Shiner Oktoberfest - Spoetzl Brewery

Bizz88

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a nice clear amber with a creamy light tan head with a descent amount of lacing. Aromas of sweet caramel malts predominated throughout. On the palatte I found it to be a little lighter bodied than most Marzens. But what it lacked in body it made up in taste, with a nice sweet malt on the tongue in true German fashion. One of the better offerings from the folks at Spoetzl. Two thumbs up!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 19:12:21 | More by Bizz88

JMad

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a bottle to a pint glass...
Pours a deep copper color with a bubbly white head.
Smell is the weakest point here, mostly smells like metallic yeast.
Tastes of caramel malt, and sweet bread.
Perfect carbonation, medum body, soft and smooth.
Awesome beer, I could drink these all day. When I heard Shiner was coming back with their Marzen I had to pick up a 6 pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 18:48:01 | More by JMad

PuckLSHS

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - The beer is copper in color and the head holds for about 2 minutes before it dissipates. The smell is a nice and has hints of copper and malt. For a marzen, Shiner has done a pretty darn good job to hold steady to German tradition.

The taste holds a light malt flavor, a nice hop finish with a little bit of bitterness. I like the mouthfeel of the beer. Nice and crisp. Would be great on a warm summer's day.

The beers drinkability rating is good. It goes down quite well and has a nice mix of flavors in the finish. Since I have not had more of the Spoetzl offerings, it is definitely making me want to go out there and hunt some down. Can't say that about other breweries out of Texas. No offense though...in college, I used to be a Lone Star...but that was quite a long time ago.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2006 01:29:30 | More by PuckLSHS

Offa

California

3.93/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I found this to be a very good beer, which surprised me considering that I found their Bock to be very, very sub-par.

Pale amber/bronze, it has a medium off-white head steadily shrinking to a rich foamy ring and wisps, a tiny bit of lace.

Aroma is lightly caramelly grain and bread, hints of apple, herbs and grass, like a fuller, more caramelly US pale lager with a hint of German hoppiness.

Taste is simialr, lightly caramelly barley and lightly toasty bread, hint of apple, light sweetness just dominates before light bitterness joins to make it dryish and toasty with some leafy, vaguely herbal character that takes over at the finish and lingers with toasty barley. It is very nice, an enjoyable, solid Vienna-type marzen.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 21:04:11 | More by Offa

acevenom

Louisiana

3.93/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass mug. Pours clear copper with a finger length eggshell colored head. There are numerous tiny bubbles visible in the beer. The head retreats pretty slowly and leaves some lacing on the side of the glass. I detect the roasted bready and slightly sweet malt aromas that I would expect from a Märzen. There's some nuttiness in the background as well. The breadiness almost takes on a crusty bread character. The hops aren't very present in the aroma, but they are there. There is that sort of spiciness that comes from the Hallertau hops. There's some grassiness as well, which probably comes from the Hersbrucker hops.

The taste follows the nose. The malt profile is typical Märzen, bringing some nice breadiness and mild sweetness to the tongue. The hops are present there in there with some spiciness, floral, and earthy qualities. There's that nice back end bitterness. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The beer finishes dry with a lingering aftertaste that clings to the mouth. The drinkability is high with this one. This is a very good beer that is very easy to knock back. This is one of Shiner's better offerings and could easily fit as one of their year round offerings rather than just a seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:41:24 | More by acevenom

allengarvin

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shiner 96 pours out a clear reddish-orange color with lots of fine streaming bubbles and a solid half inch of creamy foam that hasn't gone down a millimeter in the minute and half since I poured it. It's exactly the color of the beer on the front of the Marzen/Oktoberfest brew-styles-series books. I can't give the appearance less than perfect.

Aroma is grainy, lightly toasted, somewhat faint. Good malt underpinning in the flavor, bready and toasty. Hop bitterness is right in the middle, becoming more apparent at the end. Not much hop flavor that I can find. Lightly fruity, oddly enough. Finishes clean. Moderate body, medium carbonation.

