Oktoberfest - Upland Brewing Company

rmehughes

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

10-14-2012 19:25:33 | More by rmehughes

Nolen12

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -10.5%

05-13-2013 17:08:48 | More by Nolen12

MSandahl23

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

04-25-2013 18:09:59 | More by MSandahl23

outrage213

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

02-06-2013 00:00:00 | More by outrage213

MordorMongo

Indiana

3/5  rDev -17.4%

01-13-2013 23:50:23 | More by MordorMongo

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Gaining inspiration from southern Germany, but brewing with techniques and ingredients that are common to American microbrewers, Upland's Oktoberfest yields a richer oktoberfestbier that hinges on American amber caramel character.

Deep golden to light copper in color, the beer pours brightly clear and caps with a foamy white head that struggles with its retention but somehow manages to lace with intricate patterns before the foam falls. With a bit more retention, this could be a really nice looking lager.

Clean caramel and mild cashew nuttiness leads the aromatics with light touches of freshly kilned barley and slight whiffs of butter lying closely behind. Bread crust, mild sulfurs, and a subdued herbal hop presence rounds out the relatively clean scent.

Caramel sweetness is even more pronounced in taste that it was in aroma. With honey-like floral presence in taste, the sweetness of the beer is looming while the more finesse grain sweetness and supple malt elegance is somewhat lacking- er, covered up by sheer caramel sweetness, leaving the taste largely one-dimensional. Even the light earthy and spicy bitterness of hops pale in comparisons and do little to support the malt.

Medium bodied, yet seemingly full for Oktoberfest- the beer is moderately bodied compared to amber ales. It's malt sweetness coats the mouth and reluctantly lets up; leaving the sweet sugary textures to gravitate to the mouth and preventing the thirst quenching property that's best of authentic German oktoberfestbiers. Lingering sweetness only waivers as mild alcohol warmth and slight acidity come into play in its shy finish.

Upland basically gives the Oktoberfest type of taste that is constant for American made versions, which are becoming vastly inferior to the traditional versions of Bavaria. It's odd that as contemporary Munich versions are getting lighter and lighter, American micro versions are getting sweeter and sweeter.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:12:25 | More by BEERchitect

runlikeakenyan

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

12-13-2012 12:10:04 | More by runlikeakenyan

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Clear amber orange, some carbonation.

S-Caramel, bread and spice. Like your everyday Oktoberfest.

T-Very sweet, caramel, bread on the heavy side. Lots of malt. No bitterness and some spice.

M-Light, some carbonation and crisp.

O-A decent Oktoberfest, the spice was a nice addition.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 16:40:45 | More by rlee1390

damngoode

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

10-23-2012 02:19:23 | More by damngoode

SteveForSuds

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.2%

10-17-2012 02:27:08 | More by SteveForSuds

richkrull

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +10.2%

10-15-2012 16:03:30 | More by richkrull

JackStraw

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2012 Oktoberfest, bottled around the third week of August.

A - Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, with a nice two finger creamy head that quickly dissipates. Something of a tiger orange color, maybe around 12 SRMs, clear body. Leaves some lacing.

S - Getting some malty and a bit of nut with a bready character. Clean without much hops.

T - Starts with malty and sweet, with some bread and spice. Very drinkable

M - Smooth medium body, if not a little watery.

0 - I don't drink a lot of this style, but this is a solid drinkable beer. I've had some that are better, but at a right price (7.49) and local (B-town) I'd drink this any day.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:13:55 | More by JackStraw

AmitC

Indiana

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

A decent fest beer. Pours like it should, with a amber color appearance. Very little head that soon dissipates. Neat bubbles and very clear transparent looks.

Smells very much like other good fest beers that i have had. Small tinge of roasted malt aroma mixed with the regular very typical lager bread crumby smell. Extremely distinct aroma of a fest beer very likable.

Taste is pretty much all smell. I do not wonder why bavarians call beer as liquid bread. Good amount of noble German hops, do not feel bitter yet can be experienced.

Very easy to drink. Decent amount of bubbles with light bodied feel.

Alcohol strength on the higher side for this style wins it the final four.

Drink it as much as you can.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 00:02:59 | More by AmitC

Ryen

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.2%

09-25-2012 03:22:41 | More by Ryen

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a coppery amber with about two fingers of off-white creamy froth that sticks around for two minutes, leaving medium amounts of lacing on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels, creamy smooth texture.

