Oktoberfest - Yuengling Brewery

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

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at fridge temperature.

L – Amber-brown color with a 1-finger cream-colored bubbly head that dissipates rapidly. No lacing. Clear with lots of carbonation bubbles.

S – Grainy, caramel, and toasty malt. Really similar to regular Yuengling lager with a little bit of caramel.

T – Sweet all the way through with mostly grainy malts with some caramel and toasted notes. Again, very similar to traditional Yuengling.

F – Light-to-medium-bodied with good carbonation, a crisp and light mouthfeel, and a grainy-sweet and slightly earthy-bitter finish that seems to come more from grain than any hops. Malty sweetness lingers for a moment.

O – This misses the mark as an Oktoberfest and simply tastes like Yuengling Traditional Lager with a little bit more caramel malt. Instead of the rich, full-bodied malt aroma and taste that comes with good Oktoberfest beer, this is rather thin all the way through with a mostly grainy aroma and taste. Honestly, I’d rather go for regular Yuengling, but this isn't a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:35:05 | More by BlackBelt5112203

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

Reaper16

Alabama

2.03/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz. bottle served into a pilsner glass

Pours a light nutty brown color. It doesn't look too dissimilar from regular Yuengling, what with that amber hue and sudsy head.

The aroma is fine, I suppose. A little below average for the Marzen style. Lots of nutshell aroma. Pecans, mostly. It smells a bit dusty.

The flavor is all wrong. It tastes mostly like Yuengling lager. Yuengling must be a base recipe for this Oktoberfest or something. There's some nutty flavor here, but nothing of the grassy hop note that I associate with the style. Really, this is very awful. And I like regular Yuengling!

Overall, this beer flat misses the mark. This is a brief review from me, but there isn't much that I can say here. It doesn't come across like a Marzen. This is difficult to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 03:44:09 | More by Reaper16

chrisjduncan

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Apparently, this year is the first at least for a mass produced Oktoberfest and I have always had a soft spot for Yuengling as it was the first beer I ever loved. Add that into how much I adore Oktoberfest and the season and imagine how excited I was to see this hanging out at my local Total Wine.

Poured a good dark orange with a wonderful head. Aroma was a little plain if almost non-existent but the look was impressively beautiful. A fan of spicier Oktoberfests, I wasn't entirely thrilled with the taste, although it did absolutely nothing wrong. It was better than the average Oktoberfest, but not by a whole lot. The mouthfeel was terrific though as it flowed smoothly down, no weird aftertaste and just the right amount of carbonation. A good representation of the Marzen style and hopefully they continue next year as this was a decent entry. Plus, who doesn't love a family operated brewery like Yuengling?

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 06:56:30 | More by chrisjduncan

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pilsner glass, color is copper, head is light tan and lingers nicely, carbonation is just enough to see some effervescent bubbling.

Smell is mild malt sweetness, maybe a touch too much caramel but not bad - light hop notes.

Taste is pretty clean, crisper malt flavors with some caramel and light biscuit, some light grainy adjunct finishes, but pretty drinkable.

Mouthfeel is right where you would expect a yuengling brew, maybe a touch crisp but to style.

Overall, served cold this beer is great, you can pick out the adjuncts as it warms some but I think this is better than lager.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 23:31:44 | More by mvanaskie13

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

kaufmaal

Alabama

3.38/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A deep orange color, a think head that holds its own, and the sweet smell and taste of malty, buttery corn.

While their new Bock entry was for me a disappointment, this Oktoberfest is one that is remarkably simple and straightforward in what is sets out to be, and not too shabby tasting, either.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 02:35:59 | More by kaufmaal

Maltoftheearth

Ohio

1.95/5  rDev -42%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This beer is a complete turd. It's a Yuengling lager with a bit more malt. Period. If they used Nobel hops you would never know. This beer is a serious let down. A cheap way to market different beer. A loser to stay clear of. No, on second thought, try it and have a laugh. Terrible effort.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2012 23:52:54 | More by Maltoftheearth

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

Morey

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance: Pours a burnt red-orange color with a finger and a half of khaki colored head following a medium aggressive pour. Settled to a thin layer after only a few minutes. Not much retention or lacing on the glass throughout.

Aroma: Caramel Malt, Toasted Grain, Corn, and a subtle hop character.

