Oktoberfest - Yuengling Brewery

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16 ounce pint - Taco Mac in Canton, Georgia.

Appearance: Dark amber-hued body, good clarity, and capped beneath a slim, white head.

Smell: Sweetish scent, fairly tame, with light notes of toasted grains and caramel flavoring.

Taste: Crisped grains with some toasty elements to it and a light hint of caramel flavoring. Faint, vaguely herbal hops, mildly bitter. Sweetish, faintly grainy finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation with some tingle to it.

Overall: The caramel taste here, it's... it's just odd, and, maybe it's just me, but it seemed to have a falseness to it, like the added flavoring to that Saranac Caramel Porter. It's not an abhorrent beer, but it sure doesn't stack up against the better examples of the style (or even the not-so-better ones).

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 18:23:30 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

My first O-fest beer of the year.Poured one and a half bottles into a half liter stein,a clear lighter bronze shade with a large fluffy slightly off white crown atop.Aromas are light and clean with a hint of caramel and toasted grain.A little watery feel to it,flavors mainly of caramel and a touch of grain.It's very average and not complex but I didn't expect it to be mind blowing.Hopefully the worst Oktoberfest beer of the year for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 20:58:56 | More by oberon

WesWes

New York

3.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a beautiful amber color with a 1/2" off-white head that quickly fades to spotty lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a dry, pilsner, Munich, and crystal malt scent; sweet and malty with a touch of bread-like character. The taste is average. It has a faint malt character with a thin, dry finish. It goes down quick and easy with little complexity. The mouthfeel is average as well. It's a light and easy drinking beer with good carbonation. It has little mouthfeel and seems too thin and lacking for the style. This is a non-offensive seasonal that's easy drinking, but nothing to boast about.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 20:37:50 | More by WesWes

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This poured out as a copperish looking brown color. The head was Kind of soapy looking and cream colored. The lacing and retention was minimal. The smell of the beer has some malty aromas with a touch of spice and a lager yeast in there as well. The taste of the beer is average to, seems like just a slightly different flavor than their Traditional Lager. The mouthfeel was smooth with a good carbonation and a solid dry finish to it. Overall I wasn't too impressed, it was fun to try and I was happy I did but I wouldn't have to go after this one like I do with Samuel Adams each year.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 16:47:00 | More by Knapp85

jwc215

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Oktoberfest in the middle of August...

Pours deep orange amber with a thin head. Minimal lacing sticks. Nice color, wish it had more head and lacing.

The smell is of caramel, slightly nutty, grainy, with a "yuengling" house aroma.

The taste is on the sweet side with caramel and a slightly burnt, metallic aftertaste. The aftertaste brings this one down to mediocre at best. But, then, that is a "problem" I have found in general with this brewery. Thought this one might be different.

It does have a malty smoothness and the carbonation here is slightly spritzy, but not too fizzy.

The aftertaste - burnt and slightly metallic - is not so bad to kill this, but it's just a maltier Yuengling lager to me. It's just about average. Better (and worse) O-fests out there. Not bad, not great. Yuengling fans might not have as much of a problem with it than me.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 16:06:45 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had a 12 oz. glass for $1.50 at the Emmaus VFW. I figured it'd only be appropriate to have a soft pretzel with spicy mustard and chipped in the extra dollar for that.

Aside from opening with an unplease toasty corn note, this was a fine, smooth amber lager. It reminded me a bit of Beck's Oktoberfest in that it only kind of resembles the style. It's not a bad beer, but I'd never stack it up against a Paulaner O-fest. I'd say it's worth a try, especially if you find yourself in a VFW.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2011 22:30:58 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A growler filled at the HopShop. Only $5.75 for a fill? Sign me up.

A: The octoberfest is a coppery color, amber like, well lager. The clarity is nearly perfect, the darker hues lending some haze. An off-white head, I'd go so far to call it a pale copper color.

