Oktoberfest Lager - Sly Fox Brewing Company

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Gold in color with just a thin layer of head. Overpour victim. 3.0

Thin and musty aroma. Toasted grains, piquant hop, and the strange element of bouillon cube. Muted nose. 3.0

Enjoyably dry with some light husks and kilned grain flavor. Smooth and somewhat fruity with the notes of quince and white grape. Interplay of fruity esters and a quiet floral hop. Finishes clean and minty with some sweetness and booze breath. Killer flavor after that failure of a nose. 4.0

Medium body and light carbonation. Not a really fast drinker. 3.5

Great taste saved this. Preserved still as one of the better craft Oktoberfests I've had this year. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2012 01:37:52 | More by thecheapies

jtierney89

New Jersey

1.65/5  rDev -54.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Dull amber hue with good clarity. Almost no head. Nose is almost nothing.

Roasted grainy malt, taste like whole grain bread a bit, semi big body with little carbonation. Subtle dark fruit with balancing euro hop bitterness. Flavors are barely perceptible though. The flavors can't balance the body and it feels dead. Not so good.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2012 02:59:06 | More by jtierney89

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sly Fox Oktoberfest

Pours a dark copper color. Aroma of munich malts, euro hops and brown sugar. In the taste, nutty malts, lightly toasted and caramelized. Grassy hops, tea like, with the flavorful rich malt profile and an even balance. Medium bodied feel and all too easy to drink. Pretty standard Octoberfest, solid flavors and well brewed all around.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 04:14:09 | More by Stinkypuss

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an orangish color with a one finger tight head. The head gives way to almost no lace. The aroma was sweet and malty not overly strong and not overly complex. The taste has a sweet and caramel malt backbone. That was about all I got. It was a good flavor but it was very complex. The mouthfeel was moderately carbonated. Overall it was a decent beer it had a decent flaovr and a decent aroma but it left me wanting more out of it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2011 16:46:05 | More by goblue3509

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

A light amber beer with a moderate white head, fizzy with carbonation. Grains and caramel malts in the nose. Light on the tongue, with lightly toasted grains, caramel malts, and a mild grassy hop-ness for a sense of balance; slightly metallic finish. Light body, not too flavorful and a little watery, but pretty easy to throw back.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 21:06:03 | More by Rifugium

dennarb

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

We had this on tap at Theresa's Next Door an excellent brew pub in Wayne. The pour is an orangish amber with a small head. The aroma is slightly sweet and malty. The taste has a reassuring roundness with carmel and lemon coming through the rich maltiness. It goes down smooth and delicious. Sly Fox's Oktoberfest is not available for very long but if you find it on tap I'd highly recommend that you give it a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 01:21:37 | More by dennarb

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After searching the city for a six pack and finding zilch (this stuff gets snatched up quick) I grabbed a pint at the Grey Lodge before it dissapeared.

Sly Fox Octo pours a very clear amber color, it's somewhat light brown and bronze, problem is there is no head whatsoever off the tap!! I'll find a can to see if this is a freak happening. No stick. Smell is real fruity for an o fest, the traditional somewhat grain scent with a nice fruity backing, no hopping. Taste is, well, it is great. Refreshing. Nothing extreme, mellow yellow here, but a fruity octoberfest. I was surprised by the apple and plums and such over a nice Munich malt and light hops, no alcohol, this is just fine by me. The feel is light bodied but felt a bit dead off the tap, needs some more ummmpphhh. I will drink more if I find some cans. Brian, brew more of this next year and can alot more next fall.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 04:51:24 | More by onix1agr

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a orange-ish to copper color with a small white head. In the aroma, sweet biscuit malt and a small earthiness. In the taste, earthiness and a dry maltiness. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, and a small dry earthy fruitiness. Nice representation of style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2010 01:45:29 | More by OWSLEY069

Amalak

New York

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this off the tap at d.b.a. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
A- It has a medium orange color with a slight head and some lacing. No bubbles.
S- Slight hoppy scent.
T- It's more of a bitter, German style Oktoberfest, which I prefer. It's a very calm fall beer, with a bit of spice, but very easy on the mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2009 16:07:37 | More by Amalak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Royersford brewery. The beer appeared a clear golden orange in my pint glass with two fingers of head. The aroma was rich with caramel, bread crust, and a mild fruity lager tang. The flavor followed up on the same notes, but was a touch subtle for the style. Still, the overall character was very true to the style and I enjoyed catching this beer on the tail end of the Oktoberfest season. Worth trying for anyone that loves traditional German O-fest beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2009 15:08:25 | More by tempest

rickmick

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is a lightish yellow with a hint of brown. Not much in the aroma department. Highly carbonated, with little lacing.

