Oaktoberfest - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.26/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap and the Library Ale House, Santa Monica, CA, back in September 2012. The beer appeared a darker amber color that was clear with a nice one-finger head that was pretty light. The beer gave off a very nice, robust malty aroma with hints of biscuit. The taste was as expected from a marzen, a big malt flavor, perhaps toasted and no bitterness to note. The beer had a lighter moderate feel, but the carbonation seemed to be right. The beer was very easy to drink, it was clean and refreshing. Overall, a fine beer and one that I will hope to get next fall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 18:06:42 | More by PhillyStyle

Gavage

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: light amber in color with a 2" head that lasts a while. Some mild lace sticks to the glass.

Smell: malt and fruit sweetness comes through to the nose.

Taste: caramel, some mild fruit tones, and a bit of earthiness create a straight forward oktoberfest beer. Bitterness is mild overall.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp to start, less crisp at the finish.

Overall: a tasty and easy drinking oktoberfest. The flavor profile is good, but not mind-bending. This is that sit down, shut up and enjoy the beer type of brew. Great session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2012 21:46:27 | More by Gavage

rand

California

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass at the brewery

I've gotten to really like Marzen the last couple of years. Not that I ever found them lacking, but 'big' brews have held all the attention. And that's just it: living in a land of supercharged hoppy-goodness, at some point you reach a level of saturation. Next thing you know you're seeking session beers like you were 16. But nearly frozen Coors Light just won't fly with a developed palate, leaving the perfect opening for the new beer-geek sub-trend - flavorful and satisfying brews light in complexion. Which really goes full-circle with the German attitude toward beer, and why I largely ignored them as I was going head-first into craft beer - they should tasty and well-crafted, but clean and quaffable. And this makes Oktoberfest brews such a welcome addition to the end of summer, and, especially, football. Ironically, not many American breweries make them all that well. Firestone's Oaktoberfest is a distinct exception.

Weighing in at a slender 4.5% ABV and coming from a brewery knows for exceptional stouts and barleywine, you might be prone to expect a beer that is, at best, drinkable but unremarkable. Not here. By the numbers:

A: Golden-amber in color, clear. Tightly bubbled head dissipates fairly quickly leaving a fair amount of lacing.

S: Notes of toffee and slightly burnt sugar make a nice contrast with its cracker-like middle and hints of lemon-pepper. Yeasty essence surrounds the bouquet, never letting any one aspect become disproptionate.

T: Malt-forward on the palate, giving the beer a bready quality. Subtle notes of ripe fruit and toffee sweetness make the light complexion almost seem chewy. Lemony, slightly hoppy citrus notes work to dry the beer, leading to a short, balanced finish.

M: Appropriately light and drinkable, but at times it seems like the beer is a lot bigger than its ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 04:53:30 | More by rand

FosterJM

California

3.03/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1537th Review on BA
Draft to 6oz Snifter

@Firestone Walker, Paso Robles

App- A medium amber colored with a single line of head that wasn't very carbonated or left a lot of cling. Nice density in the center.

Smell- It smelled like a malt bomb to me as do all Marzens. I did detect a slight spicy scent with maybe a touch of caramel and a little bit of spicy hops behind it. The malts just overpower on this one.

Taste- I was really hoping that this one would be the one where I go holy shit! I get it. Not so much. Its a pretty standard tasting Marzen with big malts and lacking a bit of balance. The hops are a nice addition but dont do much overall.

Mouth- It's on the thin side of the body but I didn't think it would be a big beer by any means anyway. The carbonation was a bit of a medium body and the residual flavors were malts and a little bit of that lager yeast.

Drink- I'm pretty thankful I didnt go for the 1/2 pint or a tulip size pour. For me it wasn't bad. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2012 02:19:26 | More by FosterJM

ThePaleRider

California

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark copper colored beer with a white head that leaves a nice amount of lace on the glass.

S - Very, very light. Small amount of sweet malts, oak, and spice.

T - Light malts and wood. Sweet oktoberfest taste with a nice malty aftertaste.

M - Smooth with decent carbonation.