S: The lager has a malty aroma, bready and lightly toasted. A very mild, light octoberfest. Considering the source, that seems about right. The nose isn't as rich as Lager, for those seeking a comparison point.

T: Malty, the chewiness stands out immediately. Lightly toasted, the flavors are mild. Hops are nonexistent. So I'm torn here. The beer wants to express more flavor than Lager but it just can't. Very drinkable, I had several pours from the growler, but the flavor isn't intense enough.

M: Easily drinkable, the complexity is a little lacking though. The Yuengling house flavor runs through the beer, a welcome addition but keep your expectations in check.

Serving type: growler

09-25-2011 00:49:29 | More by akorsak

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm glad Yuengling took my advise on brewing this beer in my Yuengling Bock review from a few years back. Good job, guys...I'll take a bonus check when time allows. :)
Appears a semi transparent amber color with a fluffy, off white cap that slowly fades into a mild head and color. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of freshly baked bread, caramel, toffee, light grass, and hints of sourdough. Freshly cracked Munich malt.
Taste is of the aromas with a malty blast of bread, caramel, toffee, and a gentle tartness with an earthy/hoppy grass note found in the background.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, clean, fresh, and authentically German in nature.
Very well done for a Pennsylvania, larger brewery. $7 for a six-pack? Sold.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 18:49:46 | More by weeare138

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Kegler's today.

The beer pours a copper amber color with fairly decent head retention and light lacing. I don't get a whole lot on the nose, just some roasty malt and some sweet baked fruit flavors. The flavor profile replicates the nose, though there was a lot more flavor than I was expecting (especially given that this is a yuengling product). The beer is a bitg sweet and malty, but I don't mind that so much in a marzen. There's a kiss of bitterness on the finish, which helps to balance the sweetness in this beer. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with a moderately long, fairly clean finsh.

Another simple, uncomplicated, easy to appreciate beer from Yuengling. Can't imagine choosing this over a German version of this beer, but I thought it enjoyable and eminently drinkable. Not sure I'd ever order it again, but I enjoyed the glass I ordered at keglers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 22:39:55 | More by johnmichaelsen

plaid75

New York

3.03/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and pacing.

The smell featured caramel and bitter adjuncts.

The taste likewise consisted of a sweet caramel malt coupled with an earthy bitterness and boiled corn.

The mouthfeel was thin for the style.

Overall a below average octoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 00:45:13 | More by plaid75

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Eric for giving me a growler of this. Poured into a pint glass, this brew appears a perfectly clear amber color. A finger of off-white froth sits atop the brew and recedes down to a thin film across the top. A light swirl brings back a finger of yellowish froth and leaves spots of lacing on the glassware.

The aroma of this brew is sweet with caramel malt, lightly biscuit-like with a touch of butter. Sulfur runs throughout with a bit of a mineral component. Some herbal to floral hops are present providing a nice contrast to the sweetness of the nose.

The taste is caramel malt, a bit bready with a very mild sweetness and buttery aspect. A touch of sulfur that was evident in the nose is also present in the flavor. Herbal hops are evident with a bitterness much more bold than I was expecting for a Yuengling offering. The aftertaste is a bit mineral like which is exaggerated by the sulfur inclusion.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Very crisp and easy drinking, the alcohol is very well hidden. This was an interesting take on the style and worth a try but not something I would go out of my way for to have again.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2011 23:27:37 | More by stakem

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Yuengling Oktoberfest

LOOK: 12 oz brown bottle. Pours a light amber color. White foam, active carbonation rising.

SMELL: Bready malts, mild sweetness, lager yeast.

TASTE: Clean lager flavor, some caramel, well balanced, good caramelized malt notes. Mild leafy hop flavor but not very bitter at all. Possibly some munich malts employed to give it an authentic taste.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated, clean finish, very drinkable.