The taste is... eh. I was expecting more malty flavors, but what dominates is a lemony sourness. The high carbonation makes this very refreshing however. Just not what I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2009 03:50:21 | More by rickmick

far333

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Devil's Alley, Philadelphia.

Light honey colored with no head to speak of, but this is unfortunately due the barkeep's attempt to fill the liquid completely to the brim with as little head as possible. It was actually filled so high that I had to be careful not to spill while lifting it to my lips.

Low aroma of bready malt. Flavor is initially biscuity malt, but hints of toffee and cinnamon work their way in and out. Moderately carbed, full mouthfeel with a tingly finish. Good representation of the style, very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2007 18:03:53 | More by far333

Stimack

New York

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one on tap while at the Phoenixville brewpub. This brew had a nice color to it, clear amber brown and a nice sized light tan head that had pretty good retention and left most if it’s lacing at the top of the glass. The aroma was nice; sweet caramel malt stood out for me while also having a somewhat butter like scent. The taste was very refreshing, nice malt backbone of caramel flavors that gave it a slight nutty taste while still seeming to have a butter like presence. It finishes with a slight hop bitterness that seemed to tie it together quite well. Slight dry feel to it as it finishes. Overall I felt that this was a good offering, one I would get again!

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2007 12:23:35 | More by Stimack

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap...
Appears a dark, orange gold with a small off-white head that quickly fades out. Tiny bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of sweet, malty, toffee, caramel, doughy, and grassy.
Taste is of the same aromas with a touch of the true German Oktoberfest coming through but a tad unrefined to my liking.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, grassy, sweet, slightly unbalanced, mildly thin.
I chose not to review this last year, as it was not to my liking. Seems like it's pretty much how I remembered it. It's not bad but it's not making me want to order any more. I'll try it in the bottle soon enough as a comparison.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2006 01:55:17 | More by weeare138

goindownsouth

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed vom Fass at Sly Fox Royersford on Saturday, 08.12.06. Nice, tawny amber appearance of the brew itself. A respectable yet pillowy head sat firmly atop this offering, and left a solidly sticky lace along the side of the glass throughout. The nose offered hints of earthy maltiness, almost biscuit like. Sweet, toasted malt flavor on the palate. The hops balanced it out well. Some kind of bitter kick at the end, but that may have been me.

A very decent offering and, in fact, one I will seek out again. Oktoberfest Biers, for the record, are hard to get true to style, but this one is a mighty fine rendition.

Prosit!

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2006 11:13:33 | More by goindownsouth

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into a shaker pint.
Oktoberfest in January, why not?

Appearance
Very cloudy amber with 1 finger of white head. Decent retention.

Nose
Bread, toast, caramel and brown sugar.

Taste
Very mellow flavor profile. Toasted white bread and caramel, perhaps some rye bread. Notes of brown sugar and earth. Just a touch of honeydew. Some residual bitterness.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
This is a really nice Marzen even if it is a little out of date. I'll be sure to grab some fresh ones this year.

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 18:08:24 | More by justintcoons

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy orange with two-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted several minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Lots of caramel malt.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Toasted malt.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation.

O: Slightly above average Oktoberfest.

Serving type: can

10-20-2012 23:01:31 | More by SolipsismalCat

Lordquackingstic

Italy

1.6/5  rDev -55.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Crystal clear copper with a big white head and lots of noticeable carbonation. Very nice looking, but this is where the beauty ends.

S: Piss. This seriously smells like urine. It's so unappealing that every sip I take I try not to smell my glass.

T: Tastes like I just drank from a cup that I asked a nurse from an old folks home to go around and fill up with all the discharge from everybody's catheters. All flavors are muted by this piss taste.

M: Feels like I just tasted a golden shower. Leaves an acidic burn in the back of my throat. So unappealing.

O: Bought this on a whim, and I want my damn money back. Stay away from this. This is hands down the worst Oktoberfest I've ever had in my life, and probably one of the worst craft beers I've ever had period. Downright nasty.

Serving type: can

09-18-2012 01:37:14 | More by Lordquackingstic

iBeer16

New York

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a light amber with high carbonation. Creates a white head that dissipates quick and leaves little lacing.
S- malty, toffee, caramel, allspice, nutmeg
T- some malt, some hop presence, nothing standing out too much
M- light but full bodied, carbonation refreshes mouth
O- good aroma, light flavor, refreshing

Serving type: can

09-03-2012 21:20:29 | More by iBeer16

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - One finger's worth of crisp fizzy uniform light khaki colored head... Modest retention gives way to a lacing of much the same... The color is a slightly pale amber... A good bit of slightly sluggish to moderate paced carbonation rises throughout...

