Oktoberfest - Foothills Brewing Company

kneeland

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It's a brownish amber color, pretty transparent. Not much head, but enough I suppose. It dissipates pretty quickly, leaving a slight ring.

It's a fine Octoberfest beer, with a hint of citrus to it, I sort of like that touch. Has some caramel, malt flavor. It's not quite creamy.

I would definitely try this again if I come across it.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 21:40:48 | More by kneeland

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear deep amber in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some garnet red highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense beige head that slowly reduces to half finger thick layer evenly covering the entire surface of the beer - this is great head retention. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of malts with a touch of caramel sweetness and moderately strong earthy hops along with just a touch of spiciness.

T: Upfront there are pretty strong flavors of earthy malts with just a touch of caramel sweetness. Some light spicy notes in the middle of the taste that are quite enjoyable. There is a light amount of earthy bitterness in the finish from the hops, the bitterness lingers slightly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with light dryness in the finish.

O: Overall this is a pretty nice offering for the style and definitely one that I enjoyed - I would get this one again and think it is very authentic. I like the earthiness of the smell and taste. Pretty easy to drink but might not be sessionable as it is a little too strong in ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 19:52:59 | More by dbrauneis

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Came home from work and found my wife had bought a bottle of this for me along with a new glass. Hurray! 22oz bottle poured into a chalice.

After an aggressive pour, there is not a smidge of lace on top of this brew. Just a whisper of globs on the glass edge after each sip. Deep copper color. The aroma is pretty basic for this style, nothing unique here. Caramel, toffee, a bit of alcohol on the finish.

I'll take the shortcomings in those areas as long as it comes through in the flavor, where it really counts. A malt-head's dream - big caramel malt flavor, mild fruity flavors, light husk-like dryness in the middle, cracker aftertaste. One thing I really appreciate is that this beer in bottle-form doesn't carry that "house" flavor that is so pervasive in many of Foothills' brews on tap. I think I much prefer this one in the bottle, which is rare for me. A great fall treat, that I will make sure to stock up on each and every autumn [though I'd love to see it in 12oz bottle form, but I'm not picky].

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 01:24:09 | More by Onenote81

oline73

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear dark amber color with a half finger of off white head. The head fades to a ring around the pour.

Smell: The overall smell is slightly sweet, I'm getting some carmel malt. There is also some dark fruit in the mix.

Taste: Mostly grain in the flavor. Mild sweetness, some caramel like malt. The finish has a bitterness that balances things out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with aggressive carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: Not my favorite style, but a good take on it. Not overly sweet, nice balance. I might have another.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 22:30:52 | More by oline73

n2185

North Carolina

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

A: Pours a clear coppery brown with a finger of beige head that fades into a thin ring with a little lacing.

S: Munich malts up front with sweet biscuity aromas and notes of caramel and slight citrus.

T: Nutty and caramel flavors with Munich malts up front followed by a slight hop presence and a bready finish.

M: Medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer is nice and clean without being too heavy or watery.

O: A good Marzen, overall. Clean, tasty, and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 22:01:24 | More by n2185

ncfranklin

Alabama

3.05/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had on-tap at Thirsty Monk.

A: Translucent copper, small of white head recedes to a ring.

S: Feint nose of malt, caramel. Not alot of potency here.

T: Caramel malt dominant, with a grassy rough grain touch underneath. Finishes clean, but pretty sub-par of the style.

M: Dryer than expected, plenty of carbonation.

D: Overall, a disappointing effort. Not an easy style to be a standout in, but this one just lacks the complex toasty quality in the malts.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2011 17:19:50 | More by ncfranklin

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A finger of light tan head that hangs on with good surface memory and a clear, orangey-amber body. Nice sticky lacing too.

Smell is the standard crisp, sorta acrid German lager nose. Not bad though.

Taste is crisp but robust for the style. Somewhat grainy and the aftertaste reminds me of Cheerios. Roasty, slightly nutty malt dominates bu is well balanced by German hops. Taste is better than smell; typical for the style.

Quite smooth but well textured, fine.

It's a good Oktoberfest, above average for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 23:46:19 | More by zaphodchak

tdm168

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber with a 1/4" of head. Good retention. It smells of toasted malts and faint caramel. The taste is toasty up front followed by smooth caramel and finishes with a faint bitterness. There's also a little yeast that's noticeable here. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but heavily carbonated.

Overall, it's not a bad beer, but it's far more toasty than most marzens, it's a little yeasty, and too heavily carbonated for me which all detracts from the drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 15:38:22 | More by tdm168

KidsDoc

California

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Mellow Mushroom in Asheville, NC

Poured a nice deep amber/brown with sticky lacing.

Aroma and tate with rich malts, dark fruit, and a touch of nuttiness. Subtle floral hop balance.

Mouthfeel was very smooth, medium body. Soft, clean finish.