OVERALL: An enjoyable Oktoberfest style beer from America's oldest brewery. This tastes like a fuller, maltier, cleaner version of Yuengling's standard trademark lager beer. I look forward to drinking this around the late summer and fall months for years to come. Certainly one of, if not the finest Yuengling brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:14:23 | More by Stinkypuss

kylehay2004

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Single finger head with little retention and some lacing on a clear amber with golden hues body. Aroma is very simple and mostly malty with little spice or hop character to make you think of a good marzen. Flavor is a touch sour. The caramel malts do not add much sweetness. The hops are mild and there are no spices add here to make this a good one for the genre. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Tastes like old amber Yuengling.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:37:14 | More by kylehay2004

smakawhat

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Poured from the bottle into a tulip pint glass. I didnt even know they made an Oktoberfest.

Really nice looking beer. Deep dark copper red and brown body, little rising carbonation, but a real nice fluffy and creamy head. Off tan white, lots of retention, pretty aggresive and dark looking beer.

Nose is really odd for a marzen. Mud. Dirt. No deep malt presence, a little bit of sweetness and yeast stickiness.

Palate really emphasizes the dirt aspect. Body is perfectly fine, coating and full, taste is right out of a sandbox and turned garden. Lots of dirt and earth, not in the hop vein. Weird sticky off putting lager yeast that seems common from Yuengling.

This is one weird Marzen, where is the malt and bakery like presence?? really not interesed in having this again at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 21:18:56 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a clear amber/orange color with about an inch off-white head that stays around a while. There's also a decent amount of lacing. The brew smells mostly like caramel and toasted malt, along with a little bit of toffee. It tastes like toasted and caramel malt, and also some earthy/grassy hops. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick with moderate carbonation. It's easy enough to drink! I think it's a solid Oktoberfest brew, and it's priced right at $6.99 a six-pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 23:40:11 | More by bluejacket74

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

12oz bottle served in a glass beer mug.

L - clear amber color with a off-white head that thinned out leaving a few thin waves of lacing.

S - sweet and malty.

T - sweet malt taste upfront with just a little bitterness before finishing sweet.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 21:18:19 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

tdm168

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - transparent amber with a soft, off white, fizzy head that quickly fades to a thin layer; tons of carbonation rising to the top

S - sweet, a bit grainy, a little caramel

T - caramel malt with some mild bitterness and sugary in the finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, a bit sticky

This isn't a great example of the style, but it is cheap and highly drinkable. There aren't really any off flavors, but it just doesn't live up to the style traditionally.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 04:00:10 | More by tdm168

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is sweet and malty. Taste is also very malty, some sweetness, a touch of hops, refreshing and easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 22:16:19 | More by tone77

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance - light amber pour, a hint of orange. A foamy finger of foam is sticky and a good finger's worth in thickness. A wall of lace hangs around the glass as the cap slowly recedes.

Aroma - sweet, bready, a touch of caramel. Pretty standard as OFests go.

Taste - grainy, a bit watery and even a touch twangy up front, but some malt character is there. Develops better on the swallow as the toastiness of the grain is expressed and moves in-palate. A light breadiness on the swallow, a clean finish, even an occasional touch of cinnamon at the end. Goes a little thin but has just enough taste to hold my interest...for now.

Mouthfeel - thin and almost macroish for a marzen. Body is too light for the style in my opinion, although some OFests are decidedly lighter in terms of color, body, etc. If this beer had more beef in the flavor department, I'd be less critical here.

Drinkability - all in all, an easy beer to knock back if you don't set your sights too high. A decent beer to get some crossover action from the BMC crowd.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 02:28:21 | More by brewdlyhooked13

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Yuengling Oktoberfest sits somewhere between a very dark orange and a light brown in color. The head is creamy looking ad has some good retention and lacing.

The aroma has light floral elements too it, a good bit of malt and a hint of that Yuengling yeast.

