Otter Creek Oktoberfest - Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pour - Medium amber in color with a good amount of carbonation and a white pancake batter-esque head.

Aroma - Malty sweetness, bread dough and caramel.

Taste - Biscuits and honey, brown bread, brown sugar along with a bit of tanginess and a sharp, noble hop finish. Nothing too outstanding with this one but that being said you could certainly enjoy a lot of these on a nice fall evening and feel pretty good about your choice to do so.

Overall - Not really my favorite seasonal nor one of my favorites from Otter Creek. Decent and non-offensive enough but I think they could do it better.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2009 17:21:57 | More by indiapaleale

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle. Consumed 10/05/09
A) Pours with a finger thick head then settles to a thin lacing along the edge of the glass. Amber in color. Transparent. Mellow upward CO2.
S) Grainy. Light banana aroma.
T) Nutty and caramel up front. Moves to a mellow malty finish with a touch of hops. A bit astringent in the aftertaste.
M) Crisp. Clean. Fizzy. Slight dry. Light to medium dry.
D) A nice Octoberfest, but I was anticipating a touch more harvest-esque spice.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 00:28:33 | More by u2carew

xanok

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a light, hazy copper with one finger of white head that disappears fast. Leaves pretty good lacing on the side.

S: Smells of malts, honey, and caramel. Great aroma, but not overwhelming.

T: Much like the smell, with a bit of bread taste. Actually, the finish is quite sweet. I'm liking this one a lot.

M: A bit more carbonated and zestier at the start than I expected, but finishes crisp and clean.

D-Very drinkable. Great taste, but nothing complex. Definitely worth picking up a 6-pack, but probably not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 21:08:24 | More by xanok

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Now Otter Creek makes some interesting and good beers. I still have yet to try quite a few, and this beer meets a cross roads of two review paths. First being Otter Creek and New England locals, and the second being Oktoberfest beers.

A: Pours with a fluffy 1 finger head that dissipates at a quick rate, leaving lacing on the sides of the glass. A brilliantly clear toasty amber brown color that even lets me continue watching A View to a Kill through it's amber colored filter.

N: Hmmm, it has some light toasty malts and red ale like aromas, as well as very light Marzen style crispness. However, it also seems to have an extract or artificial sugar like sweetness added. I wouldn't go right out and say that it does, but the nose almost makes me think that. A very light earthy hop aroma too. All in all the nose is pretty light.

T: And now to see its true form... Hmmm, pretty interesting. Lots of toasted malt flavor, some German malts like Munich, some earthy malt quality, it has a nice front end. Then some sweetness and syrup seems to come through, almost like an extract again, not sure if its just me, but I seem to get some of that from it. Then it fades to some nuttiness like toasted almonds or some other nuts or something. The more I taste the more that extract taste seems to disappear though. It also seems to have a weird earthy bitterness, some decent hop taste, but also some unpleasant bitterness too. It's a weird bitterness that I seem to get in certain beers that I just can't put my finger on, which I'm not a fan of that flavor. I should start to compile the beers I get that flavor in and see if I can find a similarity.

M: Medium body with some syrupy feel and decent carbonation.

F: It finishes somewhat clean. Slightly sweet and toasty malt lingering flavors. A gritty feeling sticks around the mouth, which seems a combination of the sticky syrup and earthy malts. Despite the strange sweetness, it seems to dry off quite a bit.

Final thoughts: Its definitely an Autumn Ale, that seems to be an Oktoberfest ripoff with extracts and other off parts. It's not too bad a beer overall, adds some nice toasty malts, nutty flavors, and semi crisp tastes, but has some weird sticky sweet extract like flavors and that unpleasant bitterness I can't figure out.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2009 01:09:36 | More by jlindros

gabe23

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear copper color with a small, fast fading head. Scattered lacing.

S - Yeasty, toasted bread aroma with a slight brown sugar sweetness.

