It's not October. It's not November anymore. It's not even September when Oktoberfest is supposed to happen. Does that mean this beer doesn't even stand a chance? Well, I have quite the backlog of reviews, and the review after this introduction is over a month old, so the beer stands a good chance at the time of posting.
The beer appears to be a clear amber until I look a bit more closely to see a very fine tornado of mist swirling in the center of the beer. The off-white colored head becomes a patchy and incomplete layer across the top of the beer with … no, I don’t feel like it’s enough to call lacing, but there are a few errant bubbles left in the head’s wake. The aroma is a little spicy with a seared brown sugar and caramel malt.First sip is a sweet mixture of spices, caramel, brown sugar, and an unexpected nuttiness. The nuts remind me of a brown ale (which is not my favorite style). That said, this is somehow managing to work it really well. This is shocking; I didn’t expect to enjoy the first sip of an Oktoberfest this year.
Tip-in is sweet brown sugar and caramel with very mild carbonation fizz. The middle rises with a smooth richness as the spices join the chorus and the mix is pretty damn good. The finish is the nuts bringing a dryness that does a fine finish for the beer.
Bottom Line: Possibly the best Oktoberfest ever.
4.25/5