Penn Oktoberfest - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

paulhargus

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: light orange, almost goldish in appearance. lighter than what i've seen in most other Marzens

S: floral/earthy smell with a faint caramel aroma

T: very similar to the smell. not as malty as other Marzens I've had and a touch on the hoppy side for the style. there is also a tinge of citrus at the end.

M: medium and well carbonated

O: although not as malty or caramel-heavy as I like in my Marzens, this was a very well crafted brew. well balanced and an easy drinker. would like to have this on draft. a nice offering from a brewery I hadn't heard of until today.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:01:28 | More by paulhargus

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

2.65/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tall, narrow Ayinger Marzen glass.

A - Pours a golden yellow, leaving a two-finger head of eggshell-white fluffy foam. Beer is a slightly opaque goldenrod color.

S - Bubblegum in the front of nose, followed by grassy straw, and then floral hops. Hints of a very subtle banana bread.

T - Sugars haven't quite fully caramelized, so the bubblegum in the nose is present in the taste. Light caramel-toffee with just enough bittering hops to not be cloying, as those take over at the very end of the finish.

M - Good carbonation gives is a slightly fizzy, foamy mouthfeel. On the thin side with a loose structure and soft, moderate finish.

O - On the lighter side of the divide of Oktoberfest Marzens. Reminds me of a wheat-based beer that's oriented toward caramel sugars. Not bad, but with all the Oktoberfest options out there, and my personal preference for well-defined caramels and malts, this isn't one I'll be seeking out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 01:31:24 | More by BuckeyeSlim

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Lagunitas Mason Jar. Half finger of off-white head over a light copper body. Not much lacing or retention to speak of.

Smells of esters and nondescript bready malt. Slightly metallic.

Banana, apple, and crisp breadiness on the taste. The aftertaste is a little sweet. The mouthfeel is a little overcarbonated for the style, in my opinion.

Not my favorite Oktoberfest, but decent. I mainly think the malt could be featured more prominently and have a more pronounced flavor to it.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:33:07 | More by troysoy2

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very clear copper with a bit of a hazy orange tint. Small 1 finger, bright white head.

S - Good amount of bready malt, a tinge of caramel. Light spice notes in the background.

T - A bit spicier than most Octoberfests I've tried. Starts with a hint of ester and zest before fading into that rich breadiness. Finish is slightly "lager"-y.

M - Full mouthfeel, moderate to high carbonation. Clean and crisp.

Overall - Pretty good beer here. A little bit of a twist on the traditional Octoberfest, but perfect for the season. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 16:19:07 | More by BeerBuckeye

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A clear bright orange with a brown hue. Head is small and only gets a small lace ring.

S - Light biscuit malts, touch of toffee and bread and caramel.

T - Mild bit of hops mixed with sweet malts of caramel and toffee and some bread in the finish. Has a mild metallic twang but it's easily ignored.

M - Light to medium an easy going Oktoberfest.

Overall I might have to pick this one up again. Sweet, balanced and not very much skunked malts its a winner in my book.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 02:41:18 | More by DrDemento456

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 Penn Oktoberfest. 12oz bottle. Look forward to this brew every year.

Beautifully clear copper body with an eggshell white head of a quarter-inch height. Retaining very well atop the beer.

Sweet and toasty caramelly malt with a sprite hop aroma. Definitely beefy with grain. Nice Oktoberfest aroma.

Classic toasty flavor with some toffee malts, earthy notes, and Noble hops. Slight metallic character works well here. A good strong gritty bitterness follows the palate into the finish. Clean outro with some lingering crisp grain. Lovely sweet Oktoberfest beer.

A very easy drink. Bristly carbonation, specifically in the finsh. Light-to-medium body. Very smooth.

One of my favorite Oktoberfests. Gonna enjoy this six-pack in these dog days of summer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 02:11:15 | More by thecheapies

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good starting head that settles to a thin layer of bubbles. Some ring lace. Darker gold color with a touch of haze.