T - Smoky sweet malt flavor to start, with a bittersweet hop bite at the finish. Also some fruitiness that seems out of place for an Oktoberfest beer.

M - Medium thick body with mild carbonation.

D - Decent beer, but this is really just a run of the mill amber ale. Think Fat Tire but with pretty leaves on the label. I'm a big fan of Marzens, and if I'd known this wasn't one, I would have passed. Still, it's not a bad beer, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 02:31:43 | More by gabe23

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had 9/25/09
This beer pours a slightly hazy copper with a one finger white to off white head that recedes rapidly. Some spotty lacing is left on the glass throughout the beer. Nose is of caramel malt, some spice and a hint of citrus hops. Taste starts with caramel malt and a touch of toffee, slight buttery notes. The middle is bready with some spices and grassy hops coming through at the end. Medium body, medium carbonation, crisp, goes down relatively easily. Decent beer, but not one for a session.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 13:58:23 | More by Jayli

carolinahophead

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is about the 10 th or 11th Octoberfest style I have had this year and this one is above average. Has a nice light copper appearance. The typical roasted barley aromas and a yeasty breadlike smell is present. A good taste of a quality marzen with abundance of domestic hops and dark malts. This beer's mouthfeel is with moderate carbonation and good biterness. I really like the long finish and lasting favors of a nice autumn brew. Like any other Octoberfest this would be better with a nice hearty meal or with a nice mild cheese. I will definitely have another.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 11:59:56 | More by carolinahophead

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a mildly hazy burnt orange color. The head is medium-sized, with a similar orange-caramel tint and a frothy texture. Retention is decent, with nice lacing.

S: Toasted, mildly caramel-esque malt. A bit of honeyish sweetness. Mild hints of herbal hops, earthiness, and nuts.

T: Toasted grain and mild caramel flavors initially. A minor hint of honey sweetness. A mild herbal and earthy hop bitterness adds balance. Faintly nutty. Also a bit tealike.

M: Medium bodied. Carbonation is fairly crisp and appealing. The finish is somewhat dry.

D: A pleasant but ultimately pedestrian fall seasonal from Otter Creek. Easy enough to drink at least, but not especially worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 03:06:40 | More by Clydesdale

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at in the Vermont Building the Big E in West Springfield, Vermont on September 28, 2009. It poured a copper color with a thin, but slightly foamy white head. The aroma exhibits an undertone of hops and malts with the malts being the heavier ingredient. Interestingly the flavor features a stronger infusion of hops than malts. There is a hint of citrus that adds a little zing and a feeling of crisp and clean beer. A nice seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2009 14:29:50 | More by puboflyons

Bung

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. Light gold/amber pour, minimal white head. Nose has the basic malt and tea aroma. Taste is straight forward with some malt, peat, just a hint of roast, slight bread and minimal hops. Nice carbonation. Drinkability is very good, for a fairly simple brew. Probably a good session beer. Nothing earth shattering, but worthy.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 03:03:35 | More by Bung

AaronRed

New York

3.73/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Oktoberfest beers are best when simple. This one is. Crisp and clean, with a nice malty flavor- sort of exactly what you would expect. Bready withut too much- very balanced. A richer brew than most German ones- but not as hoppy. Overall worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 21:51:07 | More by AaronRed

droomyster

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear a copper with a semi frothy white head that smells of toasty and sweet malts. Taste is malt-forward on the front and mid palates, a with faint hops coming through as earth and wood. Finishes a bit hoppier than that of most Oktoberfests, but the taste is pleasant rather than objectionable, and gives it the beer an overall balance. At 7 bucks [at least that's the price at my local Trader Joe's], this is a decent value seasonal six-pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 01:10:26 | More by droomyster

bamadog

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a rather plain coppery color and comes with a short one finger head that is white; head fades to a pretty full skim that is thick and chewy looking in spots and thinner in others, but overall it's a well retaining head and covers the surface; body is pretty clear and shows strong carbonation; loose lacing holds to the sides in swaths.

