Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen

Sampled at the 8th Annual Music City Brewer’s Festival. Orange red with a big white foam. The aroma is toasted malts, grainy. Taste is toasty, caramel, light grainy finish.

Bottle. Pours an orange amber body with an off white head. Cereal notes, some light grain y notes with a dried fruit and earth y tones. Decent.

Very delicious beer. I shared a pitcher of this stuff with some friends at a beer garden in Astoria, Queens, NYC. A nice middle-ground beer: not too dark, not too light. Nice amber color, sweet taste and smooth body.

Draught pours clear, dark amber with a dense khaki head. Nose is primarily grain, and carmel with what seems like roasted almonds in the background. Taste is slightly sweet, leading out front with caramel and brown sugar, but finishing with apparent baking spice and earthy hops. The overall body is light/moderate with soft carbonation and a nice example of a marzen.

Pours brown with a big offwhite head. Nose is fruity, spicy. Taste is spicy and sweet, with notes of brown sugar and caramel. Character doesn’t bowl you over, yet is very solid. Enjoyable stuff.

Overall Impression: I picked up a bottle of this last fall from Norm’s, it’s a solid if not spectacular Octoberfest brew.

Poured a solid, three-finger head of tan hue above a clear dark amber body. Aroma was clean and clear but had nothing prominent, and the taste was a nice blend of hops and spices. An okay mouthfeel with a sweet and spiced finish make for a nice, refreshing fall beer.

Draft pitchers @ Gustav’s. Amber pour with a cream head. Sweet with not quite enough hop. Smooth and fairly flavorful for a German beer on draft in a chain.