Another beer...good to go with music.Samuel Adams Octoberfest (lager), 5.4% ABV, 12oz
Color: Amber red, clear.
Color: Amber red, clear.
Tasting Notes: This lager forms a light, tan head when poured. The nose delivers a welcome bouquet of malts (slightly roasted), caramel with supplementary scents of ripe banana and peach. The body is pleasantly thick, with a gentle wave of sweet malt forming the center of the taste, the subdued yet subtle hop flavor complimenting in the form of spices & flowers. All the while, fruity notes emerge into the nose, ending in a brisk finish.
Comment: My first “Octoberfest/Märzen” style lager, the latter in German means "brewed in March". Not as stunning as its labels claim it to be (a malt lover’s dream), nevertheless Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a nice seasonal beer for those who are interested in delving into the maltier side of beer, who doesn’t feel ready yet for a porter, stout or bock. Again, this is my ineluctable bias. The balanced flavor of a well made Octoberfest does reflect the mentality of a mellow autumn: not too striking nor tame, harmonious yet slightly melancholic. But for a “malt maniac” like me, the lager seemed a bit too well-mannered; it had the accessibility and crispness so characteristic of Sam Adams, yet its inability to display more personality ultimately posits it as a fairly decent, but not spectacular beer for me. Having developed a recent liking for hops, they (German Noble hops) are less obviously displayed here, slightly to my disappointment. But it seems that low bitterness and high aromas are characteristic to Noble hops. Oh well, should’ve done my homework. That being said, I should certainly try more Märzens before coming to a definite judgment. Can’t wait to try their Winter Lager and Double Bock, though – the autumn here is sure chewing hard on my sub-tropic, heat-resistant bones.
10/02/08
Comment: My first “Octoberfest/Märzen” style lager, the latter in German means "brewed in March". Not as stunning as its labels claim it to be (a malt lover’s dream), nevertheless Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a nice seasonal beer for those who are interested in delving into the maltier side of beer, who doesn’t feel ready yet for a porter, stout or bock. Again, this is my ineluctable bias. The balanced flavor of a well made Octoberfest does reflect the mentality of a mellow autumn: not too striking nor tame, harmonious yet slightly melancholic. But for a “malt maniac” like me, the lager seemed a bit too well-mannered; it had the accessibility and crispness so characteristic of Sam Adams, yet its inability to display more personality ultimately posits it as a fairly decent, but not spectacular beer for me. Having developed a recent liking for hops, they (German Noble hops) are less obviously displayed here, slightly to my disappointment. But it seems that low bitterness and high aromas are characteristic to Noble hops. Oh well, should’ve done my homework. That being said, I should certainly try more Märzens before coming to a definite judgment. Can’t wait to try their Winter Lager and Double Bock, though – the autumn here is sure chewing hard on my sub-tropic, heat-resistant bones.
10/02/08
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