Easily the best-crafted beer Shiner has ever produced. Generally right on the money for the style, and a pretty tasty beer to boot.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2005 17:09:40 | More by allengarvin

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a lager glass. Pours a copper color with a 3 finger head. Carbonation bubbles rising to the head constantly. The smell was of adjunct and spice, An odd mixture, But definitely there. The taste was of slight adjunct, With some spices, Perhaps some cinnamon and lightly toasted malt. Very, Very drinkable without being overpowered. The mouthfeel is virtually the same, A stronger adjunct coming through but it's still very manageable and good. Overall, Would I buy it again? well, I got it for free, And I would like to explore new Oktoberfests, But this was very good and spicy. So yes, I would buy it again

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 02:45:26 | More by SometimesIfart

DeathbySexyBT

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes...

Serving notes: Served in odd mug at a bed and breakfast while on evacuation from Hurrican Rita. Shiner is a beautiful little town with a fantasctic polish BBQ joint named Werners. I purchased this beer from the corner store in a wooden crate that only was obtainable with the 96 release and in very limited quantities. No real relevance...just bragging.

A: Like I said, this was in a mug at a bed and breakfast with a mug ordained with cutesy little craft junk on it. Still, the beer has a amber boday and bone head that retains well but lacks the lacing I like to see.

S: A splash of cran-grape juice on a bed of sweet caramel and biscuit scented malts.

T: Toasted malt grains with a minor cameo of hops. A distinct honey flavor on the finish with a tart effect as well. Odd. Good, but still odd.

M: Smooth and medium on the body and carbonation.

D: Good effort for the style, but lacking excitement. This is not your best Marzen, but very far from the worst.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 15:17:50 | More by DeathbySexyBT

Gagnonsux

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shiner 96 is bright copper in color with a rather large, off-white head. Carbonation is moderate and aides in some pretty good retention. The aroma is of rich caramel malts with an element of dark fruit smell. The taste is bready with distinct caramel taste and a touch of dark fruit. The sweetness factor is a little high for the style, but doesn't cloy. Noble hop flavor is present, but mainly serves as a balance. The finish is a little weak. After my first couple of sips, I didn't really find this to be a very good beer, but by the time my mug warmed up, the flavors had really opened up. This isn't as good as the German greats, but still a nice surprise from Shiner. I doubt it'll happen, but I hope they make this a fall seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2005 02:31:02 | More by Gagnonsux

chilidog

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A nice classic attempt at a traditional style.
It pours a rich amber bronz. Off-white head that does fade abit due to a well dose of carbonation though not fizzy. Slight lace to be had.

Aroma of malts, sweet brown sugar and bark.

Taste of toasted malts, caramel, biscuit and a hop backdrop.

Mouth is smooth though thinner than some other octobers. It can quench a thirst which aids its very own drinkability while a malted hint of hop oil lingers.

A nice job for Shiner and priced fair and reasonable.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 16:43:12 | More by chilidog

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a very pale amber / orange color with a full finger of healthy white foam. Foam lingers and coats the glass. Aroma has a husky, grainy flavor to it - i've detected it many times before, I should figure out a better way to describe it.

Flavor is moderately sweet, with a healthy mouthfeel and lingering stale malt finish. I like this much better than the Spaten Octoberfest that I just had. The flavors are cleaner, and I don't get a harsh aftertaste.

That being said, I'm not tremendously excited about this beer either. It has a nice malty flavor, but there is nothing that really wows me. Overall solidly good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 04:51:19 | More by FickleBeast

Ford

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a regular pint glass.

This is a really good oktoberfest in my opinion. Just the right amount of caramel and bitterness. SHiner is always dependably good to me.

If you are in Houston I like the Karbach Karbachtoberfest better and Saint Arnold about the same.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:35:05 | More by Ford

clickpush

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pour: 12oz bottle to pint glass. Color is dark orange-red with tons of visible carbonation and an inviting, healthy looking finger and a half of white fluffy head that just won't go away, no matter how long it sits there. It looks like meringue!

Nose: I can actually feel the carbonation tingly in my nose with a sharp spiciness that probably due to the alcohol. Sour, raspberry like aroma that's also kind of yeasty - a bit like a hefeweizen.

Mouth: Enters mouth with sharp carbonation on the tip of the tongue but fades quickly to an almost flat, watery mouthfeel. Excellent bitterness in the back of the mouth and warmth from the alcohol (but no alcoholic flavor). The taste is light, full bodied, grassy, slightly acidic like unripe peaches. It was well balances, the acidity wasn't overpowering and the bitterness lasted well in the mouth. I found this to be surprisingly drinkable and enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 19:19:28 | More by clickpush

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I guess I should get this beer in before it's too late. I have notebooks filled with notes on beers that I've never entered into the database, and this is one of them.

