Foothills Oktoberfest

Brewed by Foothills Brewing
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA

Rich and malty with a slight hoppiness in the finish, this is a fine example of the style. Clear amber with a subdued carbonation, this is a brew with a firm hand, but emminent drinkability. Nicely balanced with a long malty finish. Hops lend a mild spiciness to the aftertaste. Another winner from Foothills!

From notes 10/17/05: Pours a rich dark amber color with a frothy light tan head. Reduces to a thin cap. Laces in one continuous thin sheet. Aromas are thick with caramel malts. Chewy toffee. A subtle note of hoppiness to the nose. Flavors coat the palate with molten caramel and teeth-sticking toffee. Hoppiness is rather subdued here; malts win out big time. Full mouthfeel. Drinkable for autumn...even if the temp has been in the 70s and 80s around here.

Draft at the Piedmont Ale House in Burlington, NC. They told me it had just arrived, so I’m assuming this is the 2007 version of this seasonal. Clear copper under a 1 finger off white head, but with good lace. Malt based aroma of caramel with some subtle spice. Medium body with a pleasant rich chewiness, and without the stickiness often seen with this tyle. Although the flavors are typical of an Oktoberfest with a malty sweetness, this does not linger, and some welcome dryness comes on courtesy of some spicy bitterness. I thought this was actually quite good, avoiding the pitfalls often seen with this style.

Pours a fairly dark amber color with a thick tan head. Expected rich malty aroma with hints of apple and toffee. Interesting flavor. Tastes slightly bigger than other Oktoberfests I’ve had. Lots of sweet malt, dark fruits and oddly enough maybe a slight chocolatey/caramel finish. Light bitterness at the finish rounds this one out. I’ve gotten sort of bored with O-fests but this one was unique enough that I enjoyed drinking an entire growler.

On tap at the Microfestivus ’07... Mahogany pour with a small off-white settling cap. The nose is of baby powder and malts, with a touch of earth. Caramel, coffee and a touch of esters play nicely on the tongue. This has a nice bold bitter finish that lasts nicely. The body is round, but the mouthfeel is a bit dull (only real downside). Feels complex enough for fall weather, without being a burden to the palate. Nice Märzen.

Sampler @ Foothills: Beautiful orange pour with a bubbly white head. Nice bready malt, some toasted caramel. What you would expect for this style. Nice nutty flavor, smooth malts in finish, bit of caramel, bit nutty. Nice overall but not the absolute favorite one of this style I have ever had.

On draft at the brewpub; poured an orange color with a creamy off white head with some lacing. Flavor was good for the style, with a noticable hop presence. A nice caramel malt presence finished off with some spiciness/bitterness. Good for the style.

pours dark amber with spotty lacing. rich tasting malts and mild hop count. bit of caramel tasting. Also has a slight nutty taste