Dogwood Octoberfest

Formerly brewed at Dogwood Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Atlanta, Georgia USA

A nutty, caramel aroma and a pleasing malty taste. Not too heavy, but it did have a "gummy" aftertaste. A little too hoppy for the style, but still smoother than their ale varieties.

12 oz bottle, goblet. Large, frothy, creamy head is white and diminishes slowly. The body is a hazy orange-peach color with little visible carbonation. Nurtty, caramel malt (mod); flowery hops (mod); corriander and date aromas. The aroma is very nutty and spicy; it reminds me of a brown ale. Moderately sweet, lightly bitter flavor becomes a lightly sweet, moderately bitter, lightly acidic finish. Lingering, bitter, nutty flavor. Medium body, watery texture, soft carbonation. The bottom line is: yeah it's hoppy for an O'fest so...think of it as a malty pilsner.

Metallic nose. Overhopped for the style. Super-bitter back end. Slightly acidic. A very confused lager .

I was surprised at its color upon pouring it. Expected something a little darker than a faint amber. There was a slight haze present (served at 55 degrees). It had a nice white head that quickly died. The faint hop aroma was way overpowered by a yeasty fruity smell. Bitter tasting without any good hop flavors. No maltiness to reward me for trying to drink this. The acidic taste and lack of any good flavors led me to the conclusion that I had opened a bad bottle of beer. Sadness

Appearance, palate, and aroma are par for the course, if lacking in the trace of spices I like in a good Oktoberfest. The bane of this beer is, say it with me, HOPS. Not nearly enough malt in this beer to balance the overdone hops. Oktoberfests simply should not have this much hop character, and the problem is widespread if all the recent Oktoberfests I’ve tried have been any indication. This beer is average, at best.

Rerate 10-5-2003: The change in the beer this year is surprising. The hops went wat down, from overpowering the lager to being barely noticeable (which from my tasting experience is where they belong in an Oktoberfest or Marzen). The malt is huge here, a bit nutty, good caramel. This is a tasty and drinkable Oktoberfest this time instead of the overhopped beer I wasn't too fond of last year. 9-16-2002: I wasn't impressed with Dogwood's interpretation of an Octoberfest. There was some of the standard maltiness of the style, but was unbalanced by an overabundance of hops that does not belong in an Octoberfest.

light amber brew with a malty nose. Body a little light with a faint malt finish.

ReRate: Gave this another try and actually quite liked it. It has a somewhat spicy hoppiness to it that lingers throughout each taste. Not similar to any other Oktoberfest I have tried but quite pleasant.
</br> 3/4/02-Too bitter for me. I think that I'll stick with Sam Adams' Oktoberfest.