Oktoberfest reviews, part 1
So I picked up a sampler 6-pack of Oktoberfest beers from my favorite local liquor store.
I really love Oktoberfest beers, so I've managed to drink all of them in a couple of days. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good: Hacker-Pschorr. Always a favorite. Wonderfully malty and sweet, but clean and dry-finishing.
So-so: Paulaner. I was a bit disappointed in this one, since it's a classic example of the style. But it left me underwhelmed-- too little malt on the aroma, and too little in the flavor as well. Just not enough there there.
The surprisingly good: Schell's. A local brewery, most of whose beers tend toward the mass-market American light lager, or the mass market pseudo-microbrew. But this was very good. The best of the locals (in this batch).
The just-OK: Redhook? I think that's what it was. It was so forgettable, I've actually forgotten what brewery it was from (and I've already recycled the bottle). Just not great.
The boring: Leinenkugel. See comments under Paulaner, but even more so. This tasted like a regular light lager with a dash of Oktoberfest....
The bad: Really, really bad, that is. Lakefront. A Wisconsin brewery, so you'd think they might know a thing or two about German style beers. Yikes-- a big blast of diacetyl (fake movie popcorn butter) right up front in the aroma, and unfortunately, persisting all the way through the bottle. Also, the malt profile is all wrong: more biscuit than toasty. I probably should have poured this one out, but I kept hoping it might get better (and I've only poured out a couple of beers in my lifetime..).
More to come!
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