Deep semi-sweet caramel smell. No notable hop nose.

Tastes like a cross between an Marzen and a heavily unmalted pilsner. Lightly sweet with an above-average body. Light on the carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 01:28:52 | More by smcolw

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours medium orange with a slight off-white skim of a head. No lace.

Some malt, a little caramel, some slight woodiness. Wanted alot more here.

Nice lager. Good depth of flavor for the malt, with hints of caramel and even a little nuttiness. The sugars are present at first but disappear. But this beer dries out fast and leads to some toasted grain and light bitterness. The brew finishes with a very nice malt profile and light lingering bitterness.

Medium bodied. Nice carbonation.

I'm sorry, but all in this style pale to their german counterparts. A very good domestic version -- one of the better ones.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:17:04 | More by OtherShoe2

Tschnab

New York

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

A- a dark orange pour with a creamy head that quickly shrinks to a film.

S- very grainy, slightly vegetal, and has a very pleasant spicy and floral hop aroma.

T- definetly a malty beer, but has enough balance from the hops too. Biscuity malts pair with herbal spice, almonds, and hops.

O- Good session beer, very clean and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 14:02:36 | More by Tschnab

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a very light fizzy 1/4 finger head that disappears semi quickly over clear darker toasted malt nectar almost copper orange colored beer.

Nose is unique, toasted malts as usual, light lager aromas with hints of fruit and sweetness, reddish sweet malts with hint of caramel, but then it changes a bit with some light reddish fruit aromas, hint of oxidation and almost estery aroma.

Taste has sweet malts, toasty malts, sweet caramel malts and toasty caramel, a bit syrupy and almost maple syrup, a bit overly syrupy, not very clean or crisp, slight tingly as well not sure what from as the booze is low. And there are some esters in the background which should def not be there for this beer, this seems more like a Belgian dubbel than Marzen. Finishes still sweet but slightly drier, sticky, touch of bitterness and lingering syrups.

Mouth is med bodied, syrupy, decent carb.

Overall not impressed at all. They didn't really hit the style well and tried to go overboard on everything (except the hops which were pretty much completely absent). Too sweet, very sryupy and caramel, not clean or crisp, very little toasted malts, little lager flavors, and no straw, etc. This was a poor excuse for an Oktoberfest/Marzen IMO.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 23:16:03 | More by jlindros

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Rivertowne Pub and Grille
Poured a clear light brownish amber color. Minimal head.
Smelled of light roasty malts and a whiff of bubblegum. Got a little spicy and fruity as it warmed up a bit.
Rich and malty, lightly toasted.
Moderate body, low alcohol burn, was a bit more crisp feeling than I'd like.
Good but not great, solid middle of the road marzen.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 09:54:41 | More by JackTheRipper

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: light amber copper color with a healthy white head with good retention. Some

S: Medium spicey yeast notes, nice malt aroma . Nothing overly impressive but right where it seems that it should be.

T: Taste is mostly sourdough bread yeast mixing with a great mild malt body. I sense a bit of rye taste even though there very well may be none in the malt bill. Hop presence is a nice mild noble hopping of Hallertauer or the likes.

M: Medium body, light carbonation, great mouthfeel. I cannot think of a beer that is smoother really for the style.

O: This is a great Oktoberfest. Clearly glad to have tried this and would buy this over Spaten when purchased locally any day. Better body and less metallic tasting.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 01:53:44 | More by alpinebryant

StBoisterous

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours clear amber/bronze.

S: Slight hop and alcogol aroma, a slight sweet grape smell is present, similar to a Riesling wine, but not as potent. Very pleasant aroma.

T: A little bit hoppy with some spice flavoring, slight "toasted" malt taste.

M: Smooth and creamy, nice aftertaste.

