Saint Arnold Oktoberfest - Saint Arnold Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bonus hitchiker from JonathanL7890, part of a great group of Texas traders who contribute great class of our site.Pleasant malty aroma with some peach fruit. The fruit is in the initial taste, with a modest smoke. Not very drinkable, but it could depend on the night and the food. A bit light on mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2008 02:44:25 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this bottle in a nice Texas trade recently. One of the few from the brewery I had left to try, needless to say I was thrilled to get it. Served cold, right out of the fridge and poured into a pint glass. This one was consumed on 10/29/2008.

The pour was fairly nice. A orange tinted light amber color. Amazing clarity here really allowed it to shine. Great carbonation could be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass throughout the session, combining it in a three inch head that quickly faded but did leave behind a great layer of side glass lacing.

The aroma was a touch light for me,. Some nice caramel malts, hints of an earthy, bittering hop and some light grains. Interesting profile here as the aroma seemed to be stronger at first, but then fade off toward the end. The flavor ran out of the gate fairly smooth, very nice choice here as the light hoppiness really served well to draw out the smoothness of the malt and really push the depth to the forefront. Light touches of caramel and grain balancing it all out, and a quick, clean finish sealed the deal in the end.

Overall it was a solid fest bier, though not the greatest in the world, I would not turn my nose up at it if it were offered again. Damn fine selection and something I would love to have again.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 11:26:33 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a frothy head that leaves some dots of lacing

Smell: Toffee and butterscotch, with a subtle grainy twang

Taste: Toffee and butterscotch up front, with a rather fruity character that develops by mid-palate; after the swallow, a grainy lager twang joins the sweet parade but barely makes a dent in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: If you like a sweet, malty Oktoberfest, this beer will be a favorite

Thanks, ericandersnavy, for the oppportunity

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2010 17:14:10 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Is this the more caramelized, toffee-ized Octoberfest I've had? Maybe so.

The pour brings a deep copper color with some darker highlights. A meager yet creamy off-white head forms a thin lace that shyly lasts the session. Light on lacing.

Aromas are very deep and comples with the malt blends. Heavy caramels; near toffee and toast give a hearty malt base. Light on hops, the malts also give slight hints of butterscotch, sweet breads, with a light flowery and herbal hop scent.

Flavors gather even more caramel and toffee boldness and give a deep melanoidin, bready, heavy caramelized taste that is much deeper and bolder than I have ever found in an Oktoberfest; these are usually given to Bock beers.

A definate sweet balance gives a bready and confectionate texture that crispens up in the end for a semi-dry finish. This one probably lasts longer on the sweet side before drying out than most.

A nice, new, refreshing take on this classic style, the beer showcases the complex caramels and melanoidin character that U.S. brewers rarely display. Even if a hint of buttery notes persist, this is one nice beer.

Thanks Exiled!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 02:52:39 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This bottle-conditioned Oktoberfest pours a slightly hazy amber body with gold and orange highlights beneath a full head of creamy off-white foam. Its head retention is good, and it slowly drops to a wide, creamy collar and cottony surface covering. Sticky splashes of lace left about the glass add to its appearance. Some delicate tart fruit in the nose is reminiscent of plums and dried apricot, and they're carried over into the flavor wrapped in sweet, lightly doughy and just slightly toasted malt. The hop bitterness is restrained, allowing the sweetness of the malt to dominate the flavor profile without becoming cloying; and a swash of spicy hops comes through clearly, also helping to dry things out. A medium-light body (and fine-bubbled, moderate carbonation) also helps to keep its yeasty fruit and malty sweetness in check; and it finishes semi-dry with some lingering maltiness at the back of the throat. This is a really unique beer! It's certainly not a traditional German-style Oktoberfest/Marzen, but more of a Munich-malt based Belgian-style beer. Interesting, satisfying, and refreshing. This would certainly make a good table beer at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner! Well-done!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2003 21:22:33 | More by NeroFiddled

Mora2000

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Drank in honor of this beer winning a silver medal at the 2010 Great American Beer Fest.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of toffee and caramel malt. The flavor is more of the same, with a lot of toffee as well as some brown sugar notes. I also get a little bit of grape, as well as a slight bit of hop bitterness to help balance the flavor. Very drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 03:07:34 | More by Mora2000

jwc215

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Wasatch for this one!

