Stegmaier Oktoberfest - Lion Brewery, Inc.

bmills1608

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber/red, very typical of most US brewed O-fests. Aroma is nice, somewhat muted and showcases the "Stegmaier" nose, to me anyway. My guess is it is a water thing, although it may be the yeast, but all Steg lagers that I have tasted have a very unique profile that I detect in all their beers.

Taste is very full. Rich flavors of Munich malts and caramel dominate. Very drinkable. Extremely full. Has some nice dryness to finish things out. Screams O-fest to me, but not as clean as other really good examples. Depending on how you feel, this could be a good, this could be bad. I would like a bit more "clean" flavor, but overall I still found the Steg Oktoberfest to be a really good beer, especially when considering the price. In PA, you're basically ALWAYS buying cases, so, price comes into play perhaps more than other states.

Overall - I LOVE the Lion. Always have been a fan of the 1857 and Porter. The seasonal program they are currently undertaking is great. The O-fest is no exception for me. Are there better pure PA examples out there? Yes. PA lagers may be the BEST domestic lagers in the country, so there is some serious competition (not to mention the Germans). That being said, this Stegmaier offering is really nice overall and really can't be beat when price is considered.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2006 21:06:16 | More by bmills1608

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.5%

03-08-2013 23:19:36 | More by ejimhof

JeanPaulValley

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +33.8%

02-27-2013 19:37:46 | More by JeanPaulValley

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -22.5%

12-08-2012 02:19:43 | More by Damian74Shensky

EvilAsh

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +19.7%

11-20-2012 21:28:37 | More by EvilAsh

barczar

Kentucky

3.13/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly hazy deep caramel color with copper highlights and a quarter inch khaki grass that quickly dissipates.

Aroma is dominated by caramel, toasted malt, and fruity esters indicative of alcohol content. There's a bit of toffee and diacetyl.

Flavor is fairly sweet, almost cola-like, with a caramel, bready finish. There's a grainy backbone, with a slightly cloying finish. Banana esters surface late.

Body is moderate, with moderate to low carbonation. There's a touch of alcohol warmth.

Overall, a pretty lackluster brew. Malt complexity is lacking for the style, and the flavors are just not jiving well.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:55:43 | More by barczar

MammothTarantula

Oklahoma

2.75/5  rDev -22.5%

10-12-2012 14:23:01 | More by MammothTarantula

ridgeline23

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

10-07-2012 02:04:57 | More by ridgeline23

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A very dark caramel brown, clear with a 1/2 inch of opaque colored head that turns to a thick lace ring. Lacing is pretty nice too.

S - Smell is a bit skunky but a nice mix of on style bread malts, a touch of hops and a good biscuit presence.

T - The hops and sour dough breads hit you first but is quickly drown out by a very strong caramel malt presence that leads to a bit of dry yet sweet finish. Tasty.

M - Light to medium quite easy to drink.

Overall I had this a touch warm and it only cost me $1.50 for the bottle so not only was it a great price but also a top notch take on the style. Next to the lager it it quite easily the best thing these guys make and the most affordable (must be like 22 bucks a case)

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:52:14 | More by DrDemento456

Marty91

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%

09-17-2012 20:02:27 | More by Marty91

Nutwood

Kentucky

1.25/5  rDev -64.8%

09-04-2012 00:57:03 | More by Nutwood

paulhargus

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A phenomenal Oktoberfest beer from the Lion! I believe this is the flagship seasonal from Stegmaier, and they seem to be promoting it more than their other products.

A: Dark orange/amberish in color. Small, tan head with little retention.

S: Caramel malts

T: Strong caramel flavors and a bit sweet. Very tasty with hardly any hoppiness present.

M: Very smooth with decent carbonation.

O: Overall, this is a phenomenal seasonal beer. I know it was a big hit at last year's PA Oktoberfest, and aside from the discontinued Amber Lager, this is the Lion/Stegmaier's finest offering. I believe it has been released a bit early this year. It hasn't lasted very long in the last few seasons, it's very hard to find by mid October. My suggestion is to stock up as much as you can, it's a fast mover and it certainly lives up to the hype I gave it!!

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 00:20:13 | More by paulhargus

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

08-20-2012 19:14:22 | More by JohnK17

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

12-09-2011 00:27:07 | More by JohneHoodlum

pavpav12

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12.7%

12-04-2011 00:16:37 | More by pavpav12

bacher468

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.5%

11-19-2011 14:17:10 | More by bacher468

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a dimpled glass beer mug.

L - clear orange/amber color with a off-white head that thinned to a ring.

S - sweet caramel malt with a earthy undertone.

T - somewhat sweet tasting with minimal bittering that just sneaks in before finishing sweet on the lips.

F - light/medium bodied with easy drinkability.

O - I enjoyed it and I will have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 21:28:06 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Crossmd

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on draft from Pizza Paradisio, Old Town Alexandria. Came probably 55-60 degrees fahrenheit.

A lucid dark copper, with no head to speak of and no lacing,

Smelled of cloves, nutmeg and caramel, with a slight hoppy drydown.

