Köstritzer Oktoberfest

Brewed by Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei (Bitburger)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Bad Köstritz, Thüringen, Germany

Bottle. Lightly hazy orange in color with a light foamy head that clings a little. Grainy, somewhat corny malt in the aroma. Flavor is clean, slightly caramelly malt and little else. This is an easy beer. I’ve certainly had much more interesting Oktoberfest beers before.

The aroma has malt and grassy hops along with a bit of metal and corn. The appearance is golden with a medium clumpy head. The taste is like the aroma with a clean finish. The palate is typical for the style. Overall I just didn’t enjoy this one.

On tap; very mild Oktoberfest style beer. Amber in color, but with the taste of a standard lager. I was expecting much more out of this beer.

Bottle from the Orland Park, IL, Binny’s Beverage Depot: This poured a bright golden orange body with a healthy white head and provided a bunch of slippery lace. The aroma was pretty sweet, grainy and worty. The flavor had the addition of a light toastiness and some grassy earthy bitterness to balance it out. Very drinkable.

Situation: Small things are getting done in the basement... Glassware: Samuel Smith lager... Appearance: Golden orange body; slow effervescence; nice white head remains consistent down the glass... Aroma: sharp, fresh malts--pleasant but undistinguishable from others... Palate: smooth, slightly effervescent body that produces little aftertaste--and little more of distinction... Taste: quite a pilsner in taste and texture.... the pitchiness of the malt is more like corn or biscuit... a bit sharper than expected... Overall: Bought in H-town to continue my quest to drink what I have not yet--especially in Oktoberfests--this one seems to strike an odd balance between a dirty pilsner and a crisp, fizzy (almost cheeselike) biting lager...neither of which is really what I was looking for...

Pours an amber straw yellow color (clear) with no head. Aroma of grain, cereal, and a bit of hops. Flavor is grain, cereal, and hops with a pilsner-like bitterness. Easy drinker.

The bottle looks good, the beer in the glass also. Starts hoppy and strong, becomes more and more spicy, also a bit grasy-woody. Intense spicy finish, almost a bit wheaty. Interesting!

Tap at Rattle N Hum. Amber pour. Thin white head. The nose is kind of weird. Very clean, pale malt with a little bit of toasted character as well. It is clean and softly sweet with a bit of light floral hoppiness. It’s not very complex, but it is what it’s suppose to be; an easy-drinking balanced lager.