Pours slightly hazed orange with a creamy white head.

The smell is of caramel maltiness with a touch of noble-type hops. Rich caramel aroma.

The taste is of malty, caramel sweetness. Bright caramel maltiness. Sweetness balanced by some noble hop dryness in the finish.

It has a smooth medium-body.

A malty, but not overly sweet brew. Drinks very well, with higher end of abv for style covered well. It does have an "ale" character to it, and says "ale" (though in Texas it goes by abv level...) I'm assuming it's an ale version of the style, and for that it does well, bringing in malty smoothness that is not overly sweet. I could drink plenty of these when in a malt-accented beer mood!

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 02:27:28 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Central Market in Dallas. Poured clear amber-red with a short head.

Like many American O-fest's, this one leaves toward a richer, roasted caramel flavor. That's not a bad thing, it's just different. The aroma, in addition to the toffee and caramel, has a slight hard-water mineral note in the aroma. The flavor also finishes with a mild black pepper note. Worth a stein full.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2008 18:51:01 | More by tempest

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear but slightly darker amber with a creme head. Nose is slightly sweet and nutty. Not much there though. Flavor is tangy sweet. A bit leafy and twig like. But mostly it's sweet and that's it. Feel had a sticky edge on the liquid and the carbonation is low but biting a bit. Overall decent.

Thanks to ballewblake for this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2008 12:19:44 | More by RblWthACoz

Wasatch

Utah

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to mhewes for this brew.

Pours a cloudy golden dark orange color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy off-white head, not much sticky lacing afterwards. The nose is malty, with some yeastyness, slight spice. The taste is sweet, malty/yeasty, with some spice. Medium body. Drinkable, not too bad, tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 01:17:45 | More by Wasatch

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Another Saint Arnold from the mix bag sample pack from TexasStout, this time the Oktoberfest is up. I'm a big fan of Oktoberfests if they are done right, so lets see how this guy stands up.

A: Pours with a decent frothy bubbly head about a finger to start but fades quickly to a light head covering. It has a brilliantly clear toasty maple leaf brown color that gives me vertigo as I stare through it.

N: It has a sweet malty aroma to start, with a crisp marzen feel. Some toasted malt character and syrupy cracker aroma is there. I also get a slight alcohol and a slight porter style roasted malt smell that finishes off the nose. Different but still a decent Oktoberfest nose.

T: Taste is more similar to the finish on the nose than the beginning. It's got some sweet and creamy malt character, lots of roasted porter style malts and slight chocolate... yes this IS an Oktoberfest last time I checked. I get a slight toasty quality, but not much of the Marzen taste that I was expecting. A little sweet and slightly syrupy. I also get a little buttery taste of diacetyl. This is an unusual take on an Oktoberfest, and being a proponent of experimentation, I give them some credit, but an Oktoberfest should be taken from the Bavarian Marzen roots which this seems to have lost along the way. The more I drink and the more the porter tastes fade into memory, the more I can start to get some traditional Oktoberfest tastes, but it's still not where I would expect it to be.

M: A little syrupy and slimy, not much carbonation, but a little light.

F: Finishes semi sweet with more of the diacetyl tastes. Some other strange bitter and syrupy flavors help with the finish, and when I say help I mean it loosely as it takes away from the drinkability. A slight sticky and slimy feel is also left in the mouth for a short time after.

Final thoughts: It started pretty good, great appearance, and nose to start, then the taste was a little interesting with some roasted porter tastes and slight chocolate malt, and some toasty tastes. Then it went downhill with some strange sweet syrupy tastes, diacetyl, and other weird flavors. About halfway through the beer, and all the initial strange flavors blend into the taste buds, its starting to slightly taste more like a traditional Oktoberfest, but not really. I give them some credit for stepping outside the bounds, but perhaps not on an Oktoberfest. Call it Harvest or Autumn or something.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 01:41:57 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle obtained as part of BIF 14 from Assurbanipaul. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed 1/4" beige head over the orangey copper brew. Head is gone in a flash, and lacing minimal, at best, with just little bubbles left here and there that eventually fall to the liquid. Aroma is malty, with a slight hops component. Taste is sweetly malty, with a tinge of fruit in there, with the slightest hops presence. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both good. Not a bad Octoberfest, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2004 22:08:50 | More by ppoitras

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a mug. Recently received this in a BIF from armock.

