Pennichuck The Big O Oktoberfest Lager

Brewed by Pennichuck Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Milford, New Hampshire USA

22oz bomber courtesy of MrRetardedMonkey poured into a pint glass. Deep, deep reddish amber color that shows completely clear when held up to light. The one-finger tan head recedes slowly and leaves a thin ring and sparse lacing. Smell is dominated by sweet caramel malts and some lighter fruits with slightly toasted character throughout. There is only the faintest hint of hops in the nose. The taste has a larger hop profile than the aroma would indicate with some earthy hops up front before the massive sweet caramel malt backbone takes over. The finish is slightly dry with the toasted grain profile. The mouthfeel is excellent and has a fuller body than any Oktoberfest I can recall trying. The carbonation is good and this goes down super smooth. I am not a big fan of this style, but I have to say I’m extremely impressed with this offering. It’s my first from Pennichuck so I will be seeking more of their brews out.

<i>Bottled at Akkurat, Stockholm. </i> Clear copper colour, fair sized head. Light cinnamon aroma. Sweet with plenty of chewy caramelly malt. There’s dough and crystalized sugar, wide and deep in malt character. Finishes with low bitterness. One of the very best malt characters I have come across from Oktoberfest beers from across the pond!

Pours clear orange-amber with an off-white head. Lightly sweet caramel, hay, nut and citrus nose. The taste has all the same notes with a nutty quality as well. A bit of spice shows up in the finish. A nice, well-rounded Marzen - one of my favorites.

Enjoyable oktoberfest. A nice amber body with a slightly bone head that had nice lacing. Mostly sweet caramel notes on the aroma with mild bread notes. Flavor was similar with a very crisp finish.

A solid pour produces an almost three-finger thick, tan stained, cream colored head. The beer is a clear, cranberry red color that shows a bright copper / red color when held up to the light. The aroma has quite a bit of fruitiness to it; it is very berry like and there is also a significant, toasty grain / malt character here. Aromas of caramel glazed, whole grain crackers, as well as a whole grain bread note are noticeable underneath the expressive fruitiness. Really though this beer’s nose is all about the sweet fruitiness, it is interesting in an Oktoberfest, but can almost be a bit much at times.

Up front this beer is not nearly as sweet as the aroma might have suggested, but there is a definite malt sweetness to this brew. It has a medium heft to it that doesn’t keep it from being fairly drinkable, but definitely has some palate presence. The beer is actually quite hoppy (I think much of the fruity aromatic notes come from this as well as the malt) and there are flavors of fresh cut herbs, a touch of pine, a touch of spicy hops and some fruity-berry like notes. Cracker like grain and toasted-bread malt flavors play second string to the more dominant hop flavors and the sweet malt, though they still play a role here (this isn’t an IPA by any stretch either).

Quite hoppy for a Oktoberfest and it is definitely bigger in malt character than is typical. I also wouldn’t mind a bit less chewiness in the body as that makes it a little less than the ideal quaffable-drink that an Oktoberfest should be. This is a tasty beer though, just not exactly what I was expecting based on the style designation.

22 oz bottle courtesy of mcox90. Pour is clear brown, orange - golden with a nice off white head. Aroma of bready malt, grassy straw earthiness, and a bit of a pepper element. Taste is clean, with sweet bread maltiness and the grassy straw from the nose. Palate is medium; satisfying and very drinkable. This was a nice one, thanks Michael!

Dark amber brown with some head. Aroma of malts as spices. Some earthy spices and some cloves and moss. Tate is earthy with some yeasty bread. Pretty good flavor with alcohol present and not hidden.

Malty bread aroma. Dark orange color with a small tan head. Beginning sweet with a light amount of cinnamon. Good palate.