Millstream Oktoberfest - Millstream Brewing Company

rundocrun

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours the characteristic deep orange of an oktoberfest beer. Thin white head that fades to a film on the surface. Lazy bubbles drift up from the bottom of the glass. Moderate lacing on the glass.

S - Sweet, malty and caramely. There is a distinct biscuit-like aroma amid everything else. Very mild alcoholic notes waft up too. There is a deeply herbal character to the hops in this lager too.

T- Hugely malty and caramely. A dry, toasted bread flavor is prevalent here. Incredibly crisp and clean as an oktoberfest should be. I'm even getting very mild hints of light cocoa. The hops balance out the sugary backbone of this beer with just the right amount of herbal flavors and assertive bitterness. Has a spicy, black pepper-like finish that fades into malty goodness.

M - Has a medium body, prominent carbonation, and has a moderately dry but clean finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 02:03:09 | More by rundocrun

Tjvan2

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

02-11-2013 04:41:40 | More by Tjvan2

DubbelTrubbel

Iowa

4/5  rDev +2.3%

01-07-2013 00:35:53 | More by DubbelTrubbel

cliff1066

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

12-27-2012 06:03:11 | More by cliff1066

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

11-06-2012 21:04:48 | More by RBorsato

dcsoke

Arkansas

4.75/5  rDev +21.5%

10-31-2012 02:34:34 | More by dcsoke

fuzzcherry

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

10-23-2012 04:31:32 | More by fuzzcherry

Chucker17

South Dakota

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

10-14-2012 20:42:20 | More by Chucker17

Ejayz

Iowa

4.75/5  rDev +21.5%

10-14-2012 00:24:56 | More by Ejayz

eawolff99

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

10-03-2012 16:42:24 | More by eawolff99

eph1291

Iowa

5/5  rDev +27.9%

09-19-2012 23:07:27 | More by eph1291

Tamarack22

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +21.5%

08-26-2012 00:12:21 | More by Tamarack22

bill_rue

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

03-19-2012 05:09:29 | More by bill_rue

beagle75

Iowa

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy, light amber color with less than one finger of diminishing white foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Caramel and baking spices are both well-represented, with lesser yeasty bread also present.

T: Begins off-dry, with heavy caramel malt and weizen-style aromatic clove spice. Acidity is restrained but citric into the middle where malt flavored become more refined but less distinct. The third act also features malt behaving in dynamic fashion, turning very bready with a yeasty flair. Mild bitterness is accompanied by dark citrus and fermented plants that blend well with other elements of the flavor profile, rather than standing out.

M: Medium to thick viscosity; smooth, creamy, and slightly acidic on the palate; with moderate carbonation.

D/O: While the smell and flavor represent the style well enough, it is the textures encountered here that really turn heads. Remarkably chewy and viscous for the style, it really demands the respect of the drinker. Other features are predictably malt-focused, but enjoyable. It promises to be an epic cooking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 00:09:18 | More by beagle75

Cubsfan1087

Iowa

4/5  rDev +2.3%

11-29-2011 03:33:52 | More by Cubsfan1087

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

App- The beer has a reddish-brown body with golden highlights. The head foamed to a three finger tan cap. There is just a bit of foamy lace sticking to the side of the glass. It is a very good looking beer.

Smell- A good amount of herbal notes that remind me of fall. There might even be clove in there. The hops in here are a bit grassy. Of course, being a Maerzen, there are a nice amount of caramel malts as a backbone.

Taste- The nose is very similar to what's on the taste profile. The herbal notes are more in the finish. The caramel malt and sort of roasted malt flavor are at the front and middle of the drink. The hops are bittering and show up in the middle and last well into the finish.

Mouth feel- It is a really nice medium body. The drink is also incredibly creamy and smooth. It is really great for an Ofest/Maerzen.

Overall- The Millstream take on the Oktoberfest has a pitch perfect mouth feel, great nose, and luckily, a taste that imitates that nose.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 20:06:35 | More by Pintofbrown

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a 1.5cm head made up of medium bubbles. Fairly dense. Collapses in a minute to a ring around the glass with a large island f foam in center. Body is a semi-hazy and dark-brown copper with orange highlights.

Sweet, malt-forward with mixed chocolate scents too. Classic Oktoberfest with a bit of variety. No real hop presence to balance though.

Taste follows scent with a heavy malt sweetness that contains hints of chocolate malt. In the close, there's a hint towards spicy hops. Aftertaste is of some bitter and spicy hops alongside sweet caramel flavors.

Medium to medium-heavy bodied, this is a hearty marzen that is superb with a meal. Carbonation is a bit prickly, could be toned down slightly. Finish is dry.

Overall, a very good Oktoberfest and unique for the stle. One of the better American varieties I've had, a shame they don't get wider distribution.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 04:28:47 | More by falloutsnow

Herky21

Iowa

2.53/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A- Great pour, golden, caramel color with a nice head.

Smell: Has some good bitter notes that play off your nose. Caramelized scent is slight, hint of hops too.

