Hale’s Ales O’Brien’s Harvest Ale

I have to sneak in a late season seasonal… Hale’s Ales brings us their Hale’s Ales O’Brien’s Harvest Ale for a fall warmer that has some nice intricacies.  This beer pours dark brown with a modest head and provides nice smells of roasted malts and heavy hops.  The body, though, is smooth and slick and easy to drink and the finish leaves you with a delayed bitter hoppiness that completely preps you for more.

A solid brew from Hale’s!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen

From the world’s largest wheat beer brewery comes this crafty little number, a handsome weizen dressed up in Oktoberfest clothes to cash in on America’s favourite beer marketing event. Nice move by Erdinger, and you really can’t blame them for wanting to take part in a little bit of the Munich breweries fun. Quite how well it was going to stack up against the rest of the Oktoberfest’s we’ve been tasting lately I wasn’t sure – but today was the day to find out.

FIrst impressions are good – I like the label, the bottle opens with a satisfying hiss, and soon enough the glass in front of me is full of deep orange beer with a thick, feisty head that sticks around for the better part of the pint. Smells rich and malty at first, and delivers a well-carbonated, refreshing blast of faintly lemon-scented wheaty goodness as you dive into it.

Good stuff, that gets better as it goes down. A second one is equally as enjoyable – and while it’s got nothing to do with Oktoberfest in the strictest sense of the word, I’m not going to hold that against it too much. Welcome to the party, Mr Erdinger…

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Widmer Brothers Brrr

Following up on Oh Happy Day #4, we bring you the official post for the tasting of the brew:

Widmer Brothers Brrr (not on the site yet)

First things first… this beer has a very unique nose.  It is a bit earthy and hard to put a finger on.  If anyone figures it out, let us know, please. :)  The body is smooth, mild, and mellow with some tang on the tip of the tongue.  Hoppy, but not floral or fruity like an IPA… the malts offset it pretty well.  Can’t really taste too much on the spice side, but you know they are in there.  In the end, this almost reminds me of a tangy Rye beer.

The thing to remember on this one, as well, is that this is all coming at you with a 7.2% ABV, which is no low number.  Brrr warmed me right up and gave me a light little head as I drank even the one bottle. 

Good beer, high alcohol, Brrr will definitely keep you warm on those cold winter nights.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale

Another beer from the “beer tasting” the other night.  I took notes on this one knowing that I would need them later…   Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale comes to us from Anheuser-Busch… those crazy guys that try to be craft brewers but generally end up not able to seperate themselves from the macro lifestyle. 

They have done it again, offering a mediocre seasonal ale that promises a lot in the brand and delivers none of it.  No pumpkin… not in the nose, body, or finish.  Not really any spice… not in the nose, body, or finish.  Just a slightly roasted malty brew with some small semblence of hops to make you think you are getting something worthy of the price they charge.

I would put this right on par with the Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale… definitely Middle of the Road.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Deschutes Jubelale

I think I have recovered sufficiently to post now.  We had a heck of a “tasting session” the other night and I haven’t been able to bring myself to having a beer until tonight.  Tip of the day: if you call it a “tasting session” instead of just saying you are going to drink beer, it is much more socially acceptable. 

So, keeping on the seasonal kick, I noticed a very, very festive six pack of beer at Fred Meyer the other day and had to buy it.  I think we were too late into it last year to enjoy this fine seasonal brew, and have to say I am kind of sad.  Deschutes Jubelale comes to us full of warmth and mirth.  A fine little diddy that makes me want to recite the full version of Twas the Night Before Christmas after each bottle.  A dark ruby color, a good head, high malts *and* high hops and this is one that will keep you drinking long into the cold winter night.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Part of the lineup from the other night. 

The Jubelale!!

Widmer Brothers Okto Oktoberfest

Second in my mini-Oktoberfest-off is Widmer Brothers Okto Oktoberfest.  This hearty ale has a good mix of malt and hop, coming in a bit heavier on the hop side than the previous contender, Samuel Adams Octoberfest.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing… just a matter of taste.  Definitely more of a meal, Okto has a similar head, darker color and heavier body than Sam Adams.  It does have a smoother finish, although no more complex.  It actually leaves you with a relatively moist feeling in your mouth, not taking that with you as it falls into your gut.

