazy
• Pale Ale
• Pilsners
• Lagers
• Octoberfests

We’ll fresh hop your mom.