Taste: Slight chocolate hint, and the hops are also on the back end. Probably pretty true to what an oktoberfest is supposed to be, but should be slightly maltier in my opinion to get better depth of flavor and a little more body.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, nothing spectacular. Carbonation is alright.

O-- It's a refreshing, average Oktoberfest. I expected it to be a bit better. I'm a Millstream fan usually.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 04:19:17 | More by Herky21

burns1066

Iowa

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A good exemplar of the style. Caramel and chocolate flavors are most apparent, carbonation is pleasant. Sweet, medium-bodied... a great early fall beer. Finish is dry, but flavor profile lingers for quite some time. The sweetness/maltiness is a wonderful companion to chili; it's also a nice stand-alone beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 17:21:35 | More by burns1066

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is slightly dark copper/amber. Two and a half fingers of off-white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: It reminds me of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball with caramel or chocolate mousse inside. There is an immediate cocoa aroma laced with sweet caramel. Very enticing. Also noticeable after the pint warms are scents of toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.

Taste: Reminds me a lot of the Red Trolley Ale I drank at Dodger Stadium. The very smooth cocoa/chocolate mousse shines through in the taste, and the caramel adds a touch of sweetness. However, the tail has a nice bitter edge that leaves the back of the mouth tingling. As it warms the flavor aligns with the later emerging scents: toffee, honey, and grassy barnyard malts.

Drinkability: Solid. From past experience, märzen was just a darker, slightly toasted lager, but Millstream's Oktoberfest completely strays from that norm. It's malty, toasty, slightly spicy, and just a hair heavy. Basically, it's a damn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 05:10:02 | More by TheQuietMan22

kdpark

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very solid Oktoberfest, just what an Oktoberfest should be: balanced, not too heavy, great malt flavor, very drinkable.

A: Copper with white head, fades

S: Some toasty malt, much like most Oktoberfests

T: Full, rich, melanoidin character, very balanced

M: Medium body

D: Not overbearing, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 22:52:15 | More by kdpark

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark amber color with a large, thick, creamy, fluffy, smooth, sticky off-white head. Good retention with a nice creamy layer of lace.

S - A lot of toasted grain with some toffee malt and a bit of caramel as well. A touch of musty, grassy and floral hops. Touches of bready and cracker taste as well. All this is just a little faint.

T - Tons of toasted grain along with caramel and toffee malt. Some dry bread/cracker taste in the background. Some honey sweetness along with just the faintest hint of grassy and herbal hops. Nice spicy background along with a touch of apple fruitiness. Nice mix of sweet and spicy with grainy and malty flavors dominating but a nice background of other flavors. As it warms some more tea like flavors are coming out.

M - Lighter side of medium body with a nice level of carbonation. Crisp feel with just a slightly drying finish.

D - Very nice mix of flavors and a great mouthfeel really help to make this an easy to drink beer. A little on the sweet side, but not bad or cloying.

Notes: A nice Märzen beer with a great mix of flavors. Plenty of grains and malt upfront as you would expect for the style, but a very nice background of hops, spice, and apple. Nice local fall beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 01:36:33 | More by FreshHawk

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As oktoberfests go this is is very nice. It is smooth and has good flavor that doesn't overpower.

It's a nice medium-amber color and perfectly clear. The head is two fingers of eye-candy that disappears after about two minutes. The aroma is earthy with a bit of sweetness. Flavor wise it's well balanced with cinnamon and caramel. The flavor ligers for a long time but it's a light aftertaste that I found rather enjoyable. I would put in the upper range for marzens I've tried. It is just a small step below spectacular. Another winner from Millstream.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2009 21:31:06 | More by DesMoinesMike

steveh

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another in trade with Corsdad. One of the first Microbreweries whose brew I can remember drinking back in the late 80s.

Label has a notching system -- for bottling, I hope, as this is notched between September & October.

A -- Nice clear, deep amber color with a good, dense off-white head that settles quickly.

S -- DMS & biscuit malt up front with some vague spicy hops back.

T -- Sort of a musty, roasted maltiness up front, biscuit character and some fruitiness coming through, fruitiness lingers into finish and aftertaste with some vague hop bitterness throughout and in the aftertaste.

M -- Medium body with a fairly soft mouthfeel that turns syrupy with warmth.

D -- This is certainly a drinkable beer, but if I were to sample it blind I'd think it was a lightly hopped American Amber Ale, not an Oktoberfest. It's just not clean and malt back-boned enough.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2009 20:41:46 | More by steveh

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep amber-purple colored body with a pale tan head standing about a half inch tall.

S - Plum, malt, and anise aroma but all are mild. Very unique for an Oktoberfest.

T - There's a malt flavor with sweet accents of brown sugar and raisins. The ending has a hop flavor and the finish, which comes almost 15 seconds later, offers even more hops. I will note the hops are sublte and do not in anyway take away from the malt and sweet flavors.

M - Thick and warm feel to this brew. The feel is the best part of what is a good beer. Impressive!

~ This is a very good beer. I haven't sampled many brews from this Millstream but I can assure you that will change. Thank you Gnomefest 6.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 22:51:15 | More by cdkrenz