French Broad Oktoberfest Amber Lager

Brewed by French Broad Brewing Co.
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Asheville, North Carolina USA

From notes 10/6/03: Pours a nice clear auburn-copper color with a modest off-whtie head. The aromas were bready and toasty, plenty of bready malt to go around. Smelled lovely. The taste was chock full of malty caramel. Brach’s Caramel Squares. A smooth flavor that seemed to glide and slip out of the glass. A slight buttery feel to it. No hops around. This beer is wonderfully malty and smooth. A healthy mouthfeel, giving it plenty of body and weight. Very drinkable and enjoyable. A great fall seasonal that I was impressed with.

This is far from what I would call the best Asheville has to offer (even if you just look at French Broad Brewing Co.) I did enjoy this beer in season and liked its smooth feel. If you don’t like it, please don’t give up on Asheville and its breweries.

Draught at Bean and Barrel. Pours a brownish orange with a thick creamy off white head. Leaves a lace. The aroma is lightly sweet, malty,caramel, and toffee. The flavor has much more of a hop profile than I usually expect. Shows some sweetness, caramel, hop bite, more malt as it warms. Palate was waxy with a mellow carbonation.

On draught at the High Country Beer Fest, this is released under the moniker of "Zepptemberfest" (but the brewer assured that it was this offering). It pours amber into the glass, with a light head and retention. The nose is doughy. Pale malts upfront, some copper in the mid-palate (almost like an ESB, but German, not English), and a solid bitter to close the finish. Although it has a full body, the mouthfeel is definitely drinkable for such hot weather outdoors. Interesting take on the Oktoberfest, which is a style that one can easily become quickly lost in.

Copper, like a new penny, soupy white head. Mildly sweet, spicy aroma. Surprisingly hoppy flavor. Faint notes of caramel and bread, but a real hop presence throughout. A bit thin bodied, as well. Nicely drinkable, but rather mundane.

2005 Knoxville Brewer’s Jam Copper body with a fleeting white head. Slight hop aroma that is mirrored in the dry hop bite of the flavor. A bit off style, lacking a good malty backbone, but there are no real problems with this beer other than style.

On tap at Barley’s Taphouse in Asheville. Amber with white lacing. Low carbonation. very buttery taste. A smooth beer, but a little dark for a true german fest bier these days. I’m not sure how this differs from the regular FB marzen since it was not available to me.

Rich and malty, and very drinkable. Has a lot better balance than the amber. Touch of caramel and honey sweetness, and well balanced overall. Something consistent to drink when you don’t want to put a lot of thought into your beer drinking experience.