Pours a clear, coppery colored medium amber with 1 1/2 fingers of creamy off-white head. Thin, sturdy, layer of retention that skims the surface, leaving a good looking cascade of lacing behind. The aroma is fairly sweet smelling, with notes of sticky caramel, citrus, and a tinge of floral hops.

The taste is light bready malts and caramel sweetness that seems to possess some spicier notes of cinnamon or clove. There is just a slight bit of a hop profile in the back but for the most part this is mostly sweet and spicy. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied with a moderate carbonation and a bit of a flat feel at times.

Decent take on an Oktoberfest here. It could have used a bit more toast or bitterness and the body was a touch thin but it still drank fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 16:27:47 | More by Kegatron

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, big thanks to GregMcQ for hooking me up in a recent trade!

Pours a lightly hazed orange/amber, rich looks colouring, thin off white head forms and quickly settles down to a thin ring, a few lace spots are left on the glass. Smell is a little weak but solid, some caramel and butter, light citrus, bready malts, iron, oranges, honey, nice and clean, reminds me of the Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Taste is nice and malty, biscuit and honey, butterscotch, corn syrup (in a good way), rich and full malty finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, lots of substance, medium carbonation, easy to drink. Very solid Oktoberfest, the malts are real nice in this one. I could definitely have a few. Thanks Greg!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2008 02:10:11 | More by Viggo

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is a clear dark amber color with a thin eggshell white head. Thin lacing too. The aroma is malty sweet. Medium-bodied with a kind of fuzzy mouthfeel. Very, very sweet flavor of malt and little else aside from a bit of caramel. Very one-dimensional, which is saying something for a Marzen. The finish is sweet and bready. Not terrible but definitely too one-sided.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2004 21:49:25 | More by Dogbrick

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another completely unexpected extra from Mhewes in our recent face to face.. Fantastic and fresh! Shared with Brenda, the lion's share going into my Smokestack goblet.

1" head sticks around for a bit.. brew is almost crystal clear orange amber..

Toasty malts and a little caramel dominate the nose.. pretty clean but some fruity esters are present.... apricot??

Flavor is the same toasty malts with some caramel and mild spicy hops. Fairly clean but still some fruitiness comes around as it warms.. toasty and touches of caramel... pretty nice. Not as clean as I would like on a Marzen style .. but not bad. I would love to know if Saint Arnold uses a German yeast... but.. that said, it is still nice and refreshing.. a good take on the style.

Michael said this was fresh, and I believe it.. fairly clean and no noticeable oxidation.. malty and some subtle spicy hops.. pretty damn good.

3.5/3.5/4/4/4.5

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 09:55:48 | More by JohnGalt1

twiggamortis420

Texas

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy copper color. Creamy tan head with really nice lacing.

Smells like hazelnuts, chocolate milkshake, whoppers and baked red apples. AKA Good!

A veritable malt bomb. More roasty malty than sticky sweet malty in the taste. Very easy to drink...is there a hole in the bottom of my glass? Very "fall" tasting with hints of raked leaves and fresh baked apple pie. A bit of grassy hops lend a clean, dry finish. Not sweet or cloying.

Amazed at how this beer is very malty, but yet avoids being overly sweet or sticky. Quite delicious and very easy to drink. A recommended Oktoberfest!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 05:57:09 | More by twiggamortis420

AgentZero

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a golden amber color with some yellow on the edge. White carbonation head fizzed up to about a finger and disappeared instantly.

S - Sweet malts, caramel, some sort of syrupy honey and something like butterscotch.

T - Taste is pretty sweet and caramelly, with something coming through that reminds me a bit of lager yeast. Pretty malty, with some slight bit of butterscotch. It's okay and easy to drink, but kind of boring and the finish is nondescript.

M - Medium bodied, pretty crisp carbonation.

