Peek behind the curtain - I didn't drink this and write the following review just now, in December. Instead, I drank this in very early November, so I didn't overshoot the proper timeframe for Oktoberfest by much. And realistically, does anyone care about this fact but me? I'm betting not.
The copper beverage pours with less than average head that remains only as a thin skin across the top of the beer with notable breaks at random areas. The aroma is spices and sweet caramel malt. I’m not typically too inspired by Oktoberfest style beers, and that long tradition continues so far.First sip is very heavy spices over that sweet caramel malt. I mean, these spices are hitting heavy, and I think my lack of ability to tease out individual spices is really going to hinder my descriptive capabilities at this point. There’s cinnamon and maybe some ginger. Is there thyme? I’m not sure what thyme really tastes like, but I bet it’s in here.
Tip-in is light carbonation rumble over the thick malt with spices trying to get in line around the outsides. The middle is awash with so many spices, and the increase in carbonation at the roof of the mouth makes them more aggressive than they need to be while the malt gets nearly silent. The finish is an onslaught of brown sugar and a whole host of spices before a bitterness joins the trail-off.