City Festbier

Brewed by City Brewery (Melanie Brewing Co)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
La Crosse, Wisconsin USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

I have had this a few times in the last few years. I thought I had rated, but I am just now getting to it. The body is a dark orange and gold with a white head. There is a fair amount of lacing in the glass. The aroma is light leaves and some earthy wood. There is also caramel and some The taste is dirt and some light caramel. Finishes with some sharp bitterness of orange peels. I was surprised by the character of bitterness, especially for the style.

Transparent and magnifying pale copper with a wide spanning dusty white head. Disparaging aroma of allspice, wood shavings, paprika and caramel. Taste digresses briefly as it borders an acidic point of no return but it gives way to a more appreciated flavor profile led by caramelized pecans. Granted, the nutty pecan quality resembles the breed you’d buy from Aldi, but it’s a decent attempt, nonetheless. Some almond extract comes in on the backend, partially responsible for a stale, biting palate feel. Could have been a lot worse.

Fairly heavy and malty, with an unfortunate medicinal quality. Light hop aroma. Doesn’t really taste like a Marzen. Light body.

Crisp and clean if a bit unimpressive in flavor, which is to say, not very full-bodied or complex. But it is smooth and lightly malty, much like any good Marzen, and at this price, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one.

Interesting blood orange color bordering on red. Malty aroma with vague hints of sulfur from a lit match. The flavor of this beer stands out, that’s for sure. Malt to the extreme with a touch of hops as the commercial description states. Not much complexity though. Rather syrupy mouthfeel. Also a nagging corn syrup aftertaste common to any high-malt product from the best German Märzens down to the cheapest American corn malt liquors. Pretty much true to style but not my cup of tea.

Clear pale orange color with a thin greyish-white spongy foamed cap that slips away quickly to leave a thin collaring and lacing is minimal in spottyness. Aroma is mild and clean with a noticeable whole grain aspect, a bit of musky hop and a dulled sweetness. Taste is clean and a bit buttery with a slight malted sweetness with a whole grain backing keeping a tinge of mild toasting, slight hop profile in a grassy herbal sense which clings to some of the toastyness. Not bad, but seemingly overly sweet and cloying slightly. Feel is sticky, some cloying within a medium shy body, sweet, slight toasted edge and whole grain bread doughyness submerged in butter. Slick through and through with a major sticky return late in the finish. The finish is a bit off but is manageable and its overall clean yet slick downability is pretty good. Somewhat solid session material and above average but by a slight margin.

God this is not a bad beer but it has a weird sweetness to it not found in any other wxample of this style. I mean the color aroma and spice is right but it has an unpleasent odd undertone. I mean it is not a bad beer but hardly worth a second try.

Pours a beautiful amber, with a somewhat disappointing thin head. Aroma is malty an rich. Very bitter to start that mellows into a smooth finish. Not the greatest o-fest I’ve ever had, but for the money a very drinkable brew.l