Smells of light toasted bready sweetness with an herbal hopping nuance, and tastes of toasted bready sweetness with a vague grassy and nutty aftertaste. I've had worse and I've had better than this.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 20:55:02 | More by WastingFreetime

kuestegg

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

09-13-2012 15:56:05 | More by kuestegg

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I got a 16oz glass of this for $4.25 at Conway and O’Reilly’s in Janesville, WI in mid 2012. Pours slightly hazy in a light amber color with a classic foamy head. Mild scent of malts and spices. Taste is malty and toasty. Smooth taste that finishes slightly crisp. A little too watery though in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 19:50:33 | More by Lemke10

neckbracesub

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

03-07-2012 01:08:01 | More by neckbracesub

tyleeis

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -17.4%

12-16-2011 01:07:01 | More by tyleeis

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

amber color with a great clarity fills the glass. Nice streams of bubbles that rippled up toward the surface gave it a good bit of depth and created a nice moderate to medium capping of white that clung to the sides for a little while before letting itself go. Muted bready malts. Hints of light grain and a touch of some light spice, but everything was too light and muted for me. Not enough in the way of herbal hoppiness or depth to keep me interested. Same could be said as I took the first sip, while not really being bad in any way, it was just rather uninteresting. Bready grains, hints of something musky, and a touch of light pine maybe, but very muted. Smooth and even taste with a clean and concise finish

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 14:31:07 | More by mikesgroove

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

2.8/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, the appearance was a golden orange color. Any aroma was faint, though what did exist was mildly sweet. The taste was far from bold for a beer that is traditionally flavorful. There was a mildly sweet bread flavor that quickly faded into a slightly sour finish. Something about the aftertaste left a mild metalic/coppery taste in my mouth. Of course, this was unpleasant. Mouthfeel showed little carbonation, going down easy. By definition of the score, it is a pretty average beer with nothing that stands out in the field of Oktoberfests.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 23:27:39 | More by JohnnyHopps

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow my first Upland beer, thanks to erric for this one.

Pours a nice frothy 1 finger head that fades semi slowly, over clear amber orange colored beer, some lacing.

Nose has light malts, soft almost decoction sweet malts, light creamy malt and touch of cracked straw. Also plenty of lager aromas, some crisp malts, and some lager fruits, touch of noble floral almost spicy hops.

Taste starts with some sweet malts, light Bavarian pilsner malts, light cracked straw and almost wheat but not quite, smooth and slightly creamy. Nice lager flavors, a bit of fruit and crispness. Also some nice hops, light floral hops, a bit spicy, nice noble hop flavors. Nice layers of soft malts, almost like a decoction. Finish has some spicy hops, a bit of bitterness, and nice creamy malts.

Mouth is lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall I think this was very well done, I've been drinking lots of German Oktoberfests lately and this might be the best American version of a real German Oktoberfest. They got it quite close with malts, hops, and lager flavors, maybe a touch more cracked straw would really staple it. i wouldn't be surprised if they even did a decoction for this. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 23:00:45 | More by jlindros

Pauly2X

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deep gold, almost light amber in color. Good half finger head.

S- Caramel and toast with a noticable but not overpowering noble hop pressence.

T- Malty sweet, caramel and toast flavors abound yet stay mellow enough to enjoy without pretense. Virtually no hop bitterness but there's a good amount of hop flavor to go around. Finishes sweet without being cloying.

M- Smooth and rich while retaining quaffability. Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O- Easily one of the better Domestic Marzen's I've had and it can easily hold it's own against it's German counterparts. I think I'll have to go grab a sixer of this before it's gone.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 21:50:35 | More by Pauly2X

doughanson78

Washington

2.9/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Received in jmarsh123's Music LIF.

A: Super clear copper color. Almost no head or lacing.

S: Not a big aroma on this one. What little I do get is very malty with hints of bread. A little bit of spice.

T: Follows the aroma, as in not real big. Some light sweet malts, a bit of spice in the middle, and finishing with a light wet grass profile. Not a bad taste at all, just way to light.

M: Light bodied, but not watery. Lower carbonation. Light creaminess.

O: A very easy drinking beer. Had to really struggle to taste anything. Still not really a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 05:25:51 | More by doughanson78

tommiller819

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a fresh growler into a 16 oz goblet.

A: About a finger of off-white head that dissipates pretty quickly with only a bit of lacing. The beer pours a clear dark amber.

S: Mostly malts, with a bit of spiciness. Has some cinnamon and apple notes to it. Very nice.

T: Up front it's a nice Oktoberfest with some slightly fruity flavors and just a bit of alcohol warmth, but like many Upland beers, there is a strange aftertaste to it that I'm not too keen on. It could be the hard water around Bloomington, I don't know.

M: Good carbonation, not too harsh, but a bit syrupy.

Serving type: growler

10-02-2011 21:43:49 | More by tommiller819