Shiner 96 Marzen

Formerly brewed at Spoetzl Brewery (Gambrinus Company)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Shiner, Texas USA

Date: May 25, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: hazy amber, fine white head
Aroma: sweet munich malt aroma with earthy hops
Body: medium body
Flavor: rich malt flavor, nice caramel sweetness balanced by light earthy bitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

(12oz bottle) Medium off-white head atop a clear amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, cookie. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, some cookie, light metallic. Light-medium body, light acidity. Not bad, but lacks the characteristics of what I think of as a marzen.

Bottle... Clear, golden lager with a small, creamy, off-white head. Excellent retention. The malty nose is full of butter and caramel. Well-balanced flavor is mostly bland with just a hint of caramel carrying over from the aroma. Medium-bodied with a watery mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Crisp, lightly bitter finish.

Pours gold with a thin white head. Smells of citrus and malt liquor. Taste is extremely metallic with some mellowing orange notes, mainly a zest that reminds me of cleaner with some pine sol thrown in. Watery and plain.

Not a bad beer from Shiner, easily their best - but stylewise it’s not a great marzen. Good, but not great. Appearance is clear light copper hued with a perfect white head. Smells a bit grainy, some festive corn or hay with some brown sugar scents... a bit sour in the nose and on the tongue but I expect a little bit of that. Flavor is a bit light, some honey, grains, hay, light corn. Not bad, but there’s a bit of a sour, skunky flavor even in brand new bottles, so that’s where this beer suffers.

Bronze color with a moderate, mostly diminishing, somewhat fizzy beige colored head. Aromas of caramel, dry malt, sulfur, mild floral and light fruit aromas. Not very clean and toasty for an marzen. Although it does say marzen-style ale? My history is likely off, but aren’t marzens, lagers that are made in March and stored and cellared until the fall. So was this an ale made and march and aged until now? Fairly thin and spritzy in feel. Mild toffee and somewhat nutty in flavor. Really not to bad, but the thinness in body make this a nutty amber ale.

Bottle. Pours a clear dark amber with a large frothy white head that is lasting. Average wheat malt aroma. Medium body. Moderate bitter light sweet flavor with a small bitter finish of average duration. Below average but interseting brew.

Head is initially small, fizzy, off-white, fully diminishing. Body is clear light amber. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), lightly hoppy (apricot). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, slightly husky. Light to medium body, watery texture, fizzy carbonation. Wow, is this ever watery, fizzy, and dull. Smells/tastes artificial. Yikes. Drain pour...not in a repulsive way, just...this is like...imitation beer.