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.

Background – From Spaten themselves “Our Spaten Oktoberfest beer is brewed in spring for the world’s largest folk festival. Countless Oktoberfest visitors are enthusiastic about this beer every year. Because every sip with its unmistakably tasty taste is as special as the Wiesn itself.”

Appearance – The bottle design is simple with a nice color scheme, with blue and silver being the dominant tones. The green bottle does help it stand out and the font used looks great. When you pour this out you will get a very dark amber with a robust foamy head that leaves alot of lacing.

Aroma – Typical of most Marzens this boasts alot of toasted malts, with hints of caramel and some kind of hop that I can’t really define. It smells like tradition.

Taste – The taste is really well done. The malts are heavy upfront but not overpowering. Then you get the caramel sweetness with a touch of hops. I cannot recommend this enough, allow this one to warm up a bit while drinking. The notes really open up as it reaches room temperature.

Drinkability – This is beer drinks like you expect an Oktoberfest to drink. Smooth with a medium mouth feel, a slight hop and burn after the initial sip. Then you get a sugar film on your lips. Alot to enjoy with this one.

Overall – To the surprise of no one the Germans do Oktoberfest beers the best. This is subtle in all the right ways but delivers with the flavors you would want.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to pick Gauntlet from the arcade. I wanted to go to a traditional game to match this legendary brew. While Gauntlet may not blow people away today it is undeniable that it is a solid experience that spawned an entire genre.

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