Coney Island Freaktoberfest

Well, it’s certainly eye-catching. Pours blood red, with a pinkish head. And the label is just good, old fashioned nightmare fuel. Actually, every other aspect is fairly normal or an octoberfest,, but it does look weird.

Bottle. Moderate malt aromas of caramel and the crust of fresh bred, light to moderate note of herbs for the hops, light dough for the yeast and background notes of solvent and raspberry. Head is frothy pink with good lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is hazy cherry red. Flavor starts lightly sweet, moderately acidic and sour, then finishes sour again, heavily and enduring bitter. Palate is light to medium, dry with a carbonation between lively and fizzy. It finishes moderately astringent, lightly alcoholic and fairly dry. This is a goof of a beer. It tasted more like an ESB or a Bitter than a Marzen. The aroma was okay, but every other aspect of it "freaked" me out.

Bottle from Crown #19. Poured hazyr red color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate fruity citrus aroma. Medium body with a soft carbonation. Medium sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration. My expectations where met with a very interesting beer.

This was an odd duck. Pours a muddy red, with a pink head. Must have been some of the worst chill haze I’ve ever seen, because it totally cleared when it warmed. Aroma was sweet malt and earthy, slightly floral hops. Taste matched, with a surprisingly bitter, slightly strange, very drying finish. Some fruity esters floating about, undefined, but there as well, as if it was fermented a bit too warm. Not bad, just very odd, appearance aside.

Tallahassee, Fl. - Liquor Loft - 22 oz bomber. Pours a funky Hawaiian Punch Red - beers without fruit is not supposed to be this color. Light pithy white head. Nondescript aroma - some food coloring perhaps? Muddled flavor with some ripening vegetable notes, some muted maple syrup notes and some alcohol notes. Clumpy mouthfeel. Not one for the ages.

Aroma is strong, mainly malty with a fruity, almost cider-like overtone. Pours a warm clear coppery red with a thick, pinkish-beige head. Flavor is crisp and malty with just a touch of fruit, an edge of hoppy bitterness, and a nutty hint. Texture and finish are satisfyingly smooth, and aftertaste has a whisper of sweetness as well as a little hop bite.

Sampled 11/20/2008. This Marzen pours a blood red color form a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized pink foamy head. The aroma is slightly roasted malts, fruity and sweet. A medium bodied Marzen. The malts are caramel and sweet, with a touch of fruitiness. The hops are earthy and floral with some spiciness. Nice balance. Good carbonation. Fairly decent Marzen, and once you get past the blood red color, very drinkable. There is a slightly odd taste that I am assuming has to do with the food coloring. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Bomber poured a clear blood red with a small lasting dark pink head. Aromas of toasted malt, carmel and light fruittiness. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of toasted malt, earthiness, light carmel and a hint of fruittiness with a smooth malty finish.