Rogue Roguetoberfest

Formerly brewed at Rogue Ales
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Newport, Oregon USA

Tap @ The Front Door: Pours a dark amber color with a nice head and light lacing. The nose has a slight adjunct nose with light lagery florals and a moderate alcohol note. The pacman yeast is a little lose on the style. Lacking the nutty and caramelly notes that make this type of beer. The alcohol bites through the tail with a slight plum and jammy note. I’ve always wanted to try this, now that I have, I’m sorry I did.

Clear golden orange color poured on tap with almost none of the off-white foam left on top. Aroma is mostly bready with some caramel but a bitter hoppy bite as well. Toasty notes and caramel with an almost overpowering alcohol bite in the taste. The beer menu listed this as JLS Glen, the bar board listed it as Anniversary Oktoberfest. Hoping I’ve got the right beer.

Draft at The Sanctuary in Iowa City. Poured a clear medium orange color. The head was thick and white, but dissipated relatively quickly. So so nose consisting of hay, dry grains, and a touch of honey. Light bodied and dry. Bordering on watery. Not much in the way of malt. Not as I had expected. I tasted hay and a little honey. Not all that great.

JLS Draft at Barley’s Knoxville location. Clear orange-gold with a small head. Sour apple, yeast and rough grain aroma. Flavor is the same with some light dry grass and lemon tartness. Light body is watery and finishes harshly, but only slightly dryish. Not my favorite style, but this is the worst Oktoberfest beer I can recall: couldn’t finish this one. Where’s the malt?

Port 82!!! On tap at Capone’s as J.L.S. Octoberfest. Poured a medium and clear golden/amber color wtih a small sized off white head. Aromas of toasted bread, earthy, and some caramel. Tastes of toast, earthy, light citrus, caramel, and bread. Lacing left on the glass.

At Barley’s, Knoxville. Orange, thin but sturdy white head. Aroma is a little bit fruity and a lot grainy. Flavor is bready and toasty, with a bit more alcohol heat than I expected. Finish is harsh bitterness. Kinda ventures into malt liquor territory, actually.

Draught at Barley’s in Knoxville (as Anniversary Oktoberfest in the JLS series; I’ll follow Oakes’ lead and put it here). Pours clear copper with small whitish head. The aroma is sweetish with some caramel, autumnal autumnal spiciness, a hint of brown sugar, and a little tannin. The flavor is a little spicy, with clove, allspice, and a hint of pepper. There is a sweetish munich malt backbone with some candyish and bready notes. There’s a moderate earthy hop profile, though less distinct than the usual Rogue beers. Wood and leaves in the finish. Okay, but lacks definition.

Pretty sure this was it, though without any recent ratings I’m a little skeptical. On tap at Funky Buddha. Light amber colour. Toasty-crackerlike fresh malt nose. Somewhat sweet on the palate, and becomes moreso as the glass goes. It moves towards being less toasty and more caramelly, and doesn’t really finish well at all. Needs some dryness, even if just from toasty malts.