Overall a beer that is well put together but the final, full package just doesn’t really do it for me.  Certain parts are good to great but others are not fully developed yet and so I have to give this one a Middle of the Road.  In this mini-Oktoberfest-off, Sam Adams comes out the winner in my book.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen

Looking back into our archives, Ayinger have a had a mixed reception between Dug and I – one awesome, one hideous… and one more to try right here with this bottle of seasonal Bavarian festival beer, a good pint-and-a-bit of Märzen that looks like it’ll fit right into my weekend of Oktoberfest beer tasting.

A smooth and gentle pour unleashes a deep burnt-orange pint of lager, much deeper in tone and colour than your regular pint of lager, of course. Well carbonated and zesty with just a tinge of pine along with the malt and hops in the taste, this Ayinger initially stacked up as a pretty strong contender in the Oktoberfest session.

But there was something weird about it too - something that left me with a definite sense of “disappointing”; a slight soapiness around the edges crept in that didn’t sit well with me at all. And no, it wasn’t my glass. Almost a “Will Buy Again”, but not quite there.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Ayinger October Fest-Märzen

Bayern Oktoberfest Lager

From the deepest, darkest depths of that mini-Bavaria known as “Montana”, Bayern Brewing bring forth their autumn seasonal Oktoberfest lager, to help us celebrate the gathering of the harvest and bid farewell to another summer.

Remarkably different to the other Märzen’s I’ve tried recently, this sample of the brewer’s trade provides a deep brown, almost mahogany, pint. Despite a fairly aggressive pour there’s little head to speak of, and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find there’s little carbonation either. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s a bit of a let-down here I think.

There’s a pronounced earthy, malten quality to this beer that’s quite intriguing at first. With an odd taste of sweetcorn thrown in for good measure. That intrigue lasts about two-thirds of the way down the glass, and then… I kind of lose interest. Unfortunately, there isn’t really enough going on here to draw me in, not enough of the true Oktoberfest elan to make this stand out as something I want to drink more of now or come back to in the future. Your mileage will of course vary, but for me – a decent enough beer, but not heading for the bright lights just yet. 

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Bayern Oktoberfest

Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest time! While there’s a fine October beer drinking scene here on the west coast of the US, nothing can hope to hold a candle to the Munich original, and so to help lighten the load of our German brothers who have to get through about 15 million pints in three weeks (if my math is right), I thought I’d put my shoulder to the wheel and down a few German Oktoberfest ales in their honour.

First out of the hopper comes this bottle of Hacker-Pschorr’s Original Oktoberfest, a rich amber Märzen-style beer, lagered for fifteen weeks after brewing which allows it to develop a deep brown pour and an amiable edge to it’s hoppy flavour.

Hacker-Pschorr are, of course, one of Bavaria’s pre-eminent breweries, having been in existence since the fifteenth century. By virtue of their position as one of the Big Six brewers within the city limits of Munich, they’re one of the “true” producers of Oktoberfest beer (along with Spaten, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, Hofbräu, and Paulaner) – so of course, this beer’s going to be great, right?

Turns out the first couple sips didn’t do a lot for me… not a great start. But as the beer warms and starts to release some of it’s flavour, I get to really enjoying it. All of a sudden, it’s full of malt and with a good strong bitter side to it’s character, it develops into an incredibly well-balanced brew and brings with it a vibrant warmth that lingers long after the last drop’s finished.

So – head out to the shops, pick up one of the Oktoberfests, and raise a glass in honour of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, whose wedding in 1810 we’re celebrating. This Hacker-Pschorr will do as well as any I’ve tried so far. Enjoy!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

The next couple of posts will be the battle of the Octoberfests… at least a couple of them.  First off is Samuel Adams Octoberfest.  This fine lager comes to us from a rather fine brewery that has had pretty good luck on the blog.  Sam Adams, out of Boston, MA has a reputation of good beers and I am pleased to say this one can be right up there in my book.  While not unforgettable, this is a fine brew that would be welcome in my fridge any time.

A short, compact head leads to a malty-spicey smell that translates well into a dark lager body.  Only hints of spice mix in here with the overall taste being of malt, crisp malt and highlighted by the small amount of hops that are included.  The finish is of medium complexity… it doesn’t just leave you right away with a kiss on the cheak and a wave, but it also doesn’t stay the night… just kind of lingers for a moment and keeps you wanting for more.

Overall a solid seasonal.  Thanks Sam Adams!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again