Kraftbrau Oktoberfest

Formerly brewed at Kraftbrau Brewery
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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amber/burnt orange body; sweet malts and subtle hops for aroma...flavor is a bit more complex than the smell...full of roasted malts, sugars, spices...VERY TOASTY...some sort of a nutty flavor as well...great palate

One of the positive things I can write about Kraftbrau is that the hops work incredibly well in quite a few of their beers. This hazy orange-bodied offering is no exception, opening with a nice spicy hops nose blanketed across a toasted malt backdrop. Flower petals and perfume play off of the light, delicate caramels and fruity malt characteristics. Very cookie-like, this Oktoberfest reminds me of Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, one of my favorite lagers. Quite drinkable. Definitely worth picking up more than a few bottles.

Cloudy amber color with a huge beige head. Floral hops, vinegar and honey aroma. Bread, honey, lemon and floral hops flavors. Lightly crisp feel.

Murky brown color with a massive (gushing out of the bottle...filling the glass) beige head. The aroma and flavor were filled with toasty and slightly smoky bread, tangy vegetable tones, and a slight hint of sourness. The feel was quite crisp...semi-dry finish. Not bad at all. Thanks BBB63.

Deep rust brown with no head at all. Looks like a tiny little dirty ocean with tiny waves that simply suck at brewin up a storm. But the smell is simply awesome, malty, grassy, dirty, spicy wildness. The flavor is somewhat like sucking on a coffee bean that's covered with dirt. A little bit of sourness. Leaves the mouth feeling quite dry like waking up after drinking a whole lot of Bell's Expedition Stout the previous night. OK beer from Kraftbrau and one of the better smelling!

Amber red hue with frothy off-white head and good lace. Aroma hints of earthy and woody character, toaste malts, bubblegum, grains, herbs, and aromatic hops. The initial taste was nutty and malty smooth with a strange spicy undertone. The finish was a bit sour and woody. Dry and lively mouthfeel. A good fest beer but nothing mind-blowing. Quaffable.

Draught at Kraftbrau Sept. 27th 2003... Dark amber. Woody bitter aroma that reminded me of an Indian food that I can't place. Dark beige head to match the beer colour. Nutty bitterness to the flavour By far the best Oktoberfest style beer I have ever had to date. Finishes with a creamy palate. Cheers to Vale for being a great hostess that night, made my trip to Kalamazoo quite enjoyable.

This beer has an outstanding nose, subtle but full of hops (hallertau, I think) and wonderfully soft malt. But several of this brewery’s beers are so delicate, or are using some ingredient, that leads to easy spoilage. Sour, as in my first experiences of the Vienna. Even though it is spoiled, it is still a fine beer! I can’t imagine how good it would be fresh. I’ll see if any of the other bottles in the batch are better. I’m meeting withthe owner/brewer Jan. 6th...I’ll ask him what’s up.

Orange colored, small head and good nose. Nothing really to get excited about.

Deep copper with a very thin head. Nose offers some sweet malts with a slighly oak-barrel aroma as it warms. Smooth malty flavors with a dry end. A decent lager, better than the other lagers offered by this brewer.