Very good seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 18:08:51 | More by KidsDoc

Fulkrum78

Tennessee

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice amber brown color with a creamy white head. Sticks around nicely. Aroma is malty and somewhat sweet. Nice smooth malt character and the hops settle nicely into the background. I pick up a nice chocolaty flavor from this one. Nicely carbonated and smooth to drink. A nice beer overall.

Serving type: growler

09-08-2011 06:18:35 | More by Fulkrum78

PDXHops

South Carolina

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap in a shaker pint. Bright amber body with a finger of off-white head. Decent retention, patchy lacing.

Nose is fairly bland, mostly bready, but it tastes a little more adventurous. Toasty, nutty, a little earthy with a fair amount of leafy bitterness. Slightly tangy at the swallow, then a crisp and toasty finish. Perhaps a bit too subtle, but enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 20:06:00 | More by PDXHops

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the brewpub with lunch at the BA SC release along side some good BAer's and mikesgroove. Served from tap into a Foothills shaker. Poured red-orange with a minimal off-white head. There was no apparent lacing present throughout. The aroma was comprised of pumpkin, spices, and malt. The flavor was of pumpkin and spices. It was light on the palate with mid-high carbonation. Overall I am not usually a fan of this style of brew, however, this one was quite nice. Very nice refreshing character to it and just doesn't punch you in the face with pumpkin spices which was greatly appreciated. I would definitely try this one again given the opportunity as this is probably one of my favorites from this style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2010 19:10:17 | More by thagr81us

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

such a classic beer and the second i saw it on tap i had to order up a pint. served with lunch and thoroughly enjoyed today,

pour a really nice amber with a tilt toward an orange shae with a nice little head of white on top and some nice lacing down the sides of the glass. aroma is hoppy with nice notes of caramel malts, earthy grains, hints of wonderful little notes sprinkle in throughout. a nice medium to full feel with a wonderful afterbite that has a good bit of hops that run right into the finish.

really such a solid beer not enough good can be said about it. needs to be enjoyed by everyone.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2010 03:29:35 | More by mikesgroove

beer2day

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark red with a very thin head. No retention and slight lacing.

Strong sweet malty nose. Candy sugar there as well.

Smooth, sweet hit. Big, big malt taste. Lots of malt. Tons. Nothing but malt here.

Slightly syrupy feel, but worthy of the style.

Moderately good session drinker. Definitely not my favorite from this great brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 15:39:53 | More by beer2day

nickd717

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Draft at the brewpub.

A - Orangish-amber color with an off-white head.

S - Aroma is bready/caramel malt, somewhat one-dimensional but not bad.

T - More of the same, Munich and caramel malts. This is mostly malt-driven as the style usually is, with nuts and a tiny bit of roast. This beer is pretty good for the style, but only average overall.

M - Clean and medium-bodied with medium-low carbonation.

D - Fairly high.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2009 18:11:15 | More by nickd717

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ Foothills on 9/4/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a deep, clear, coppery amber, with a thin covering of slightly eggshell colored white foam. Fizzy looking retention, leaving back some light spotty lace that quickly recedes down the sides of the glass. The aroma has a moderate deepness to it, with the tang of bread and earthy citrus being rather prominent. Some pleasant feeling floral and spicy hop character gives this a bit of liveliness in the nose. Bit of nuttiness and lager yeast as well.

The taste is sticky with toasted bread, which is mixed in with that same nice tanginess of caramel and citrus flavors. Good balance comes courtesy of an assertive spicy bitterness that runs throughout, giving this a strong dry feel in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a sharp crispness to it, but overall this flows very smoothly across the palate.

A solid American take on the Octoberfest, that was initially fairly sweet, but then evened out nicely thanks to that much needed spicy Noble hop character. Tasty and crisp, I would have no problems getting behind a few pints of this come Fest time!

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2009 12:04:21 | More by Kegatron

PhillyStyle

Georgia

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

On tap, served in an Imperial pint glass, Raleigh Times, Raleigh, NC:

The beer served was a nice deep, rich, dark amber color with an off-white-ish head that was not well retained. The head was light and fluffy and there was minimal lacing.

The aroma was lighter than expected, malty sweetness with a hint of nuttiness, no real hops presence to note.

The taste was better than the nose led on. It had a nice toasted malt flavor also with that hint of nut and hints of the hops to give the beer a nice balance.

The beer was on the lighter side of a moderate feel, smooth, good carbonation, easy to drink with nice dry aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2009 16:15:42 | More by PhillyStyle

gabe23

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear amber color with a very small off-white head and no lacing.

S - Malty, grainy, and nutty. A slight hops presence lurks underneath, but sweet malt rules the day.

T - Toasty, roasted nut goodness. Caramel/brown sugar sweetness is present, but not cloying or overpowering. There is just enough crisp German hops at the finish to prime you for the next sip. The finish is clean with a little bit of warmth from the alcohol.

M - Moderate to heavy mouthfeel, with low carbonation. It goes down very smoothly.

