Background – From Weihenstephaner themselves “Deep gold in color, this beer is luminous in the glass. From the very first sip, the full-bodied flavor is immediately perceptible – a balanced harmony of hop and malt aromas. The dense foam and the rich maltiness of this beer are especially impressive in a Maßkrug (liter mug).Festbier is delicious with simple dishes, roasted chicken and flavorful Alpine cheese.”

Appearance – I could only manage to find cans of this one. In an off tan can with the green it doesnt read as a festbier. I like all the gold accents and logos. The bold lettering that claims it is from the world’s oldest brewery is a nice touch as well. Once poured it is a clear golden color with a foamy head that leaves plenty of lacing.

Aroma – Very light in the aroma with notes of apple and lemon. The malts are there but are not overpowering.

Taste – The taste is very light. I notice a mild balance of malts, apples and then a hoppy and tart finish. The sweetness is evenly balanced with a tart finish, which I presume is from the hops.

Drinkability – This is even lighter than most Marzens. With a very light mouthfeel this beer finishes dry and with a bit of tartness. Its easy to drink but I don’t love the mouth feel. This could easily be a full day drinker.

Overall – Another good beer from the Germans. This is a beer that is lighter than a Marzen and a perfect bridge beer for light lager drinkers. I imagine the best place to have this is during a festival/party while chomping on pretzels. I would highly suggest it.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to pick Rampage. This beer is meant to be consumed while with others and playing into the chaotic and over the top fun of Rampage you are sure to have a great time. You will easily go through many of these brews and quarters, but you will have a great time.

Be sure to check out all of the other Oktoberfest Beer reviews here.

The final Oktoberfest review for this year is the Firestone Oaktoberfest. Lets see where this California brewer comes in on the competition. Coming directly from their site.

“Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German Fest Bier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen and enjoy!.”

Appearance: I really like the dark blue label and the small shield with alot of detail. It looks intimidating and the Oaktoberfest really stands out.

Aroma: The aroma is very light, with notes of bread and slight malt character.

Taste: The taste is very light a clean. For a beer that claims to be aged in oak I get none of the characteristics. The malt is very subtle as well, I wish there was more here.

Experience: Very thin with a small amount of dry mouth after each sip. There is a slight spiciness but nothing too overpowering.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Firestone. This is a steam RPG, and obviously I went with the low hanging fruit of the name. But its a solid game that will go well with this perfect session Oktoberfest.

The Hacker Pschorr is the other grandfather to the Marzen style, coming from Germany. This beer adheres to the German purity laws and has a long and storied history. Coming directly from their site.

“Forbidden as it was to brew in summer, a stronger beer – the Märzen – was brewed earlier in March. It would finally be served at the Oktoberfest, under the “Heaven of Bavaria”. We have returned once again to the age-old recipe and recreated that gloriously smooth, honey-coloured piece of history from times gone by. And all is brewed with due reverence to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516..”

Appearance: Classic with the blue and white checkers and the German woman holding up a stein while riding a horse. Even the way the bottle is shaped makes you think this is going to be good.

Aroma: The aroma is heavy bready with touches of malts. Not too heavy but there is something here .

Taste: The taste is actually very clean with a little bit of caramel and some toasted malts. The taste won’t knock your lederhosen off but it will keep you coming back for more.

Experience: This is another prime example of a beer hall classic. Goes down smooth, not too heavy. I love it.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Pitfall. The classic platformer deserves a beer with a ton of history that will be easy to drink. Grab a six pack and avoid those pits!

The Warsteiner Oktoberfest is debatably the golden standard in the Oktoberfest style. Coming from Germany lets see how this one stacks up to the competition. Coming directly from their site.

“Celebrate German heritage with this authentic, German Specialty Beer. A truly German import brewed according to the German Purity Law, as are all Warsteiner beers, in limited quantities especially for Oktoberfest celebrations. This special edition has a well-balanced, mild and smooth taste with a uniquely soft, hoppy aftertaste and 5.9% alcohol. So bring a bit of Germany with you to your next Oktoberfest celebration and bring a Warsteiner Oktoberfest Special Edition..”

Appearance: Simple and classic like most of the label coming out of the Warsteiner brewery. I like how it looks like a German beer just from the label, it holds alot of history.

Aroma: The aroma is not that strong but what I got was malt, bready and a hint of caramel .

Taste: The taste is classic Marzen but its quite understated, caramel, malts, biscuits and a slight pepper finish.

Experience: This is what a Marzen is all about, easy to drink with a good mouthfeel. I can imagine myself in Germany now with some pretzels drinking boot after boot of these bad boys.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Galaga. Similar to this beer, Galaga helped spawn an entire genre and its a classic, it may be simple but damn is it fun. Grab a six pack and enjoy yourself.

The second entry this month from Sam Adams, we have their classic Octoberfest. Interesting that this is one of the few beers to spell Oktoberfest with a C. But I digress, this is the staple for fall beers from Sam Adams, so lets see how it stacks up. I have only had a few beers from this brewery so I am excited to see how this one turns out. Coming directly from their site.

“In 1810, the Oktoberfest tradition was born when Munich celebrated the Crown Prince’s wedding with a special beer and 16-day party. Our version of this classic style blends hearty malts for a deep, smooth flavor of caramel, creating a brew that’s perfect for the season, or whatever you’re celebrating. Smooth with a roasty sweetness, and light hop character..”