O - I expected a little more out of this beer. Firestone Walker normally goes a lot bigger on their flavors and this beer was a little bland for my taste.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2012 06:01:00 | More by ThePaleRider

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice medium-dark orange color. Not a whole lot on the nose but there's a slight biscuity/malty aroma. Taste follows suit but notes of oak and vanilla also come through. Finish is dry, leaving the drinker reaching for another quick sip. It's not the most remarkable beer from this stellar brewery, but a good take on the style nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2012 18:38:15 | More by TheRealBigC

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

dark amber colored liquid coming through immediately. This was followed up closely by some nice carbonation that could be seen through the very clear liquid that was in the glass. No real substantial head on this one which was kind of surprising, and this led to not much in the way of side glass lace either.

The aroma was rather light and muted, some decent malts, and a ton of bready like flavors, but overall just a touch too light for me. Crisp, clean feel, which was nice and adequately carbonated, but again, just a touch too light to really be effective. Smooth flavor started with a light hint of caramel and a touch of earthy grains. This quickly floated away though and the only thing left was a nice touch of biscuit like flavor that linger for a moment.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2011 01:23:03 | More by mikesgroove

flexabull

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright and clear copper color with a fine white head.

Aromas are muted, but pretty nice. Light bread dough, some spices, oak, and dust.

Taste is bready, slightly spicy from the yeast, with some light caramel sweetness, and a general dry and nutty background. Finish has some light bitterness from the hops.

Mouthfeel is good, full and quite smooth.

Overall a pretty good beer, it's simple and drinkable. I enjoyed my glass, a nice change of pace.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 15:52:32 | More by flexabull

GilGarp

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served cold in an imperial pint glass at Freshcraft.

Nice golden amber color with good clarity. The head is thick and leaves great lacing behind as it settles.

Aroma is classic marzen with biscuit malts, caramel, and just a little hops. Oak is not all that evident from the smell alone.

Flavor is really nice, well balanced, and enjoyable. Good sweetness that comes through with similar characteristics from the aroma but I also get vanilla from the oak. An ideal beer for the fall season as it starts to get cooler.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and perfectly carbonated. Smooth and balanced.

Overall a great fall session seasonal. I would really like to see it in six packs.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 18:01:18 | More by GilGarp

illidurit

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at the September iteration of the Santa Cruz tasting series. Pours a clear copper color with a sticky white head. Aroma is malty and spicy, toasted cereal. Authentic German malty flavor, toasty grains and a nice mineral quality to it. Clean on the palate. Nothing too exciting but well made.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:11:17 | More by illidurit

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A nice pickup at Plew's Brews in NoPo ~ $7 for a filled growler, shared with friends at a Labor Day picnic at nearby Cathedral Park (east end of St Johns Bridge). The day is hardly fall-like (warm and hovering around 90 degrees), but an Oktoberfest sounded too good to pass up. Had about 12 oz. left when we got home, so I poured to a pint glass and offer up this review.

A: Lovely amber, a shade more golden than tawny, good clarity. First pour at the park was topped with a heady froth, light ivory and almost two-fingers (this pour lacked the same crown, but that can be forgiven). A few bubbling streams emanate from various points around the glass.

S: Light citrus, a little spiced apple, good strength. A little 'dusty': an aged, almost 'papery' aroma. Wish the scent was a little stronger.

T: Enjoyable maltiness, all graham crackers and honey before a spicy dusting and slight mineral twang. Nutty and a bit sweet at times, drier yet fruitier (apple skins, slight grape/wood flavors) in the finish.

M: Crisper punch at first sip, then a lessening/thinning feel and body. Fairly 'clean' overall, but a little malt stickiness holding fast on the lips.

O: Not so remarkable, but plenty enjoyable/drinkable. The use of Paulaner yeast (learned after finishing most of the glass) is most apparent in the finish; there is a notable brassy/mineral quality in the finish. Light enough in strength to enjoy several pours of without too many ill effects.

Serving type: growler

09-06-2011 02:39:28 | More by msubulldog25

Zorro

California

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at the Buellton Taproom waiting on a Growler refill.

Clear amber colored ale with a good sized off-white colored head.

Smells of malt and caramel with some vanilla and a great deal more oak scent. Fainter lemon and tobacco leaf scents.

This starts out dry with a good oak flavor. Decent Bitterness. This tastes more like a Lager than it smells like one.

Overall, Decent Oktoberfest. Really somewhere between 1/2 Lager and 1/2 Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2011 06:59:57 | More by Zorro

womencantsail

California

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad

A: The pour is a clear copper color with a medium sized white head.

S: A bit of nuttiness to the nose with some bready malt notes. Some noble hops, lager yeast, and maybe a hint of oak.

