Rocktober was a pretty good, but obvious name for an Oktoberfest. Now Clawhammer, that is a name not everyone is going to come up with, and it suits the Highland pseudo-Scottish affect pretty well. Will this third beer in the Oktoberfest trilogy cap everything off with a big win? Let's explore.
The amber beer skews towards brown with an off white head of very small bubbles that settle to an uneven and complete layer across the top of the beer with very slight hints of lacing as it goes down. The smell is a dark malt overbalanced with spices – just the way Oktoberfests are made, am I right?First sip is a thick caramel malt that defies the idea that this is overbalanced with spices. Yes, spices are there to enjoy, but the malt is thick and powerful enough to keep them at bay. But, don’t think that the spices are absent – they just haven’t taken over the place like the scent implied (or, possibly, I inferred).
Tip-in is moderate carbonation burn with the caramel malt and various spices somehow creating a bit of a sweetness. The middle approaches with an uptick in overall carbonation as the spices alight on the malt and they are further highlighted by the undaunted smoothness. The finish is a bitter downturn where the spices seem to win over the malt before the malt and bitterness rest in the trail off.
Bottom Line: Complex and pretty darn good.
3.25/5