Kulmbacher Mönchshof Festbier

Draft. Sampled this brew at the Tap Room in the Fishtown area of Philadelphia. Pours clear orange with a thin, white head. Aroma of hay, sugar, spice, and citrus. Weak body with a clean finish. Average.

On tap at the 2009 Huber Haus Oktoberfest. This is touted to be the first time that this beer is served at the Huber Haus according to the Owner of the bar. I was at the festival last year and did not see this beer (attention theisti). Dark golden color with a medium frothy white head. This has a biot more graininess to the aroma, and a slight biscuit scent. Malt sweetness is present, but lighter than many of the fest beers of this ilk. Again, the finishing palate of the Monchshof beers is just slightly on the harsh side for me. Good beer, though.

Deep gold. Bright. Big diacetyl bomb nose. Sweet palate, some caramelly note and earthy hops. Diacetyl in the background, though.

(Tap) I had the pleasure of trying this beer on tap for my 1000th rating at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL. Pours a tawny golden color with a good amount of fluffy white head. Aroma of grains and biscuit. Taste is quite dry, with sweet grass and light grains. Light hopping eliminates the sweet light caramel notes for a dry and refreshing finish. Palate a little on the light side for the style. Still very drinkable, which is exactly what a good Festbier should be.

A full-bodied Festbier with appealing malt that is lasting but not cloying.

For those that prefer a kolsch over a pils this is the fest beer for you. This poured a nice gold color with a medium white head. Aroma is faintly sweet some bread with some grass. Taste is light very mildly sweet with a dry finish. The dry finish I found somewhat unusual in a fest beer but a quality I liked very much making this distinctive and very drinkable.

14 oz draft outdoors at the Oktoberfest outside of Huber Haus in Omaha, Nebraska. I am the 8th rating right now, I really had no idea I was trying something rare at the time. Nice bonus. Pour is clear golden with a one inch white head that is quite lasting. Aroma is sweet malt and honey. Some faint floral grassiness behind that. Taste is mostly the sweet grassiness. The sweetness is bright, but not lingering or cloying. Palate is thin to medium. Nice level of carbonation, drinkable and certainly inoffensive. I only had time for one before the drive home, though I could see this as a very quaffable beer for the festival. Fun event, by the way!

(Bottle 50 cl) Clear, pilsener golden with a dense, white head. Clean, sweetish malt aroma. Quite full-bodied with a solid, clean and sweetish malt base with the bitterness being pretty much absent. Solid, German quality. 101207