T: Certainly a lot of lager yeast to this. Good bread and malt flavor with a mild sweetness and nutty character. A more pronounced bitterness than I would have expected.

M: The body is fairly light with a moderate carbonation.

D: The flavors weren't overly impressive, but this was a pretty easy to drink beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2010 07:11:39 | More by womencantsail

Phelps

Arizona

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Tops, poured into a snifter. Nothing on the Firestone Walker site reveals that this beer was actually aged on oak, so I'll assume it's just a crafty name.

A: light pinkish-orange in color (Firestone calls it "Sunset Glow" -- I like that) with perfect clarity and a creamy one-finger head of rosy white that dissolves slowly, leaving a thin ring with a substantial amount of film.

S: yeasty. Sourdough, strawberries and earthy Bavarian hops.

T: lager-like. Earthy Hallertau hops, saltine crackers, light apples and a subtle hint of vanilla blend before an extremely dry finish wipes it all away.

M: Medium-light in body, with a high and nearly painful carbonation that fizzes up the beer as it moves through the mouth. Super crisp, super clean.

D: Oaktoberfest is a pretty run-of-the-mill Märzen. Decent, but not worth seeking out again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2010 21:35:08 | More by Phelps

mithrascruor

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Callahan's, San Diego.

Pours a clear amber color with minimal head. Very faint aroma of malts; tough to identify anything in particular. The flavor is pretty mild as well; some woody malts, and light hints of spice. There's a mild bitterness in the aftertaste. Medium bodied with some light, tingly carbonation. Pretty drinkable, low-ish ABV, but I wasn't too inspired by this: maybe it was a bad keg, but there was so little flavor, and what was there just wasn't inspiring.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 21:22:45 | More by mithrascruor

Dspohn

California

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed out of a large firkin @ Oaktoberfest in Avila Beach.

Poured into a ceramic mug at the festival so I couldnt judge the appearance properly, but I did see this beer in pitchers and it looked pretty nice. A good medium brown beer tapped from a large barrel. Sweet malts with a good side of spice. Low bitternes and not much oak (especially for a beer named oaktoberfest) but there were some good earthy/wood characterists. Probably my favorite Oktoberfest beer to date. Had this on tap as well but it really shined from the cask. Mouthfeel and subsequently drinkability were enhanced greatly, super smooth, delectable. Firestone Walker's offerings almost never disappoint me.

Serving type: cask

10-17-2010 20:10:29 | More by Dspohn

philbertk

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Firestone Walker Brewing Company--Pasa Robles, CA--Oaktoberfest Marzen. 5.00% ABV. 24 IBU's. Thin white head. Clear bright amber color. Mild toasted caramel delicate Noble Hallertau hop front. Crisp tangy caramel malty Marzen body. Light Oak hint. Clean crisp end. (4.0 / 5.0). 5 oz. Taster @ Fremont Oktoberfest 9/24/2010.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 04:05:50 | More by philbertk

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at Papago. Poured medium golden color with thin white head. Nose was very clean with a whiff of malt. Palate had the malt focus as well, with a sweet oak sort of dryness in the background. Overall though it was still somewhat light bodied and easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2009 13:53:55 | More by yemenmocha

mjl21

California

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Toronado. Poured into a pint glass. No abv info is given. Paid $3.00 during happy hour.

A-Pours a clear amber with some reddish highlights. It has a half finger almost white head that has a decent retention level. Not much lace is left.

S-Lots of fresh hops give it a nice lemon zest aroma along with a touch of cinammon spice. There is also a heft does of sweet malt.

T-It tastes of fresh citrus and sweet malt. Like the nose, the two work well together. As it warms it picks up a grape flavor. I don't pick up on any oak. The sweetness lingers in between sips.

M-Falls on the lower end of the medium spectrum. It has smooth carbonation and a nice crispness.

D-It is a very good Oktoberfest beer.

I really enjoyed this one. Nicely balanced between being the hops and malts. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2009 17:30:57 | More by mjl21

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap multiple times at Firestone's Oaktoberfest yesterday. The following review is a compilation of notes taken throughout the day.

Poured into a commemorative 0.5L Oaktoberfest ceramic mug.