D: Very drinkable, great aroma, well balanced, all around good ale. Great fall season ale!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 17:24:54 | More by StBoisterous

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a light copperish amber with nice foamy white head that sticks around quite a bit. With around 2 to 3 fingers in width, it fades to a simple blanket. Poured an entire bottle into a standard pint glass. Towards the end of the pour, I noticed some dregs floating around in my glass that muddied the beer. A little surprising as I thought it would have been filtered a little better.

S: A nice clean aroma with some light pear notes. A little floral hops are there too.

T: A nice malt profile with hints of caramel, nuts, and light toasty notes. Reminds me of a fresh loaf of bread. A very good rendition of the style.

M: The texture is smooth & velvety. Nice carbonation with a slightly bitter end.

O: A very good beer worth checking out. Worth drinking anytime of year.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 23:40:53 | More by jwhancher

DerekP

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Penn Brewery Oktoberfest, as part of the brewery's Gourmet Selection (variety-pack). Slightly hazy appearance marked by an amber-copper brown color. Head slims to a nice rim with leftovers on top.

Grassy hops in the nose up front, with a sweet honey and malt backbone. Candy caramel w/ sweet brown bread.

First sip--since I took the bottle out of the fridge twenty minutes ago--is marked by a hoppy-graininess that is hard to describe. Alcohol in the taste. Toasted barley? Toasted brown bread? Definitely some caramel. Hoppy up front with a medium body. Sweeter in the finish with a bit of a syrupy feel on the tongue.

I like it, although I'm having trouble describing its characteristics. A good Oktoberfest that doesn't ask you to think about it too much, while remaining interesting enough to imbibe. I can see myself drinking this in the cold.

As for the other beers that one is encouraged to drink in the cold (read: Winter Warmers), give me a few weeks. I'm not ready yet.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 01:33:59 | More by DerekP

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate brown color with a bit of a white head. The nose is some very slight caramel and a bit of bread. Some toffee. The taste is really plain and actually brings in a tiny amount of light cardboard. Mouthfeel is medium with average carbonation. The flavor interferes with enjoyment here and this, all around, is not a terribly great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 01:45:28 | More by Thorpe429

cooch69

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This Oktoberfest pours a brilliant golden amber that's as clear as can be. It pours with a one finger loose head, but the carbonation in this beer is vigorous and quite well spread. It's quite a beuty for the eyes.
This beer smells faintly of biscuity malts. Not much Hop's detected either. As far as aromas go this is very light but straight forward and simple.
The taste of the Oktoberfest is amazing. I'm loving how awesome the finish to this beer is. It comes in the mouth biscuity and slightly sweet. Really comparable to a hot cereal served cold. And in the finish I'm getting one of the best maltiness I've ever experienced in an Oktoberfest.
The mouthfeel is very light and a bit thiner than others in the style. This however makes it too easy to drink.
Thanks PBC for making yet another awesome beer. I've never been disapointed yet.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 23:16:19 | More by cooch69

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Penn is back, lets see how the Oktoberfest ranks up.

A-pours an orangish amber color with plenty of off white bubbly and creamy head.

S-stale grains, maybe some toasted bread in there as well. tons of steel aromas and notes of bad vegetables, some sugary caramel syrupy in the back.

T-much of the same but slightly better, lots of steel, stale vegetables and grains, lightly toasted bread and more sugary caramel syrupy with a light herbal hop presence in the back and hint of bitterness.

M-medium body, very grainy feel to it and highly carbonated with a prickly crisp finish that seems rather messy.

D-poor attempt here, there hefe and lager aren't bad, the dark is alright as well. this one falls short of their standard offerings and has issues.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 00:23:36 | More by cpetrone84

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clean orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, earthy and biscuit like. In the taste, earthy, and a hint of sweet fruit. A smooth and light bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry maltiness in the aftertaste. Nice earthy presence, quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2010 14:42:21 | More by OWSLEY069

nukem5

Pennsylvania

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

A: Copper color litle head 1/4 inch.