Appearance: Just like the FestBier from Sam Adams this can is very dominant in one color and that is orange. With there pumpkin beer following its a bit on the lazy side. Still, the can stands out, even if it is a bit simple.

Aroma: The aroma faint but what I do detect is burnt toast, caramel and malts.

Taste: The taste is spicy and sweet. Mostly malts and biscuit with the hop finish balancing it out nicely.

Experience: This is a very light Marzen with a dry and bitter finish. It is easy to drink and does not sit heavy at all, so you can go through 3-4 with no problem.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Streets of Rage of 3. This is the black sheep of the franchise so it needs a good beer to pair with its difficulty. Just don’t drink too many as you will need all of your whits to try and survive.

As a surprise entry in this months reviews I recently picked up the Two Roads Brewing Company’s fall mix pack. Todays review is their Ok2berfest, a cute spin on Oktoberfest. I have only had a few beers from this brewery so I am excited to see how this one turns out. Coming directly from their site.

“Modeled after the classic “Marzenbier,” Oktoberfest style that was traditionally the beer served at the Munich Oktoberfest. It possesses a smooth, toasty malt profile with a crisp character of traditional German hops.”

Appearance: Damn, Two Roads went all out with this can design. You have the blue checkered flag, a German man blowing into an alphorn and plenty of orange accents. If this doesn’t scream Oktoberfest then I’m not sure what does.

Aroma: The aroma is strong with biscuits and hops taking center stage. Once it warms I get notes of banana and clove which is a nice change of pace.

Taste: The taste is reminds me of a spicy apple juice. There is the typical malt and biscuit flavor, but I am sure that I taste apple juice with a spicy hop finish. Its an odd combo but I like it.

Experience: This is a very light Marzen with a dry and spicy finish. It seems that from the Marzens I have tried there is a split between dry or sweet finishes. I prefer sweet but this is fine.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2. This is an extremely expensive game, so I would suggest emulation. But it is a fun game that doesn’t get a ton of attention, probably due to its rarity and price. Grab a six pack sit down and enjoy yourself.

Now we are moving on to the critically acclaimed Great Lakes Oktoberfest. If I am being honest I have always enjoyed every beer I have tried from Great Lakes. However, I tend to find their reviews a little too high and a bit overrated, so lets see if their Oktoberfest is any different. Coming directly from their site.

“Prost! Our take on this classic German style is a real malt party, packed with toasty autumnal flavors perfect for hearty hoisting.

 FLAVORÜber smooth with vibrant malt flavors and a festive flourish of noble hops (lederhosen not included).”

Appearance: I am happy that Great Lakes has changed their label. The original was boring and this one is colorful with a scenic view in the background. Huge improvement and I love to see changes for the better.

Aroma: The aroma is light but what I am able to detect is stale sweet bread with a malt finish . The aroma begins to pick up as it warms, but its never heavy.

Taste: The taste is mostly malts with hints of toasted bread. After the beer warms I got a little bit of clove, which is interesting for this style. Its not bad, but doesn’t feel like a Marzen.

Experience: This is one of the strongest Marzens I have tried (at 6.5%) and its surprisingly smooth. There is a bit of a bite and some dryness after the fact, but it drinks more like a 5.5% brew.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Halo 3: ODST. This game is loved but it has plenty of faults, especially how short it is. I think a strong beer with this game will enhance anyone’s experience.

The next beer we are looking at is from a Philly local brewery, the Unter Dog from Yards. Yards has always brewed quality beers and I have yet to be disappointed by anything in their collection, so lets see if the Unter Dog is just as good. Coming directly from their site.

“This Oktoberfest, we’re celebrating the city that never gives up with our new Märzen-style beer. Fetch a 6-pack today, sit back, and roll over with joy. Good boy!”

Appearance: The love this can, the German Shepard, the orange and tan, this is a great play on words too.

Aroma: The aroma is very strong with a ton of sweet malts and some notes of brown sugar sweet bread. I really love this one already.

Taste: The taste is a copy of the aroma, but it is very subtle. I wish the flavor profile was a bit stronger but what you get is still good.

Experience: The mouthfeel of the Unter Dog is interesting, it’s both flat and very creamy. Almost no bitterness or dry mouth after the can. I really like this style from Yards.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Call of Duty Ghosts. As soon as I looked at this can I thought of Riley and it was a no brainer. Ghosts is easily one of the most hated in the COD franchise and its a shame because there are alot of great aspects to this game.

The next beer we are looking at isn’t technically a Marzen. We are checking out the Sam Adams FestBier. This is a Festbier / Wiesnbier. Sam Adams does have an Oktoberfest beer, which we will get to later. So let’s see if what the FestBier is all about. Coming directly from their site.

“Malty w/soft sweetness, like a biscuit spread with honey.
A lighter lager with a higher ABV for bigger celebrations”.

Appearance: The baby blue is an interesting choice as it stands out for a beer can. However, this only comes in a variety pack, at least to my knowledge.

Aroma: The aroma is odd because it almost smells like stale bread and that’s when you get an aroma because it is super light.

Taste: The taste is very light with a slight sweetness almost like corn. There are some malt notes but I get no hop flavors at all.

Experience: Since this is only 5.1% I knew this would be a light beer, but the mouthfeel is incredibly thin. So you will be able to get through 4-5 of these bad boys, but only having one bottle is a bit of a disappointment.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Abzu. This is a chill under water game that lets you explore while trying to avoid sharks and other enemies. The FestBier can be easily drank for a few hours while you swim around and discover new areas.