Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Munich, Germany

Coppery color. Yeasty, rustic smell. Balanced, creamy, and soft. Slightly sweet and malty aftertaste but totally smooth and good: easy to drink. Aroma might be its most interesting feature.

On tap at Redlefsen’s in Bristol RI on their Ocktoberfest night. Medium amber body. Head pours big but doesn’t last long. Caramel malty aroma. Caramel malty taste with mild hoppiness. Not too bad but nothing really stands out either.

Amber in color. This medium bodied beer has achieved its impeccable taste by balancing the roasted malt flavor with the perfect amount of hops. Having a rich textured palate with an underlying sweetness true to tradition.

12 bottle poured in a glass. This Spaten pours a golden orange with a thin head that leaves soapy lacing. It has has the delightful German beer smell that brings back a flood of fond memories. It has an oily body and grassy flavor. The malts are nicely balanced and there is a hint of sweetness to keep the whole thing interesting. This is a great beer that is easy to drink, full of flavor and is a good example of what a determined German Biermeister can accomplish.

Draft. Pours a darker amber w/a small amount of head. Tastes lightly hoppy, maybe a little thin for my tastes, got the characteristic Spaten grasssines though.

12oz green bottle from Tiger Town in Gardiner. Pours translucent amber-red with a slight chill haze and almost no head. Smells like toffee and leafy European hops. Tastes malty, with a toasty toffee character and continental hops playing a supporting role. Not overpowering. Very well balanced, delicate full flavor. Medium somewhat creamy body with a fair bit of carbonation. I am impressed. My expectations were not high but this is one of the better octoberfestbiers I’ve had. Not as rich as Ayinger or Paulaner, this one is still a really solid and easy to find choice. Very drinkable. I could easily polish off a sixer of this without thinking twice. A new favorite!

12oz. Delightfully German. This really brought me back to the time I lived in Germany. Clear amber pour, with a fleeting head. Moderate carbonation with a very distinctly german, maerzen malt combined with a sweetness that is hard to describe, slight notes of apple on the finish. Probably not the easiest to drink liters of, but this really is a nostalgic oktoberfest brew for me. makes me think of impeding weihnachtsmärkt mit glühwein.

Draught. Nice dark amber color. Light head. A slight caramel aroma. Taste has a little hoppiness. Not much else going on. Nice to drink but not great.