D - Very drinkable American interpretation of a marzen, and one that I can easily drink a few pints of.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2009 02:31:19 | More by gabe23

CrellMoset

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oktoberfest, served on tap in a traditional American pint glass at Foothills, Winston-Salem, NC.

Appearance: Arrives with only the remnants of a one-finger head, seemingly slightly off white at one time. If it had existed when it came to my table, it would have sat atop a transparent amber/copper/brown body, infused with infrequent but decidedly present fast, average-sized effervescence. Instead, there's just a faint dusting, a thin bubbly collar, and infrequent blobs of lace.

Aroma: A little sweet and a lot roasted, with hints of brown sugar, moderately roasted toffee, and caramel. It's a little dryer in the finish, with earthy toasted malt notes and a slight hop twinge.

Taste: Very grainy and very toasty, accompanied by a light hop bitterness and a faint leafy hop presence. Lighter roasts occasionally peek through. The water is slightly minerally in places, and the finish is a little sticky.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated with an otherwise medium body, resulting in a crisp, fluffy, largely even, and stylistically accurate mouthfeel. Very crisp and autumnal.

Drinkability: A little more than the sum of its parts, and much better than the dreadful hefeweizen I just finished. It's reasonably stylistically accurate, and even though it's not the most complex beer ever, I found it moderately enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2009 02:07:16 | More by CrellMoset

brentk56

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: What a beauty! Arrives at the bar with a rich caramel color and a creamy head that looked like it belonged atop a Guiness; as the beer went down, it virtually sheeted the sides of the glass

Smell: Caramel tones up front, with a grainy, tea like element underneath

Taste: The caramel from the aroma comes through right away, with that grainy, tea-like flavor arriving after the swallow to provide a slightly bitter balance

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This is one rich and full Oktoberfest, with a bit of a punch, as well

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2008 00:58:48 | More by brentk56

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass at Tyler's Taproom in Apex, NC

Brownish amber in color, crystal clear, with less than 2 fingers worth of off white soapy head. Retention is relatively low as the head dissipated quickly leaving behind a thin layer of bubbles and a ring.

Mostly caramel malt on the nose but there is an earthiness here as well with just a touch of a citrus hop note. Smells like an Oktoberfest should for the most part but nothing incredible.

First splash on the tongue delivers a nice rich malt flavor that has some solid flavor character from what seems like several different malts as it's hard to pick one out in particular. Abundant fine carbonation contributes to a texture that stops just short of creamy but is light enough to slide down easy. A touch on the dry side, this comes out particularly well in the finish as the dry malts fade something on the order of light hops before it all fades away in the linger.

Very enjoyable and quite drinkable. Great example of the style. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2008 13:01:50 | More by SIRIUS2

atsprings

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Foothills pint glass that is mine to keep a crystal clear copper orange with a thin head that diminishes to nothing. Aroma was nice caramel malt and slight fruit sweetness and very slight hop presence. The taste was a nice amount of toasted caramel showcasing what I expect in the style. The beer is light and crisp with decent carbonation. This is certainly one that lives up to my expectations from the guys at Foothills.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2008 00:08:31 | More by atsprings

kkipple

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the wonderful Barley's in Asheville.

Foothills is always fine beer, and this one is no exception. Their take on the Oktoberfest is a clear, rust-amber brew with an off-white head that dies quick. Pretty active carbonation from the keg.

I'm smelling lots of sweet nutty malt, roasty, with some minor bittering hops. Overall clean (as all Foothills beers are) and crisp, refreshing.

A big gulp produces a bunch of sweet, mildly roasted malt upfront, followed quickly by solid hop bitterness and a touch of yeasty, estery sharpness. Finishes hop-bitter, with a staunch malt / caramel after-sweetness. Nothing weird here, perhaps a bit more flavorful than needs to be for the style... but good.

Mouthfeel is classic Foothills - clean, (no off flavors), young, fresh, highly carbonated, and medium-bodied. Can't complain, really...

This is a real drinkable, if safe, interpretation of the style. It's a bit heavier and more alcoholic that its German counterpart, but that's American beer for ya. Less drinkable than say, Ayinger Ofest, this is still a solid contender and a good drink. Go get some.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2007 06:06:13 | More by kkipple

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, brownish-amber body with a thin, short-lived white head.

Smell: Earthy malt aroma with subtle spicing and a hint of apple.

Taste: More of the earthy maltiness with a touch of caramel sweetness. A touch of spice. That hint of apple rears up from time to time. with a bit of hop bitterness appearing near the drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A pretty good Carolinan Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2007 21:30:12 | More by ChainGangGuy

Cindirene

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have to say that this was enjoyed at Cindirene's in Ayden NC not too far from ECU (Go Pirates) - But I digress - Very nice in the glass with amber notes with a nice tight creamy head - Smell is of bready yeast with lots of malty notes - Taste is as promised by the aroma but with subtle hoppy citrussy but dry tones in the background - Full-bodied and yummy - Alcohol pretty well absorbed into the overall experience

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2007 01:56:57 | More by Cindirene