S - Biscuit... Bread crust... A subtle noble hop presence... A faint whiff of both caramel and toffee...

T - The flavor is a mirror image of the aroma... Lots of bready malts... Bread crust... Slightly more hoppy than expected... The toffee and caramel sweetness is a bit muted... There is also a very faint spice kick on the deep finish...

M - Medium bodied... Smooth... Carbonation is lighter than expected... A bit sleek... The finish is a touch grainy yet saliva inducing at the same time...

D - The total sums to be a bit more than the sum of its parts... Overall, this is a text book Marzen that is solidly average to slightly above average in all facets... I can't say a bad thing about it... In summary, it's nothing that I would shy away from in the future, but I will always opt for it's German brewed brethren in the future...

Serving type: can

08-22-2012 01:00:14 | More by philbe311

scar

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am always searching for a well executed Marzen. Recently, this style has really diminished in character and some of the German imports are to blame. Many of these famous Munich breweries have changed these beers to accommodate the masses. With that being said, this canned version is the best Marzen I have had in years.
This beer has the appropriate color however lacks in head and lacing, which is normal for the style.

The smell is almost perfect with the hops just used to balance this malty brew. The barley sugar sweet character from Vienna and Munich Malts, or historically some decoction shows well here, however I could do with a little more of this aroma. To add, sometimes the German imports have a very slight almost sweet yeast character, this beer however does not have this quality.

Taste, very drinkable and moreish, certainly a dangerous brew if ever served in a 1 liter mass like in Munich. 5 mass Munich!

Overall, an almost perfect brew because it sticks to tradition and reminds me of a good old friend I haven't seen in a long time.

10/9/12Just bought the beer again, quite different, still in a can, however can't taste the malt as much. As a result I am down grading my original review

Serving type: can

08-17-2012 13:35:11 | More by scar

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours an orange/amber hue with a two finger head that quickly dissipates, decent lacing left on the glass.

Smell: Smells of sweet malts, a little bit of hops, apricots, light pumpkin smell.

Taste: Tastes of sweet malts, fruits, pumpkin spice, just a hint of yeast and a tad bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and low carbonation, which suits the beer well. Even with it's mouthfeel, it is still a rather easy drinker.

Overall: A nice Halloween/fall beer that's certainly tasty and delicious.

Serving type: can

12-07-2011 05:46:36 | More by CowsCanBark

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can courtesy of Drazzamatazz. Into a Baxter Brewing can glass.

A: Pours a clear copper color with a white head that foams up to a loose half inch of bubbles that disappears just as fast as it arrives. No spots of lacing left behind. A few bubbles meander lazily throughout the glass.

S: Slightly caramel malts and a bit of a sulfuric yeast profile. Slightly grainy, but really not a whole lot going on.

T: Grainy with a really pronounced hop profile, resiny, earthy, spicy noble hops but not a ton of bitterness. Fairly sweet, but the amount of hop flavors mix together nicely and make a really enjoyable beer.

M: Medium bodied with effervescent carbonation. Finishes fairly dry and really clean.

O: An enjoyable oktoberfest and in general, just a tasty lager. Glad I got the chance to try it.

Serving type: can

11-26-2011 02:43:45 | More by pokesbeerdude

DerekP

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can with some digits and a date (presumably the "best before") printed near the bottom of the can: 1/9/12.

Dark-orange-amber looking beer that's highly carbonated and fairly translucent. Head disappeared quick.

Floral in the nose. Peppery yeast. Bread, butter, stale apple juice & dry caramel.

Tastes yeasty with light malts and caramel malts for sweetness. Bittering hops right in the middle. Finishes with a fruity and bitter astringency that hangs on and lingers.

Notable spicy hop flavor shows itself as well as the brew warms up. A touch boozy. A decent oktoberfest.

Serving type: can

11-15-2011 22:40:27 | More by DerekP

doughanson78

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. can poured into a pint glass. Received in the Locals Only BIF from trxxpaxxs.

A: Clear copper color. Half finger off white head that fades quickly and leaves a very slight lacing.

S: Caramel malts and very grainy. A sweet fruity aroma. A apple wine like quality.

T: Caramel and sweet malts upfront. Grainy and grassy from middle to finish. A fruity flavor, maybe apples. Bready finish.

M: Light body. High carbonation. Crisp. Refreshing.

O: A good Lager. Definitely not my favorite style, neither is Oktoberfest. This is good for the style and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 19:51:56 | More by doughanson78