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.