Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Munich, Germany

Sweet malt with a fading lightly hopped aftertaste and an impressive dark amber hue. A bit buttery?? probally wrong, but I swear theres something to that (going to have to sample again). Pounded this one back and was looking for more. Yea! Lets get ripped!

Draft @ Sommerfest. Pours a clear amber with a good off white head. Has a decent aroma of wseet malts with a touch of hops and pepper. Has an ejoyable flavor. Good balance. Not real strong but very refreshing. Has a medium body. Good carbonation. A pretty solid finish with a good aftertaste. This is a real good beer.

Of course there is malt here, it’s an Oktoberfest. What impresses me is the hops. Just the way I like them: in the background. The hops are kind of peppery, not that annoying grapefruit taste so many breweries here in the States are infatuated with. This beer is very refeshing and tasty. I like this slightly better than Samuel Adams’ offering, which is saying something. Mine came in a green bottle for some reason, but surprisingly didn’t affect the taste. 18/20.

33cl bottle poured into a dimpled mug. Pours clear amber brown with two finger off-white head. Nose is dark fruits and nuts. Flavor is bitter and malty. Finish is medium to long bitterness. Quite smooth and refreshing brew. I could drink these all night.

Pretty amber appearance, which can be seen through the green bottle before you even crack it open. Tiny sediments can be seen. A mild maltiness, subtle sweetness. Restricted floral hop aroma. I must admit, I did not realize this beer had 5.9% alcohol at first.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, basic brown body with a thin cap of white foam. Gee. A bit of an inauspicious start, I must say. Smell: Meager, dull maltiness with light notes of spicy, floral hops and fruit. This is both tragic and heartwrenching, like receiving news a dear friend has died recently. Taste: I fought to keep a troubled, even wearied look off my face upon the realization that blandness would be the order of the day here. Sweetish, vague malts with, perhaps, even some pilsner malt hints to it. Very light fruity undertones of apple and grapes. Mildly bitter, faintly spicy European hops. Sadly, it’s just more of the same until the abrupt end. The finish is semi-dry and lightly crisp. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: I’ll admit, I was taken aback by how surprisingly bland and ho-hum this one was, being Spaten is one of the propagators of this noble style. I’m simply left wanting more (any) malt depth and complexity and even just a tiny bump in overall body to keep that nagging though of drinking brown water away. Perhaps I’ll give this one a re-visit sometime down the road so I can hopefully put this disheartening experience behind me.

Not a bad beer, but not a great beer either. Slightly skunky flavor and smell knock the rating down in my book. Yet still crisp and refreshing with a sweet undertone.

Good clarity from sienna pour. Malty aroma with sour note. Residual sugar in flavor, lean body and moderate carbonation.