Oktoberfest Bavarian-Style Festbier
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

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From:
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Festbier / Wiesnbier
Ranked #84
ABV:
5%
Score:
83
Ranked #24,217
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 11.81%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
110
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 19, 2024
Added:
Nov 06, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  16
Imported German malts and noble hops lend this Bavarian-style Festbier sweet, crisp, and crackery malt flavors and a smooth highly-drinkable finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Roby923:
Photo of Roby923
Reviewed by Roby923 from Canada (AB)

3.42/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Nice fall/Oktoberfest special. Doesn't hold up against the other Fat Head offerings. Hints of caramel and light wheat. Could use more hops or malts to create a more memorable flavour.
Oct 04, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Dr_Gonzo
Reviewed by Dr_Gonzo from Kentucky

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a tall pint glass. Appearance is a blonde color with a foamy head more than a finger thick. Good retention and lacing.

Aroma: cracker and cereal malts, sourdough, yeast, faint hops. Floral scent too

Tastes hoppy and crisp, matches the floral aroma. Pretty spicy and overall tastes bready and nutty, other notes of wheat and caramel. Body is medium-light.
Jan 19, 2024
 
Rated: 3.85 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Nov 22, 2023
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.24/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a light golden orange color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like crackery malt, spicy hops, and some breadiness.

This has everything in its right place and right proportions. It’s well balanced, with a touch of pleasant sweetness, some spicy and firm hop character, and a lot of breadiness.

This is light bodied, crisp, and clean, with a really nice drinkability.

I like this much more than the other one like this they’ve done in the past – G’Suffa.
Oct 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by oneeye from Pennsylvania

Oct 06, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by cabsandking from Ohio

Sep 27, 2023
Photo of SaltofOH
Reviewed by SaltofOH from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Can dated 7/17/23. Sam Adams pint.

A: pours a bright, pale yellow, with the slightest hint of haze, two dingers of foamy white head, and roiling carbonation. Without a doubt the lightest festbier I’ve ever had.

S: (recovering from a cold) a little faint soapy hops. Not much in the way of malt, or even the typical “beery” lager yeast smell I get from most lagers.

T: that same floral taste on the nose is there in spades on the palate. This is not a festbier, it is a helles. A hoppy helles. Quite floral on the arrival, turns sweet, finishes somewhat sweet. Reminds me a lot of Weihenstephaner Helles - the new one. But not to style for a festbier.

M: lighter end of midweight, highly attenuated, clean finishing, highly carbonated.

O: not at all to style, way too light in color and flavor profile. I know it’s not a Marzen, but even a festbier I expect to have SOME golden color. This is straw. Also, I like floral German hops, but they are stealing the show here. They should be more subdued. That said, if I set aside style - this is an excellent German style Helles. The hops are a little strong, which can be off putting in food pairing, but a solid lager all around. Love it for achieving that, but not really something I can see myself in the mood for more than once per year. Not graded to style, but to enjoyment.
Sep 04, 2023
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Three fingers worth of airy fluffy bone white colored froth... Solid retention... Color is a vibrant glowing golden yellow... Loaded throughout with carbonation.... Nose of sourdough and cereal grains... Flavor profile is pretty much the same with a slight hop addition on the finish... Light to medium bodied and loaded with tons of carbonation... Light and refreshing... Enjoyable but unremarkable...
Sep 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by chrismattlin from Ohio

Aug 28, 2023
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.97/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A clear and lightly burnt gold body builds a short and airy off-white foam head that dissipates quickly.

I was wondering why the name change this year, at only 0.7% lower than G'Suffa and otherwise consisting of similar ingredients, but from memory this does seem lighter and tangier with a floral start. The middle has a hint of white grape before coming to a crisply semi-dry finish and a satisfyingly toasty exhale.

It's definitely more festbier than marzen, which seems to be the intent.
Aug 17, 2023
Photo of Fordcoyote15
Rated by Fordcoyote15 from Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty damn lackluster beer from one of my most respected breweries.
Aug 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.77 by GOBLIN from Ohio

Aug 10, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by ScottyB515 from Ohio

Aug 07, 2023
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.91/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz canned on 07/17/23 poured into a mug at fridge temp 5% ABV 25 IBU per can label. The beer pours bright light gold in color with nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and splotchy layer of tiny bubbles. Negligible lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring big, crackery pils malt and faint, earthy hops. The taste is semisweet pils up front with moderately bitter earthy hops hitting hard on the back end. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Cleanly lagered with no off flavors. Overall, excellent beer. Again, I think it's a bit hoppy and bitter for a festbier, but it's extremely well crafted and infinitely drinkable.
Aug 06, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by travelguy from Ohio

Aug 05, 2023
 
Rated: 3.68 by SharPei19 from Ohio

Aug 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.93 by Blogjackets from Ohio

Aug 01, 2023
Photo of Starlightdiamond
Reviewed by Starlightdiamond

4.16/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Not what I expected in an Octoberfest. Then again an enjoyable roan beer with no offensive odor on the nose. Light, slightly sweet and wheaty with sharp powerful flavors of nuts and caramel along with moderate carbonation, light hops and low bitterness allow this brew to take the fast lane to the finish line. Sounds simple, and maybe it is, and maybe it's simplicity is what is so enjoyable. Bottoms up!
Jun 09, 2021
 
Rated: 3.07 by Unclevince from West Virginia

Oct 01, 2020
Photo of tasteless
Reviewed by tasteless from Ohio

1.61/5  rDev -55.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5
The absolute worst Octoberfest beer I have ever tasted ! Especially @ $10.99 a six pack. Perhaps they should taste a real Octoberfest and then go back to the drawing board because G'Suffa ! is very disappointing. It doesn't look, taste or smell like a Marzen.
Jul 18, 2020
Oktoberfest Bavarian-Style Festbier from Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 110 ratings