Kaufbeuren Oktoberfest

Brewed by Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Kaufbeuren, Schwaben/Bayern, Germany

At last I get a go at a really fine Aktienbraruei production - their interpreation on the festive Oktoberfest. A mottled white head develops atop the gold beer, seemingly supported by two curved columns of bubbles. The aroma sneaks through the pocked crust to deliver a light, sweet and creamy smell. Lemon, angel food cake, coconut, spongecake, orange liqueur and unripe pineapple give this Oktoberfest a cheery exuberance and depth heretofore unseen in this style. On the whole, the flavor is less sweet and sugary, but replete with delicate sophistry. Smooth, thick and creamy, this beer delivers a light graininess to the tongue, absent any lager bitterness. It also has enough sugar to please but not enough to buzz. Neutral, like Switzerland, but also like Switzerland, awesome. Amidst this zen simplicity there are light flashes of pineapple flavoring and the taste of caramelized foods (Maillard) like caramelized onions. Quite delicious, and so far, my favorite in the Oktoberfest and Aktienbrauerei family.

Not a huge fan of most fest beers I find in my area but this was really good. It was not overly bitter and had a very nice hop aroma. This was a very well balanced fest beer that I could honestly drink day after day.

500 ml bottle from Hollingshead; Nose is grassy with caramel, and light lemon and vanilla notes; translucent yellow with a medium white head; flavor has pepperiness, graininess, a vanilla hint, and a tiny bit of bitterness. Quite a bit of nuances for a clear yellow beer.

In the 0.5L bottle from Total Beverage, Denver. Pours a very light golden yellow with a medium to thick white head. Incredible freshly-mown straw aroma. Delicious bready malt flavor, but not strong or overpowering. Mild enough for maß consumption, so that’s pretty much my benchmark in a fest bier: has flavor, but not so much that you can’t pound it.

Had this beer on 10/13/2007. Aroma is a very faint malt scent. Color is a bright gold with mild carbonation and a thick tight head. Taste is creamy and sweet. Starting with a medium body it goes down with a creamy feel. Finish is a sweet malt flavor backed by a mild bitter bite on the end. Its a nice mild Märzen.

bottle. golden with orange hue. carbonated to almost no head. aroma is grainy, sour lemon, malts and spice. smooth and crisp. light flavored. easy drinking but nothing to come back to.

Bottle from State Line. Dark straw in color, with aroma of caramel malt, hops, slight toffee and brown sugar. MEdium palate with flavors of caramelly grainy malt, brown sugar, some spicy floral notes, and some backup lemongrassy hops.

Pretty good Oktoberfest. Light in color, golden and translucent in the glass. Crisp spicy hop aroma. Sweet malty taste, perfect subtle finish. Super filtered, but still has a pleasant body. Well done.