City Festbier

Brewed by City Brewery (Melanie Brewing Co)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
La Crosse, Wisconsin USA

Overly sweet malty body not very well balanced with the hops. A typical attempt at duplicating a traditional style, but going too far. I suppose it’s better to have too much than too little, but it makes this beer more difficult to drink. Overall, it’s not that bad, but I drank it inbetween having two of its better German competitors.

Take a good german Oktoberfest and add a can of light beer. That’s about it. Nothing to objectionable just not all that a oktoberfect needs to be.

12 oz bottle from the Woodmans on Gammon Road, Madison WI (October 2006) sampled in early November from a pint glass a bit below cellar temperature. Quite clear dark amber with a moderate receding almost-white head....pleasant enough malty-doughy sweetish aroma, a touch smoky and toasty on the second nosing....sugary, thin and fairly dull on the palate, a bit like caramelized flat watery soda but not really unpleasant tasting....difficult to finish the bottle as it’s cloying in it’s sweetness despite the watery thinness.

I have had this a few times in the last few years. I thought I had rated, but I am just now getting to it. The body is a dark orange and gold with a white head. There is a fair amount of lacing in the glass. The aroma is light leaves and some earthy wood. There is also caramel and some The taste is dirt and some light caramel. Finishes with some sharp bitterness of orange peels. I was surprised by the character of bitterness, especially for the style.

Poured a clear copper color with a thin off-white head. Swwet caramel malty aroma. The flavor had more caramel but was a little light and some tartness on the finish.

Picked up a six-pack of 12-oz aluminum cans at Festival Foods in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Pours a clear light copper brew with a thick creamy white head that quickly dissipates to a thin white film top with some spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, grassy hops, and a touch of toffee. Taste is sweet, medium bodied, and some light carbonation with flavors of sweet caramel malt, a touch of marshmallow and wintergreen. Finish is mostly sweetened caramel with a touch of candi sugar and grassy hops after the finish. It’s interesting.

Bottle. Poured a clear, sparkly lighter golden with a short layer of white head. Aroma of stale flowers, sweet caramel, leaves, and some autumn-type spices. Lighter-bodied with a caramel base and some spicy, slightly bitter floral hops. Tasted pretty good, but had a fairly medicinal feel around the edges and at the finish (finish also carried through the caramel and some spicage). Not too impressed with this one, but it was certainly drinkable.

Courtesy of Skyview. Light copper color with a medium head. Slighly soaked grain aroma, a bit of cardboard and old hops. Astringent, weak grain flavor. Rotten corn. Sweet caramel. Some kind of bizzare marshmallow thing going on.