S: Malt and light hops.

T: Like fall all the flavors of the season, cinnamon,pumpkin,corriandor,lots a of malt

M: Medium bodied with a slight acidic aftertaste of metalics.

D: Very and so much more love for this brew because its my home towne. Keep brewing love.If you have the chance to stop in and sample a fresh one by all means go for it . Always will be my fav. Ocktoberfest.

Serving type: growler

09-05-2010 04:02:17 | More by nukem5

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Again, a pretty ordinary beer from Penn. Though their Oktoberfest is tasty enough, it misses the marks on the details that make German Oktoberfests so great.

A bright orange/copper hue shows aggressive carbonation, bright clarity, and allows a dainty white head to form before rapidly disipating.

Very sweet with caramel and barley malt. Light grain scent and sulfur provide the few distractions. Still, pretty simplistic nose.

Flavors are very sweet with straight-forward caramel taste. Light apple flavor is a bit odd. Malty but not with the soft, elegant, and complex maltiness that rounds out good Marzens. Hops struggle to offset the bold sweetness and with no herbal flavor. Sulfur notes remind me of match-sticks.

Sweet up front but with a fleeting maltiness, leaving the beer feeling a bit weak and scrubbed because of the carbonation-sulfur mix.

The Oktoberfest is a fine beer especially for the sweet-tooths out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 21:42:07 | More by BEERchitect

Durge

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured chilled into a pint glass this one is a slightly hazy chestnut-amber color with a fair off-white head with minimal lacing. The aroma offers sweet wheat and thin fruity hop edges. Generally pretty light. The first taste is of wheat cereal and lemon-apple. Pleasant but nothing too complicated. A litle thin, but near mid-bodied. Nice light carbonation. I get a slightly woodsy sense from this, leafy nut. Not so bad, better as it warms actually. Very drinkable and a decent option to try if you like this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 19:42:36 | More by Durge

ZimZamZoom

West Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice deep copper color, white head is a bit short-lived but a nice coating stays atop the beer.

Big malty nose, Earthy, with a little hop tingle. Taste is also sweet and malty. Some caramel is also present. Hops come in at the finish, with a bit of flavor and a slight bitter end. Otherwise finishes clean and fast.

Nice body on this Märzen. Nice smooth feel and very drinkable. I could session this no problem. A fine example of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 02:51:38 | More by ZimZamZoom

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

24 (I think) oz wine bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Imperial Pint. "2008" on the label but I believe it's a 2009. No other info.

Thanks to NeroFiddled for this bottle!

A - It pours lightly hazy. The color is a rusty pumpkin orange with golden highlights. The vigorous pour creates a billowing white head with good retention. As it slowly lowers, clumps of lacing cling to the glass.

S - The aroma is low instantly but has a tiny touch at a caramel sweetness with toasty Vienna malts and delicious crisp noble hops.

T - The flavor mirrors the nose almost to a "T". It kicks into gear with a solid malt backbone and touch of caramel sweetness only to be finishes quickly by noble hops. A bit grassy but smooth and forgiving. A citrus splash is left lingering on the tongue.

M - The mouthfeel is smooth and soft with a dry finish. Light-medium in body.

D - Well crafted, it has great drinkability and a good flavor. The soft body really helps it go down smooth. Pouring the whole wine bottle into a liter mug wouldn't be a bad idea.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 22:31:36 | More by BeerFMAndy

BeerSox

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into pint glass

A clear burnt golden hue, nearing honey amber. A less-than-one-finger-high head settles to a rim.

Light toasted malts that seem to be masked by a thick layer of diacetyl. Some leafy hops are in the background.

Very toasty malts, slightly dry. A little bit of sweetness from the malts still lingers. Not much from the hops. Full bodied.

An okay oktoberfest, although a little closer to the maerzen side of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2009 19:00:55 | More by BeerSox