Thomas Hooker Octoberfest

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

"Thanks to eagle for this one. Poured a nice copper color head was okay. Aroma was caramel malts and slight hops. Flave was nutty and spices. Mouthfeel was a little thin but still a good beer."

Foamtastic copper bodied O-Fest that’s balance is tilted to bitterness. Crisp, not overly sweet beer that has too many names on the label.

This Marzen pours a deep amber color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is caramel malts, a little floral and a touch buttery. A medium bodied Marzen. Malts are caramel and toffee. Hops are spicy and slightly earthy. Nice carbonation. Starts way sweet and finishes with a crisp dry earthy finish. Interesting beer, it has lots of flavors for an Octoberfest/Marzen, and perhaps a touch sweet at the finish, but a very drinkable beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is crisp and dr. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Pours with a well endowed, frothy, amber-tan colored head that sits atop a rich ruby colored brew. The aroma has a light malt sweetness to it plus a nice, dry, not quite toasted malt note that is perhaps most reminiscent of crackers. I also get some aromatic hints of raisins, and a bit of spiciness up front, which I would attribute to the hops.

This has a medium palate to it, which I really like in an Oktoberfest. I want a Pils to be light and refreshing not one of these. There is a light sweetness here that makes me think of raisins and caramelized stewed-malt. There is a nice spiciness to this brew from beginning to end, it is not in your face noticeable, but it is appreciatively apparent, and adds a nice backdrop to the malt character. The beer finishes with a bit of a sharp hop bit, but then it is balanced by the soft, almost fruity, sweet malt character.

This is a nice example of an Oktoberfest. It is just light enough to be quite drinkable, but is full of flavor (in both the malt and hop department), yet not so much that you get distracted by it.

Trade, can not recall, sorry. pour was amber, nose was roasted and a bit of caramel. There is an off after taste, maybe it is me, but it started good, and finished not quite right.

Bottle in trade, I didn’t write the name on the back, so now I don’t mnow who it’s from. Sorry. Hazy amber/medium brown with significany tan head. Aroma is very sweet up front full off caramel malt and roastiness. Flavor has tons of sweet caramel malt, but also has a very metallic finish, subtracts quite a bit from the score.

Bottle. Pours a darker amber with a very nice head. Fruit and malt on the nose with some minimal hops. A little thin for the style I thought, toffee sweetness predominant. Thanks to goldtwins for the bottle.

Bottle via trade with goldtwins. Pours a dark copper color with a big ivory colored head. Yeasty and malty aroma- slight tinge of sulfur. Flavor is malty with tons of toffee notes. Also nuts, raisins and a bit of licorice. Slightly diacetyl but it seems to meld well with the other flavors. I don’t know why this is so poorly rated- what a good beer!