November 2005. From a bottle:

Appearance is as expected with an orange-amber body beneath a thin cap of ivory froth. Moderate retention, minor lacing.

The nose follows suit, with the expected grainy, lightly toasty and mildly caramelish malt with just a hint of juiciness.

The flavor, again, is as expected, with a grainy maltiness that's bready and just slightly toasty, mildly caramelish, subtly honey-like, and perked-up by a tiny bit of red-fruit juiciness that somehow seems to come out of Vienna malts. Or, perhaps that's coming form the yeast? Regardless, it's smooth and clean with an emphasis on malt and only minor floral and grassy/spicy hops in the background. The bitterness is present, as it should be, but relegated to a supporting role, and it's well rounded.

Medium to medium-light body. Moderate carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall, it's a pretty decent take on the style - especially given that many of the imports to the US now seem to be watered down versions of what they once were. No flaws. Pretty damned drinkable as far as acessibility goes, but perhaps somewhat lacking for the style in depth.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 19:52:41 | More by NeroFiddled

jonnylieberman

California

3.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a lovely deep -- but very clear -- orange into my glass. Perhaps a bit light for the style, but handsome regardless. Small amount of lacing and head.

Smell: Grainy, malty -- like a muffin. Quite average. More malt would be appreciated.

Taste: Nice work, Spoetzl boys. A proper rich malt dominates. A little bittering goes far in this beer. Chewy, almost estery -- great carmalization.

Mouthfeel: Right on. Huge, enveloping. Really -- an excellent job. I suspect high mash temps contributed to the fullness -- good carbonation -- not too strong.

Overall: Nice work. I'm glad to see Texas getting getting back to their roots. I could drink quite a few of these, which means it probably needs a little more booze. Again, I am suspecting high mash temps, so maybe some carapils or just more malt period. Either way, a very nice (and surprising) beer from the Shiner/Spoetzel. Now, bring on the Vienna!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2005 02:08:10 | More by jonnylieberman

aforbes10

Iowa

3.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this in Texas after the sales clerk recommended it.

Poured nicely, with a little, fleeting head. Some carbonation. Good malty flavor, not overwhelming. Nutty. Refreshing. Dry mouth afterwards. Happy to drink the whole sixer.

Really liked the special packaging with historical notations, etc.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2005 20:13:53 | More by aforbes10

bditty187

Nebraska

3.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I’m not a fan of Shiner products but I really want to try this beer. No matter the outcome I am happy I finally did…

Clear, tawny-coppery in hue with an amber-peachy highlight; I love the shading! A moderate stream of animation danced towards the off-white head. At the peak the foam was two fingers tall. The bubbles didn’t congeal very long, the head quickly slid to a scrawny cap before fading further to a skinny collar. The subsequent lacing wasn’t very widespread, only a few specks here and there. I found this to be attractive but standard for the style.

The nose is grainy and spicy with toasted undercurrents, fairly clean by the finish. My first sniff said, “Oktoberfest bier,” I am happy about that. I feared I would notice adjuncts, probably an unfair preconceived bias. Subsequent sniffs reaffirmed my positive feelings. Sadly, there wasn’t much depth or development with the bouquet. I wish the potency was louder because, at the core, the smells are agreeable. It is inviting but too quite to excite me.

Not too shabby, the palate is richer and tastier then the nose indicated. Toasted grains, some nuts, caramel, a hint of alcohol heat, and in the finish is a solid blast of spiciness and crisp bitterness. I enjoy the slight rawness and metallic note in the finish. The aftertaste is moderately long but fairly clean and yet agreeable. Hey, it only took Shiner ninety-six years to make a good beer! I joke! I joke! Kind of… Clearly this is the best Shiner product I have had. In fact, this is one of the more agreeable domestic O-fest I have had. Well brewed, I say.

Medium/medium-light in body, the mouthfeel is fitting; I could go either way with it. More body would be nice but, as is, I could really session with it. I don’t think every O-fest needs to be super beefy like Summit or Avery. While 96 is not as small as Warsteiner Oktoberfest I think it leans closer to the traditional mode, which I like too.

