Summit Oktoberfest

Brewed by Summit Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Dark copper color with a white foamy head. A full flavor of sweet fruity esters. The body is full and well-rounded, with a nice mellow finish. My favorite Octoberfest ... one of best things about fall in the Twin Cities.

Alright hello readers of my spiels I think you may know bitter and mikeben don't go together and this is not bitter at all. It has a nice complex spicey flavor and a plesent semi sweet finish. A nice drink to have in the fall although I don't think I would buy it if it was around all year. I do like the ocassianal treat of a nice Oktoberfest and this is as good as one of my favorite compnies Hacker Pshorr's Oktoberfest.

A domestic Oktoberfest that is reminiscent of the true German varieties, such as Hacker-Pschorr. Very smooth, malty and perhaps a bit more carbinated and slightly less aromatic than its German counterparts. Brewed locally, obviously fresher than the imports that sit in warehouses too long.

On Tap. On tap this is a very satisfying, sweet and cinnamony O’fest. It is not as full as some of the Germans but it still adequately evokes autumn, pumpkin pie and the clink of big foamy steins. Re-rate autumn ’07 ON TAP- I’m not sure if they have tweaked the recipe but there is an enormous amount of flavor in this beer. Lots of bock-like rich maltiness with noticeable hop. Layers of sweet malt. Aside from the Kaiser (which is an O-Fest of a different kind) this may be my #1 of the style.

When the sheves have been brought and autumnal colours dance upon the chilly winds of a changing season, nothing warms the soul and hurls the mind to reflection like a pleasant oktoberfest. This offering by Summit, amber and sweet in a symphony of malt, smooth and clean on the palate and mellow to the spirit, brings aparitions and days of yore close to the heart. This beverage transends the oktoberfest style well beyond all other attempts at complexity. Like a blanket of freshly fallen leaves upon a drowsy earth, I find it very well received.

Clear, pale orange color, adorned with a fine, creamy head. Aroma, strong and sweet, herbal, spicy, even. Quite a noseful, and far more forward than others of this style. In many ways, this one deviates from the norm. Flavor is rich and lively, alert and potent on the palate. Exceptionally malty, (not a peep from hops, the grain's in command this time), this is a Marzen that goes a bit beyond the usual, in terms of strength and flavor. Toasty, tasty, this is the autumnal treat in the Twin Towns!

Dull rusty color with a small, densely firm cap of dark ivory sits slim. Lace sticks in big strings and globs. Aroma is sweet and malty with a lovely caramel breading and candied melon granola bar coating. Taste is sweet with a moderately low set tang of bready dough that has a bit of brown sugar base and light cinnamon touch to it. Unravels across the palate quite nicely with its sweetness. Quite big with long lasting bready and caramel coated goodness. Very slight tint of roasted/toasted grain and light hop notes adding a bit of low grassy spice. Feel is big, sweet, bready, smooth, and rich with a fairly heavy set tone and body. Malts do there thing here in a solid fashion of balanced sweetness and sticky bread doughy smack. A big O-fest thats taken a turn for the better over the last couple of years. Thank goodness. Its a keeper to have around. And watch out, its a sneaker, it warms ya up pretty fast too.

On tap @ "Summit Brewing Company" Copper colour with a white head. The aroma is somewhat malty with a hint of hops. The body seems full with lots of complexe maltyness and a slightly hidden hop backbone. This is right to style BJCP - 3B.