Coney Island Freaktoberfest

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
San Francisco, California USA

Date: 10/04/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta

Appearance: cloudy candy apple red, fine pink head, bits of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet malt aroma with a rich fruityness,
Flavor: sweet and fruity flavor, lots of balancing earthyness, long bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Dark red/cherry colour with a pink head. It looks like a kriek...not sure where that colour comes from. Some caramel and wood aromas. It’s sweet, thick on the palate, with caramel, toast and a modest earthy hoppiness and a slightly dry alcoholic finish. An odd duck, but similar in structure to the Sword Swallower.

(22oz bottle) Large salmon-colored head atop hazy pink-red body. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel/bread, light nut, toffee. Taste is medium sweet, nut, some caramel, earthy, light bread. Light-medium body, light acidity. I found the appearance off-putting, but clearly it was intentional, so to each his own.

Draft… Cloudy blood-red lager with a small, creamy, pink head. Good retention. Ultra-restrained toffee and caramel nose. Medium to full-bodied with lively carbonation. Malty, fruity flavor provides sweet toffee notes alongside very modest hopping that provides a veneer of balance. Lightly bitter, astringent finish.

Bomber. Pours red with a thin white head. Smells of caramel, some earthy hints, subtle peppery notes, tea. Tastes slightly bitter and spicy with some nice toasty malt hints. Decent.

Draught at Brazen Head. Bright red beer with a huge red head. Looks like a bloody mess. Actually smells like beer. Light toasty munich malt and soft herbal hops. A bit of soft caramel flavour as well. Quite fresh and fairly balanced. It’s tough to get past the appearance, but it’s actually a pretty solid brew. Softly herbal bitterness on the back.

Holy shit, this stuff is fucking blood red. Holy hell does that look delicious. Nose: nothing... extremely transparent and mild. Close your eyes and it actually does come across as a marzen or vienna, there’s a nice smoothness throughout, almost creamy, and a nice and even caramel toffee malt flavor with a touch of fruity and dried hop leaves. Interesting beer if you can get past the color. Not all that bad, the body is especially nice, very creamy and thick.

I picked up a bottle of this at the Binny’s in Orland Park, IL. I was tired. I was tired a few hours later when I pulled the bomber out of my fridge and poured - a RED OKTOBERFEST!?! With a tall, rocky pink head to boot!?! Egads, folk, don’t do that to a weary ol’ fart. I have nightmares about my urine looking like this some upcoming morning. Anywhat - The smell was sugary sweet - candy like - with grainy malt. A sharp herbal/grassy bitterness joins in on the flavor, probably just after the midpoint. It turns into a rather metallic aftertaste. Not a very noteworthy brew, but after my initial befuddlement, I began to appreciate the presentation.