Big River Grille Oktoberfest

Brewed by Big River Grille & Brewing Works Chattanooga (Gordon Biersch)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Chattanooga, Tennessee USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Atlanta. On tap at Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in Buckhead. Brewed by Big River Breweries, centered in Chattanooga. Well, this sure is a pretty good marzen. While, it doesn’t compare to Spaten and Sam Adams, I would probably name this as my third favorite marzen, which are some of my favorite bees. It tastes a bit watery in comparison to those two and not quite as complex. Hints of caramel and malt make it nice as we round out the Oktoberfest season. Seems to be a typical marzen, really, not much special.

Draught at the Hamilton Place location. Pours deep clear amber with khaki head. The aroma is light caramel and toast with some distant cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg, maybe some vanilla, and some faint raisin. The flavor is toasted and Munich malt, and sort of a dusty caramel sweetness. It finishes with wood, herbal notes, and a slight drying spiciness. Yeasty aftertaste.

Very malty and boring. Drank a number of these before a concert in September October. Not a whole lot going on and felt a bit heavy. Still it wasn’t all bad. And it is an Oktoberfest. Can’t expect a whole lot.

Bomber from Greenlife Chattanooga. Pours a hazy deep copper with an off white head. The aroma is vegetal with some hints at corn but has a good leafy and wooden quality. It’s a typical Oktoberfest in flavor as well and it is pretty clean. Notes of leaves, toffee and some corn are present. It’s not too sweet or overly metallic or vegetal. Pretty decent take on the style.

Had on tap at the brewpub. Has a nice copper colored appearance, off-white head with a little bit of lacing. The aroma has a twinge of caramel to it. Solid malty flavor with a bit of candy-like sweetness to it. Turns a tad bit artificial on the back end though.

Light orange-brown, whitish cover. Aroma is malty, sweet, orange zest note. Taste is more malty sweetness, clean standard marzen.

On draugh at Seven Bridges Jacksonville- 1L. Pours dark copper with a nice head that lingers. Bright clarity. Aroma is nutty, toast and cracker like. Taste is nutty as well with Munich malt shining through, low to no hop flavor. Body is medium light with a medium dry finish. A very clean beer. It would be really good if the body was a bit fuller and there was a little more alcohol warmth. A little out of style.

On tap at Rock Bottom in Atlanta. Poured a clear amber color with a thin whitish head. Aroma of malt and nuts. Flavor was caramel, malt and a slight hop finish.

Draught, .5 liter stein. Amber with off-white head. Some lacing. Malty aroma and flavor with some hop bitterness and lots of carbonation.

Draught in Chattanooga location: this one pours a clear, slightly darker amber color. There was somewhat of a off-white head on it that doesn’t hang around long, but leaves some lacing. The aroma is a hair weak, but has notes of malt, as well as some nuttiness and grassiness to it. The taste is somewhat dry. There is a smokiness to it also. Some caramel malts, but no real sweetness at all. Also some nuttiness. Not bad.

UPDATED: JAN 18, 2009
Name: Festival
Date: August 24, 1996
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: deep red, thin head
Aroma: sweet malty aroma
Flavor: good malt taste balanced with good hops providing a slight bitter finish

Name: Festival
Date: October 20, 2001
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: clear amber
Aroma: dry malt aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, just a touch of sweetness, nutty character

Name: Festival
Date: October 20, 2006
Appearance: clear amber, fine thin beige head
Aroma: nice toasted and biscuit malt aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, good hop flavor but a bit too much for an octoberfest leaving it too dry, the sweetness does eventually show along with some nice yeasty bread character

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4

Brewery: Big River
Date: November 08, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: clear copper, fine beige head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: light sweet malt aroma
Flavor: sweet bready malt flavor, light earthyness, caramel sweetness, light bitterness in the finish

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4