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This was another gift from my brother in Texas. This beer was not brewed in Texas. Instead, this comes from Germany, and it has an appropriately German name. I think I can pronounce the first word, but I'm not going to even guess what the second word is. This is an Oktoberfest, but obviously I'm going to be drinking this much later than October, or more properly September. It's just as well, as I am still before the drink by date, which is helpfully listed as May of this year. Right now, I'm only in January.
It's a little lighter than most of the Oktoberfests I've had lately, but it is still the requisite brown. The white head is a nice contrast to the brown, but there isn't going to be any lacing, and it wouldn't be appropriate if there was. I can smell some brown sugar and or maple syrup, but there is not a whole lot of aroma to this beer altogether. I'm virtually sticking my nose in the liquid, and I can't smell anything. As far as I know, I don't have COVID-19, so I should be able to smell something.
First sip is so sedate it might be considered bland. While I've come to expect spices and thick malts from Octoberfest, this one is a light brown sugar and maple with not a whole lot of hops or spices going on. This seems to me to be unusual for an Octoberfest, but the Germans should know what they're doing. Maybe I just need to drink this properly. I need to swig.
Tip-in is brown sugar and maple, but there is a bitterness that was heretofore unknown. The middle goes down with a smoothness that no previous Oktoberfest has been able to establish, and it is remarkably enjoyable. The finish is where I get some light spices, a little bitterness, and variations on the maple and brown sugar blend.
Bottom Line: This might not be the Oktoberfest you're used to, but maybe it's the one you should be used to.
4.0/5
