Solemn Oath Oktoberface

Brewed by Solemn Oath Brewery
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Naperville, Illinois USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Stein

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Enjoyed on draft at the Solemn Oath beer dinner at Wild Monk. Served in a snifter. A: Pours a copper and ruby combination with a thick, off-white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin cap and thick ring that leave some sticky sheets of lace. S: Light lagery yeast with some bread crust malts and a touch of zest and spice. Very light hopping in the periphery. Pretty standard. T: More of the same from the nose. Definite lager yeast with some heavier bread crust malts and the same zesty spices as the nose. The hops play a little more part here with nice earthiness and greenness. M: Medium bodied, a tad heftier than a normal marzen, but still solid all around with some nice, medium level carbonation. O: Pretty standard for the style. The hopping adds a nice little touch in the taste, but it doesn’t really distinguish it from any other marzen style. Serving type: on-tap Reviewed on: 09-27-2012

4 oz. Draft at Solemn Oath. Deep coppery beer under a thin head. Big malt smell, but with a slightly grassy fresh hop nose (yeah, I know that’s what the description says, but I picked it up myself, too). After two glasses of 9% beers, this one is doing me in. But it does have a lot of malt and some, I think, green hop. Plus a grainy malt note to the end. I’m thinking dry-hopping, but probably not.

Reddish pour with no head. Slight urine aroma. Mouth is on the lighter side. Taste is very sweet. Almost molassas like. Finish is full of German hops & yeast.

On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear, amber-copper colored body with a finger-width, dense, creamy and frothy, tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is lightly sweetened, toasty, bready malts with some grass and a few fruity floral notes. Flavor is similar. Some fruitiness to the grassy hops up front before the malts even things out with a nice, lightly sweetened, bready toast. Hops remain present throughout with some florals as this finishes dry and moderately bitter with a nice grass, but balanced with a light malt sweetness. A bit grainy with touches of fruit before leaving a lengthy aftertaste. Medium body and a moderate carbonation. Overall, a really solid oktoberfest. Clean, toasty, lightly sweetened, bready malts with a firm, but not overwhelming grassy hopping. Dry with a nice bitterness and balanced throughout. Enjoyable beer.

Draft on tap at the brewery (Naperville, IL). Pours a rich deep copper orange hue, some reddish glow, gentle haze. Striking deeper copper orange glow is enjoyable. A frothy tannish head atop stays as a mellow layer, laces small. Aromas are gentle biscuit and toast, a gentle carmelized malt. Some bread, gentle earthy hops show a kiss of floral, earth, grass. Kiss of spice, some nice dryness grows from the hops. Initial is lighter end of medium bodied, offering some toast and carmelized malts up front, a touch of toffee, bread, and biscuits. Some gentle fruit shows some flavor, moving into a grainy and cereal middle. The earthy hops start to show up here, moderate in strength pushing some earthy dryness, florals, and a good deal of grass. Firm hop presence pushes some dryness, mellow yet firm bitterness into the backend where we pick up some spice, carmelization, almost a waft of brown sugar back there, a touch of girth (though still lighter) makes you rememeber the malt elements into the finish, still fighting well with a firm hop dryness to contrast with that malty biscuity and carmelized feel. Pretty nice constructed, fresh and a nice firm hopping that offers some life. A bit fruity at times up front, but middle and backend coupled with the finish really work well for me. Nice local Okt with good flavors, good balance that tells a tale and doesn’t overwhelm to either side, remains honest. Gorgeous pour.

Draft at Jerry’s Andersonville. Amber with good, foamy, beige head / Light, fresh nose of dark caramel and citrus / Light to medium body, some sweetness but mostly dry, good balance and lightly bitter finish / Toasty, musty flavors of dark caramel and grain, with notes of orange, melon, and spice / An easy drinker. Abv was a guess from area rep.