I'm surprised by how much I like this beer. I drank quite a bit of it while kegs popped up around town; for the price it was excellent. Light, floral hops lead things off, followed by a malt base that is slightly light itself, but still more powerful than the hops. The malt is grainy, a bit toasty, and lightly sweet. The finish has the same yeast flavor that all Yuengling does. This Oktoberfest almost taste like someone took the traditional lager and tried to make it taste more like beer, which is good in my book.

Very light body, moderate carbonation.

I drank a lot of this stuff, and I think it is quite a good beer for how cheap it is. I wish it would replace the traditional lager, but something tells me that is a pipe dream. Yuengling Oktoberfest is a decent beer, with all of the right flavors, but it still kind of tastes like watered down Fest bier.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2011 13:03:58 | More by Hojaminbag

JamesS

Indiana

3.05/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a very nice deep burnished orange, although with very little head and no lacing. Decent sweet malt aroma with a slight leafy-caramel tone. Decent flavor, very sweet lagerish malt; very clean and crisp; decent fall flavor but nothing deep. Goes down very very smoothly. On tap at McClafferty's Irish Pub.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 16:52:11 | More by JamesS

DIM

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a: This was a clear, light cola brown. It pours with a small, short lived head.

s: Bready, lightly sweet malt with that distinct "Yuengling" quality.

t: It has the elements of a good O-fest, just not quite enough. Pleasant sweet bread and a bit of an unclean finish.

m: Light and fizzy.

o: Not bad and a good value.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 22:17:16 | More by DIM

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Do my eyes deceive me? Does that say "Yuengling Oktoberfest?!" Um, yes, please!

12oz bottle poured into a conical pint. Pours a tawny dark rusty amber with a small sheet of lace atop. The nose is fruity with notes of banana, stawberry - though faint at that. Toffee and caramel sweet aromas round this out, with a touch of ethanol. A different aroma, but not offputting.

Smooth clean mouthfeel, that begs to be gulped. Spot-on carbonation gives the beer enough girth to satisfy me. Sweet caramel and toffee flavors, light fruity back end. Bready finish. Alcohol adds just enough zip to bolster this beer. A total malt-heads dream. Really a good beer. I expected to find some major flaws in this, but I couldn't really find any. A well-made beer, perfect for the cooler months ahead.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 00:17:52 | More by Onenote81

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.7/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a deep amber color with lots of tiny bubbles streaming up through the brew. Upon pouring there is a one finger white head. The head has good retention but does eventually fade to leave a light level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is of a sweeter and toasted malt base. The sweetness is of a more toffee nature while the malt is of a bready smell with notes of some light roast.

Taste – A caramel sweetness and a roasted malt are the first to meet the tongue. Toward the middle the sweetness fades some with the beer becoming more crisp in nature. More toward the end some hop flavors come to the tongue. These hop flavors are lighter in nature and are largely of an earthy nature. In the end there is a bit of resurgence of some sweetness as well, leaving a rather pleasant sweet and roast flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The beer is on the lighter to medium side with respects to its body and has an average carbonation level. The body would have been better suited by a bit more creaminess (letting those roasty and lightly hopped flavors really be detected by the tongue). Even with this said, it was fairly good overall and really quite nice.

Overall – Living in Pennsylvania now and having greater access to Yuengling’s many brews, I really have come to appreciate what they offer. It is a good product at a great price. Like their year round beers their Octoberfest is no different. While not the best per say, for its price to quality ratio, it is one of the best. It has good flavor as well as a nice color and smell. I say it’s a job well done by Yuengling.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 01:20:32 | More by Darkmagus82

soju6

Missouri

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

On-tap at Maggie's on the River in Watertown, NY.

A: Served a copper color with a small head and some lacing.

S: Mild caramel aroma with some fresh grain and a bit of spice.

T: Has a mild caramel sweetness with some biscuit. A light bitterness with a fairly clean finish.

F: Fairly medium body, crisp and quite smooth.

O: Easy drinker, nice seasonal beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 21:11:08 | More by soju6