Smell: Smells like a lager - grainy and mildly malty. Not saying this is bad, actually, it's probably just about exactly how it should smell with just a slight absence of a bit more maltiness that I've come to expect from these beers.

Taste: Not too bad - grainy (even like a sweet corn-like aspect?) and slightly maltier on that palate than in the nose.

Mouthfeel: Strong carbonation makes it prickly; body leaves a slight stick on the roof of the mouth - overall, pretty much what I'd expect.

Drinkability: As I've mentioned a couple times in this review - things in the beer match up with what I would expect, making it fairly average, but it's a fine tasting beer and things line up the way they're supposed to in my estimation, so I gave it 4s across the board.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 01:46:17 | More by bamadog

washburnkid

New York

3.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jdmek9 for this fresh seasonal offering!

A: A demanding pour brings about only one finger of beige frothy head. The ale is amber and golden, with a frothy ring of retention and some lace.
S: Very grainy, some grassy hops, too. A spicy, almost sweet pumpkin like aroma is in the back. Or am I just imagining it because of the season? It smells a bit like a German Pils.
T/M: Crisp, drying, and hoppy. At a blind tasting, I wouldn't have pegged this as an ale. The clean, fresh cut grass is there from the hops. Mild bitterness to balance out the distant sweetness. The malts aren't too heavy here but present as caramel. Spicy, but only subtly so.
D: I'm a little thrown off by the style. An Oktoberfest Ale? I have a lot to learn! I'd have another one of these, but I still have Brooklyn in my mind...

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 01:15:52 | More by washburnkid

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

12oz bottle served in a glass beer mug.

Clear copper color with a small off-white head that thinned to a ring after a few minutes.
There's just a faint smell of butter toffee.
Taste is that of an ale more so than a marzen, hence the style listing despite the name. Sweet start and then faint sour/bitterness splashes around before finishing sweet.
Medium bodied with a fizzy feel.
It's easy enough to drink a few of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 00:42:05 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

skinny0ne

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Visually it's perfect. Nice copper color with a fully creamy head. But it has little to no aroma. A very faint burnt wood smell. It has a decent smokiness throughout from start to finish. You can definitely taste the roasting of the malt. A touch of sweetness but not much. The back to finish has a good bit of hops. It like drinking a pile of slighted roasted autumn leaves. And I mean that in a good way. So, a pretty tasty brew but to me not really an Oktoberfest. It's missing that certain flavor. As an amber lager it's pretty good. But not a good Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 23:02:30 | More by skinny0ne

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, light copper color with two fingers of light beige head. Keeps a thin lace and leaves some rings of stick on the sides.

Smell is not very strong but reveals some lightly toasted malt and soft caramel. Also a bit of fruity hops, which seem American rather than German. Not the best ofest nose.

Taste is a nice combo of toasted malt and caramel, both of which are a bit more prominent than they were in the nose. Still, the flavor is somewhat subdued and I wish both popped a bit more. It's quite clean with some biscuit malt flavor, as well, along with some subtle fruity hop flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and is pretty creamy although the flavor does feel a bit thin. Carbonation is relatively soft.

This is not a particularly special brew but it's not too shabby. I wish it were more flavorful because the flavors are good. Still, an easy drinking ofest and worth a shot for fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2009 03:30:07 | More by number1bum

Vthophead

Vermont

2.42/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A clean Malty Octoberfest with a copper color. However, their yeast strain smells like some one added some dirty socks to the fermenter or to the boil. No pleasant aromas from this beer. Once you get past the smell it is a smooth tasting beer. A good beer to drink on a cool autumn night when you are all stuffed up.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 21:10:55 | More by Vthophead

DookDrinkyCrow

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

O.C.O.A.A. pours a cloudy, straw/amber with little to no head. Smell is faint with spicy malt aroma. The taste is really surprising! It starts off with a malt flavor and ends with a very palatable hop finish. I couldn't put it down without finishing the bottle. This Ale makes me feel the fall season. I will drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 20:55:08 | More by DookDrinkyCrow

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.47/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured in a pilsner glass.