Appearance: Since I was drinking this beer from a ceramic mug, most of this appearance section is based on what the beer looked like in a glass pitcher. The body was crystal clear and amber. Tiny bubbles whirled about inside; the carbonation looked very active. Head was foamy and off-white and had decent retention.

Smell: Flowery hops, light caramel, and Munich malt sweetness. There was a touch of toastiness as well. Bready yeast and leafy vegetation were also present. One of the most aromatically succulent märzens I've ever smelled.

Taste: Caramel and bready yeast were the two biggest players. I've heard people say they detect oak in this beer, but I didn't taste (or smell) any. Light spices and leafy grassy hops were both substantial flavors as well. Berries and Munich malt came into play as the beer warmed.

Mouthfeel: Malty and smooth with mild carbonation and a medium-light body. Semisweet malts lingered in the aftertaste. Decent, but a kinda dull.

Drinkability: This was a damn good märzen/Vienna lager (it's actually a mix of the two styles). This was perfect for the festival. I would happily order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2009 16:29:59 | More by ThreeWiseMen

DoubleJ

California

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Haven Gastropub, on to the beer:

A copper/amber color shows off from the body of this beer. Solid lacing on top, good head retention. The aroma is light in intensity, with a little kick of clean hops, dark malt, and minerals. Tasting it was a pleasant surprise. I was thinking it would be really malty like a traditional Oktoberfestbier, but it tasted more like a Vienna lager. The flavor is very pleasaing. The hops come to play at the begining with clean delicate flowers, then then sweet, but not overwheling malty caramel kicks in along with some assorted minerals. Clean, uplifting, and nothing harsh about it.

Excellent, even if it really isn't "to style". I wish this beer was sold at Oktoberfest.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2009 02:49:14 | More by DoubleJ

bulletrain76

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Woodstocks Pizza in Isla Vista. Pretty random find, but they do sell the FW private label beers as well. Orange-gold color with a creamy head. The aroma has a lot of toasted malts, with just a touch of noble hop spice. The flavor has plenty of rich, toasty malt flavors with almost perfect hop balance. Medium-light on the palate. This is quite reminiscent of the oktoberfests that they actually serve in Munich, which are much more drinkable than the darker marzens that get shipped over here. Make no mistake though; this is a more complex and flavorful beer than the versions that the major Munich breweries are making. I'm a bit confused on the oak part. My roommate says he tasted oak, but I didn't pick out anything definitive, and Firestone's website doesn't say anything about oak in the production process. Regardless, this is another awesome Firestone beer, and one that I can see anyone loving.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2008 22:30:40 | More by bulletrain76

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Buellton Taproom
Poured golden with a small white head. Nose was slightly hoppy and grainy. On the taste I was really missing the oak but it did have a nice balance of malt and hops.Mouthfeel was rather dry and crisp. Overall it was pretty good eventhough its not my style. Expected more oak.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2008 03:19:44 | More by barleywinefiend

HopHead84

California

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was pleasantly surprised to find this on tap at San Diego Brewing Company. Pours a vibrant gold/orange. The small head has decent retention and lacing. My nose is greeted by an earthy and slightly piney hop aroma. Sweet bread, nutmeg, very grainy. I spent a few minutes trying to pinpoint the dominant characteristic in the malt profile of Oaktoberfest and decided it was grain. The beer smells very grainy. The beer is reminiscent of a pumpkin ale, but I don't think there is any pumpkin flavor in it. Aromas of nutmeg, clove, some vanilla, and possibly allspice give it pumpkin ale characteristics. These are not primary characteristics of the aroma but were detectable nonetheless. The mild bitterness up front is quick to introduce caramel and grainy malt flavors. The taste is of oak, nutmeg, and vanilla, and a faint hop bitterness concludes the show. The carbonation is good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2008 04:43:04 | More by HopHead84

charlzm

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 10/19/08 at Blue Palms, Hollywood, CA.

Clear, golden/orange hue with absolutely no active carbonation. A one finger white head sits atop the beer that provides long-lasting lacing.

Caramel malt aroma with a trace of wood and a whiff of juicy fruit (the kind from trees, not the gum). Cherries, perhaps? Apricots?

Flavorful: clean caramel malts, some crispness and a thin, lingering oak finish. Somewhat creamy in the mouth. Low bitterness. The oak component is subtle and a nice variation on the style, whether it really is a marzen or a Vienna lager.

Easy to put away a glass of this one, but not the best I've had of this style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2008 01:11:31 | More by charlzm