Damn easy to drink. Give me a liter and some pretzels… I’d be happy! I sure enjoyed this beer. Too bad Shiner will not release this beer every year! I hope Shiner 97 will be as good. If so, I might have too rethink my opinions on this brewery. I purchased a bottle in Omaha. I might have to grab a six-pack before it is past its prime and/or no more. Not a shabby beer, I say, try one.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2006 15:31:36 | More by bditty187

Tone

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, copper color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Decent retention and slight lacing. Smells of sweet malt, hops, yeast, and pale malt. Fits the style of a Marzen / Oktoberfest. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, slight hop, slight yeast, and hint of pale malt. Overall, decent appearance, good aroma, blend, and feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 13:08:03 | More by Tone

miket163

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice amber with fluffy white head. Classy looking Marzen. Smells of toasty malts, a touch of honey, and a bit of hay. Taste is a semi-sweet malt, the hay notes carry over into it, with some hops at the finish. Nice fall beer, an very good for the style. They could beef up the alcohol content a bit, and this would be on par with Spaten in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 04:46:06 | More by miket163

albertjr21

New York

3.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a cold bottle into a frosted pint glass at a saloon in Fort Worth, TX, this poured a clear pale gold color with orange amber highlights under a thick off-white head. The signature "Shiner" aroma of sweet candied malt dominates the nose. The familiar brisk, sweet, and robust malt feel of Oktoberfest takes front and center here and finishes with a crisp palate-sticking dry resonance. Very smooth and refreshing drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 20:45:28 | More by albertjr21

LittleRedJenn

3.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: new pennies with a dark khaki lather that settles down fairly quickly
S: bakery-esque, like rising rye bread preced by a faintly sweet aroma--also, funnily enough, smells very similar to the way skin smells after a spray tan session--but in a good way??
T: acidic top note (slightly metallic), followed by caramel and fresh baked bread, toasty finish
M: thicker but not overly chewy or rich

One of my favorite seasonal beers, overall. Love love love the unique color. I like that it has a similar flavor profile to darker beer, but I can drink several without feeling like I ate a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:38:21 | More by LittleRedJenn

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer arrived on the bar crystal clear golden with a white low head wthat was persistent enough to lace the glass.

The aroma was malty and fruity with a slight DMS and a bit of nutty character.

The flavor was nutty and contained a light Munich and caramel malt flavor. The beer was slightly grainy and contained a bit of DMS.

The finish was slightly sweet with Munich malt and nutty character lasting into the aftertaste. The body was medium. A nice beer, but not much complexity and probably better suited as a Vienna.

Draft at B&J Pizza in Corpus Christi.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2005 16:33:43 | More by GCBrewingCo

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type - Bottle into glass

A - Pours a clear, amber hue with an excellent, off-white head retention and lacing.

S - Smell is of caramel and cereal grains, with minor floral notes

T - Pretty good! Lots of caramel malts up front and throughout the flavor profile. Some grainy/grassy flavors make their way in later in the sip, but hop presence is pretty minimal, and serves only to add balance to the beer. Overall, pretty true to style IMHO.

M - Medium bodied and mildy carbonated. Borderline creamy. Satisfying.

D - I could have a few of these in a row. They go down quite well in mild weather.

Overall - Not being too impressed w/the bock, this beer exceeded my expectations (especially for the price!). If you're looking for a cheap octoberfest/marzen beer from an American brewery that's pretty true to style, this one fits the bill.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 10:06:03 | More by Flightoficarus

Atlas1

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The major bone I have to pick with most Shiner beers is that they all smell and, for the most part, taste alike. That said, they have expanded their portfolio in recent years and the beers they're doing now, both the year-round and seasonal brews, are all fairly good. A few a better than the others, but they're all totally potable.

The Shiner Oktoberfest pours a nice golden amber color with a decent two finger head. Some lace. The nose is musty and muted. I find this to be the case with most Shiner beers. The yeast they use renders it impossible for me to distinguish many of their beers by smell alone. But it tastes just fine. Malty, nutty, with a hint of dark fruit. It fits the style just fine, in my opinion, although it's not quite as clean as other festbiers I've had. Mouthfeel is firm and almost creamy.

Not a bad beer here. Again, I've had better examples of the style, but this is a totally acceptable 2nd tier Oktoberfest beer. I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 20:55:55 | More by Atlas1

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an amber/copper color with a white head. The aroma is toffee, earthy hops and surprisingly, some flowery notes. The flavor is toffee, caramel and light earthy hops. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not one of the best beers of this style that I have tried, but one of the better offerings from Shiner.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 05:46:52 | More by Mora2000