Deep golden color with a small head, somewhat straw and amber in color.

Wow! Such a full mouthfeel with some awesome toasty malty flavors. Some breadiness to it. Probably Otter creeks best beer, and after an evening of fall beer tasting, this one stood out as my favorite fall beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 19:05:30 | More by kingcrowing

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into a Ro's Restaurant pint glass.

A: Poured a medium copper amber color with a thin veil of white, sudsy foam and a moderate level of carbonation. Lacing was light but minimal.

S: Smells faintly of toasted wheat bread with a few citrusy fruit esters and a little herbal hop aroma.

T: Taste is slightly sweet toasted caramel malt at first which turns into a mildly bittersweet hop infused body. A little citrus cuts into the predominantly light malt flavor to finish dry and clean.

M: Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied and a little watery at points.

D: A modest ABV would make for a good session ale, but the mental block comes from this brew not really being a marzen. Taste is alright and it's of medium quality. Worth a shot and some American die-hards might snap it up.

Like Harpoon, the company makes it a point to put "Autumn Ale" right on the label so as not to try and fool any beer drinker in the know. A red ale for year round consumption bottled and packaged as a seasonal. More marketing than brewing science here.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 15:13:40 | More by Gambrinus1184

racer2k

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass

A - Dark bronze color which pours a thin head in the glass. The head quickly dissipates leaving no lacing on the glass.

S - Hops, dried fruit, and strong malt/grain smell.

T - Nice balance of hops and malt. This is a nice tasting Oktoberfest with a dry crisp toasted malt finish.

M - Thin and a bit watery with moderate carbonation going on.

D - Very drinkable session beer. One of the better Oktoberfest beers so far this year.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 14:44:03 | More by racer2k

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasting this beer along with Left Hand's, Sam Adams and Harpoon's Oktoberfest beers.

The Otter Creek Oktoberfest pours an orange amber color, which is paler than the other three Oktoberfests. With a generous pour, a very thin head is produced, but it maintains throughout the drinking of the beer.

The smell contains some hop and malt aroma, but overall not too much going on.

The flavor is hops, sweet malts and peppery goodness. This beer is malty, but much dryer than the other three. Also, more hop flavor than Sam Adams or Left Hand and the peppery kick is quite refreshing. Leaves the mouth feeling crisp and clean.

As with most Oktoberfests, this beer is very drinkable. Less than 5% alcohol, so it is definitely a session beer. I found that this beer had more bite than the other three I sampled and in the end I found that to be refreshing. Otter Creek does a nice job of setting itself apart from the other Oktoberfests, but still maintains the style quite well.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 23:15:46 | More by sisuspeed

abuliarose

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. Color is dark gold with a little head, finely-sized carbonation. Smells quite hoppy, refreshingly, for an Oktoberfest with nutty malt undertones.

Tastes... roasty from malt. Very earthy and pungent with a noticeable hop bite at the end. Pretty refreshing. The body is light and decently smooth with a thin and effervescent carbonation that accents its bite.

Overall it's pretty good. The dominant earthy flavors are interesting but not my thing. Not a bad Oktoberfest, though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2009 23:07:14 | More by abuliarose

CptAubrey

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

A: Creamy white head, burnt red-orange beer.

S: Toasted malt and fruitiness. Not getting much hops here. Ho-hum.

T: Toasted malt and butter with faint herbal hoppiness, low-moderate bitterness. Relatively clean, but noticeable fruitiness and buttery diacetyl distract from the toasty malt.

M: Fine carbonation, light-medium body with a welcome grainy mouthfeel.

D: Not a bad beer, but I don't want another. Compared to actual Maerzen beers it suffers from esters and diacetyl that distract from the malt, and as an American amber ale it just lacks character.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2009 17:29:07 | More by CptAubrey