Rock Bottom Yorktown Rocktoberfest

Brewed by Rock Bottom Yorktown
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Lombard, Illinois USA

Mug club draft on tap at the brewpub (Lombard, IL). Pours a nice deep dark brownish copper, decent haze, with decent offwhite head that dies to a small film, laces ok. Aromas are bready and caramel malts, touch of spice, and noble and grassy hops. Toffee, toasted malts, a good sweetness, lighter bitterness. Initial is similar, bready, caramel, toasty toffee, a touch of grassy hoppy bitterness. A lighter side of medium body, quite quaffable, but lacking much of that Marzen spice. A solid maltier Oktoberfest offering. I’d enjoy this again.

Mug Club served at the brewpub a day after the seasonal tapping. Poured a fairly clear amber brown, with a creamy, off white head and clingy, creamy curtains of lacing appearing after each sip. The aroma was some toastiness and not much of the distinctive German/Vienna malt nose that you’d expect. A slight hint of roasted coffee was noticed and some caramel showed up after the beer warmed a bit. The flavor was also toasty, with smooth malt, a touch of sweetness, and a pleasant hop bitterness with a little spiciness layered in. Medium bodied with a nice, creamy texture.

Growler. Poured copper golden with a clear thin white head that laces the glass lightly. Aroma is sweet caramel malts. A hint of floral hops upfront with a sweet body and a very dry finish. Nice. Creamy in the mouth, full and nicely carbonated. nice Oktoberfest.

on tap at RB Yorktown, pours copper brown with off white head. aroma has a nice pleasant floral hop character, bready malts. flavor is bit toasted malt, bready, nice floral hop flavor with spicy hop notes that finish. really clean and smooth fest beer.

Deep copper to brown in color with a thin head. The nose was spicy with soft malt aromas. Medium to light and lacking concentration in the midpalate. Smooth and easy to drink but I was hoping for more flavor.

Served mid-copper colored under a thin, sandy head. Muted aroma strains to find delicate roasts and mild caramel. Balanced flavor leans towards malts and finishes clean with a hint of bitters. Not bad, but a bit unsatisfying.

<font size=-4>On tap at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/lombar Bottom Yorktown, Lombard, IL 60148</font>

Draft from growler. I got the growler for a party, and it got warm by the time I poured it; then they ran out before I could try a fresh sample. But what I had was pretty nice: malty, of course, and a little bit grainy. Good Okto color that would fit in well with fall colors if it were served later in the year. A warmer sample brings up some more good German bitterness.

I’ve entered this rating here because this is brewmaster Chris Boggess’ recipe, not the corporate one. My only cristicism is that they serve it too cold, even when not in an iced mug. It pours a clear, deep orange body with a creamy off-white head. Nice lacing. The aroma is mainly, toasted bready malt, sweet, but not overbearing. Same with the flavor with the addition of a light herbal/earthy bitterness. Very smooth drink - a good offering of the style.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Bottom Yorktown, Lombard, IL<font size=-1>