Taste is a rich, layered blend of biscuity caramel and butterscotch. Really pretty malty, but well within the confines of the style. Dries down clean despite absolutely being on the sweeter side. Never cloying or overpowering.

Mouthfeel is lightly effervescent to provide some structure, but never distracting. Flavors take center stage here, for sure.

Overall, a clean, well crafted Märzen with a good sense of what it wants to be. Throughly enjoyable. I will return.

92.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 15:41:53 | More by Crossmd

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

light amber color with good clarity and a nice bit of carbonation sneaking up the sides of the glass. A two inch head of white capped off the top of the glass and settled down gently into a smooth crown across the top,

The aroma was loaded down with bready malts as one might expect. Hints of earthy grains and a somewhat vinous hop profile underneath, but a touch light overall. The flavor was clean, crisp and decent. Nice hints of light malts, some cereal grains and a good overall profile of light herbal hops. Crisp finish was smooth

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 01:15:52 | More by mikesgroove

Buggies

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I love drinking locals, and this is another solid brew from Lion.

I do love the maltier styles, and this is no exception. Nice aromas of caramel and slight toasty aroma too. Right on with the style.

Tastes damn good. Nice malty flavors of caramel. On the sweet side, but not overly sweet.

Perhaps this one doesn't finish as dry as the style suggests. But overall, what a nice flagship seasonal for a brewery like Lion.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 23:16:15 | More by Buggies

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

It's Hula In the Coola Day (T, 01 Feb 2011) and I'm off for the day thanks to yet another skool disrick closure! It seems counterintuitive to start with a bottle of beer, but my local trade partner, tone77, dropped off a ton of beers the other day and I am starting with them before segueing into The CANQuest (TM).

For sheer amusement, it would be hard to beat the rebus puzzles underneath the caps on the Lion/Steg bottles. This beer was "Brewed in the honorable tradition of Charles Stegmaier" with "Over 150 years of brewing excellence" according to the labels.

My aggro pour resulted in two foamy, tawny fingers of head with decent retention. The color was a deep orangish-amber with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Nose was pleasantly malty, slightly caramel, very apropos for the style. Mouthfeel was medium, approaching full, with a big malty caramel flavor in the mouth. I was reminded of a Sugar Daddy from my youth. Man, I used to really dig those things until I developed four cavities and that really put the kibosh to my sweet tooth. Even today, I am more into bitter and salty than sweet, although I still have yet to develop a taste for sour. No kidding around, this was really sweet. Pleasant, though, not cloying. Finish remained very sweet with a caramel taste that lingered. For me, it would be a one-is-plenty, but for malty types, this would be in your wheelhouse.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 13:52:02 | More by woodychandler

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stegmaier Oktoberfest has a dark gold colored body and a finger and a half of beige head. OK retention and lacing.

The aroma is malty with a bit of herbal hops in the background and a slight fruitiness.

The malt dominates, with toasted flavors, a bit of graininess and some caramel. A little bit of herbal hops rounds things out. Underneath is a slight tartness with a fruity, green apple flavor to it. This yeasty fruit flavor is something I find in a lot of Lion brews, so no surprise there.

No real problems or comments one way or the other on the mouthfeel.

Not too bad; for the prices that Stegmaier stuff costs, I have no complaints.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 17:35:33 | More by Hojaminbag

rlshep

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Strong malt. Firm toastiness. Hint of caramel.

Appearance: Pours small head. Minimal lacing. Deep golden color. Very clear.

Flavor: Tastes like it smells. A lot of malt a lot of toast. Firm bitterness and herbal hop flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium low mouthfeel. Not too sweet, easy drinking.

Overall: A very well made beer. Hop character on high side of style. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 02:18:01 | More by rlshep

DerekP

Pennsylvania

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

Stegmaier Oktoberfest pours a vibrant copper to amber color. A white head sits atop and gradually recedes to a healthy rim.

A notable dose of butterscotch, caramel, and alcohol in the nose. Hops pull through to sharpen the tones, as well as a mild graininess as the brew warms up.

In taste, it's hoppy up front, with a sweet/malty middle and finish. Caramel and butterscotch/diacetyl. Some alcohol definitely comes out in the finish.

Feels medium bodied, slightly syrupy, and active from the hops & alcohol. Moderate carbonation in my opinion.

Not a bad Oktoberfest by any means. It took me a few tries over the past month, but after a summer full of pilsners and lighter styles, I'm just now starting to dig the marzens this season...

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 23:42:07 | More by DerekP

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a copper/gold color with a touch of carbonation and head.
Smell: Aroma is of toasted and bready malts and light hops.
Taste: A nice wave of toasted malts well-balanced by the subtle yet present hops (Saaz?) that lend a small bit of spiciness to the overall taste profile. Taste is a little bit more full-bodied than expected. A bready aftertaste towards the end.
Mouthfeel: medium-bodied and smooth mouthfeel.
Drinkability: This was a nice surprise- a tasty and very drinkable Oktoberfest- very reasonably priced to boot.

EDIT: 10/1/11
This is the 2011 edition. This year it tastes more sweeter and maltier than la year ago. Hops are bit more muted.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 18:21:59 | More by coalcracker