Sprecher Oktoberfest

Sprecher Brewing Co. is located in Glendale, WI. They're unique in that they bottle all of their beers in 16 oz bottles. They also advertise on the label that their beers are "Fire Brewed". I'm not sure what that means exactly. This Oktoberfest is the first beer I have ever tried from Sprecher, and it was a good place to start. It poured a deep copper color with a pillowy head that lasted longer than most. The aroma is sweet malt, with floral hops. The flavor is also sweet and malty, with a nice touch of caramel and some hop bitterness in the finish. This one was a bit subdued when compared to the Freaktoberfest from a few days ago, but it's an excellent Marzen that's more true to the style.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen

Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen is a nice malty brew from Germany. It pours a nice amber color with a white head that rapidly diminished. It has enough noble hope character to balance the malt, and is a very enjoyable beer. I could drink a few of these! It's very slightly sweet. This is my first beer from Paulaner, and it was excellent. A Marzen is so-named because it is brewed in March, and lagered for 6 months, in time for Oktoberfest. Because it is a beer designed for autumn, it has a darker color and more malty flavor and body.