Taste: Nice caramel sweetness up front. There's also a touch of hop bitterness towards the middle that adds some balance. A pretty clean finish with some mild lingering bitterness and caramel sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Thin to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Morey's Bottom Line: Not too bad actually. Definitely a bit more flavorful than the original lager. More malts and hops. Not top-notch within the style, but drinkable for sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:06:35 | More by Morey

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a darker orange/amber. Puffy 2 finger white head.

S - Caramel malt, fresh breads, and a tinge of estery spice.

T - A little bitter at the beginning before turning a bit sweeter in the middle. Caramely taste with a bit of lager bit.

M - Crisp and carbonated. Leaves the mouth a tad dry however.

Overall - Pretty decent beer here. It's not outstanding, but it's a simple, solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 16:58:34 | More by BeerBuckeye

havanowoncheese

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew surprised me. I poured into a nice clean pint glass.

The color is a really gorgeous amber. The head is really quite nice and a nice tan color but dissipates somewhat quickly.

The beer smells really nice with a nice aroma from the hops. A smell that truly entices one to drink the beer which is what the smell should do.

The taste is quite nice. Nice malty and a respectable hop presence. Not as hoppy as the typical Maerzen style but not bad at all. It has a nice clean finish.

Mouth feel is great. Its a nice medium bodied brew and nice and smooth so it goes down easy.

Not the best Maerzen style i have had but its a nice and tasty brew and at a price of around $7 a six pack one cannot go wrong with it. For me it exceeded my expectations and i think is well worth a good drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 00:17:53 | More by havanowoncheese

bourbonbock

New York

3/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a 12oz bottle into a clean pub glass and got the following.

A. Crystal clear body with a nice amber color and one finger of off white head that recedes quickly to a cap. It looks a little watered down and clear.

S. I smell caramel, raisins, and a slight yeast aroma.

T. The flavor on this has two layers of malt flavor with a little cracker taste and a little nuttiness.

M. Thick and sticky but not a residual sweetness and slightly overcarbonated.

The old standby beer produces another affordable, easy drinking but not spectacular beer. I would definitely pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:08:52 | More by bourbonbock

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

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz.

Pours a deep clear amber orange, orangish gold head dissipates to a lacing.

Smells of rich caramel malts along with toffee and buttered bread.

Coppery bready malts , brown sugar and a whisper of nutmeg.

Medium body with light stings of carbonation in the throat.

This is surprisingly good. Not the best marzen but better than I assumed from a brewery that hasn't branched out into seasonals before. It goes down really easily and has an interesting taste. I think I would have this again and I hop Yuengling considers other seasonals moving forward.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 22:04:21 | More by Cylinsier

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

Alkey

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from bottle clear amber color small off white head. Smell has some toasted malt, caramel. Taste toasted, roasted malts at first feels a bit thin, and has a sweet cereal like finish. Overall an easy to drink Oktoberfest I could have a few big steins of this season.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 00:14:07 | More by Alkey

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

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

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

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

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bronzed brew with reddish-brown hues. Poor head retention. It didn't pour much of it anyway.

Toffee sweet aroma to metallic dark lager malts. A sprite spearmint-like hop pervades the nose in hints.

Still somewhat thinly malty for an Oktoberfest, but showing toasted caramel grains, huskiness, and menthol hops. Light tobacco note. Steely finish.

Burpy beer with bountiful carb. Body is a bit thin. Manageable drinkability.

Decent stab by Yuengling. I'll be fine and dandy finishing out the six-pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:19:40 | More by thecheapies

Schmidts

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber red gold with a small 1/2 inch head.
Smells of sweet malts.
Very refreshing beer with a nice malt and mild hop hit flavor.
Very clean and smooth in your mouth.
Overall I give this one a 4.5 like all yeugling beers it has a specail flavor that fits yeugling beers.
This is another winner for America's Oldest Brewery! No brewery is more American than Yeungling!!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 02:16:16 | More by Schmidts

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Autumn amber in color with perfect clarity. Poured with a short, frothy, off-white foam that slowly reduced to a foam ring at the top of the glass. Sweet toasted malt, nutty, and earthy grass aromas. Smooth, delicate feel with rich, pleasant carbonation. Sweet toasted malt flavors up front into the middle. A sharp, bitter hop character from middle to end. Bitter flavor tapers quickly allowing the sweet maltiness to shine through again at the finish. Finishes with a sour biscuit flavor on the tip of the tongue and a lingering bitterness in the back of the mouth. This was a better than expected offering from Yuengling.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 23:56:20 | More by IronLover