O - It's a very drinkable beer, but I find it too syrupy sweet with some ho hum flavors. Crushed it easily, but it lost my attention rather quicklly.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 01:39:14 | More by AgentZero

champ103

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pours a rich and bright Orange/amber color with a two finger white head that fades to leave a little lace.
S: Very malty and sweet, lightly hopped
T: Sweet malts an almost cloying sweetness. Caramel, fruity, nutty, a little bit of bread. Creamy and smooth
D: Drinkable, but like many American versions this is too sweet to quaff several off in on sitting.

Another good beer from Saint Arnold. If the sweetness was a little less, this would be a great beer. Still, something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2008 15:29:25 | More by champ103

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this brew from whoneeds8 for winning the halftime score in SNF squares (week 5), thanks Maston!

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - hazy orange color with a small beige cap that didn't leave any lacing.

S - sweet malt, some spice, some earthy yeast.

T - sweet flavor with a bit of a spiced taste to it.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

D - it was ok.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2008 04:42:49 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle into goblet on 2/25/09. Thanks to Deuane for sharing.

A - Poured a clear rusty orange body with moderate carbonation and almost one finger of white foam that quickly diminished into a thin ring of retention and left spotty lacing.

S - Sweet and malty nose with a hefty dose of maple syrup and a touch of buttery diacetyl. Hops are very faint and reminiscent of mild tea. Hints of caramel and toffee round out the malt profile. There is also a slight suggestion of cinnamon spice in the back.

T - Like the aroma, the initial flavor is quite sweet and malty with plenty of caramel, toffee and maple syrup. Some mild hops appear in the backend, with a very slight herbal flair suggesting tea leaves.

M - Medium body with a syrupy texture and fairly vigorous carbonation on the tongue. Bitterness is very faint overall, lending way to plenty of residual sweetness on the palate.

D - Pretty solid Oktoberfest. While not one of my favorite styles, this one is certainly decent enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2009 02:18:41 | More by ffejherb

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to jasonjlewis for this one.

A-Slightly hazy copper with a big fluffy off-white head that receded to a thin cap leaving spotty lace.

S-Light caramel sweetness with a bit of breadiness.

T-Light caramel malt flavour with a bit of spice and a soft twang.

M-Medium-light bodied and clean.

D-Nothing spectacular but it all comes together to form a pleasant, easy drinking brew. A very nice effort by St Arnold that I would be happy to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 00:28:29 | More by Deuane

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Visiting family in Houston, we took our son-in-law out for lunch. Alas, no St Arnold Oktoberfest at lunch, had to settle for Shiner Oktoberfest. However, my always thoughtful son-in-law bought me some of this to compare. No comparison.
In a pint glass the beer was a red amber color with a minimal to absent head.
Caramel malt aroma, floral, and a hint of spice.
Caramel malt taste, pretty malty, late piney hops, and a tinge of nutmeg.
A good robust Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 00:34:41 | More by lordofthewiens

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - fairly deep amber pour, a finger of creamy smooth foam on top. Some good beading off the etching on the glass bottom. Not much lace but a good looking beer despite.

Aroma - bready, grainy with a touch of sweetness. Fairly non-assuming.

Taste - a good statement of toasted grain right outta the gate. Lots of grain character, mildly sweet. The swallow doesn't really balance with the hops, just kind of pushes back for a moment before the toastiness returns. Maltiness gains the advantage at the finish, as my more favorite OFests ought to do. A bit of alcohol warmth at the end.

Mouthfeel - a touch crispy on the carbonation, a solid body. Well done.

Drinkability - a superior fall beer, thanks to BGThang for providing a sixer of these for the upcoming Halloween beer tasting. Well, a 'fiver' now... ;-)

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2008 03:22:32 | More by brewdlyhooked13

maximum12

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to TexasStout for dropping this into a recent trade. I'm getting close to having had most of St. Arnold's lineup here in Minnesota!

Pretty beer. A deep, effervescent, ruddy orange color that borders on Crayola territory. Smell is extremely sweet, sugar-coated-candy sweet. My oh my. That could be very good or very bad, depending on where this ends up.

Saint Arnold Octoberfest is stretching the boundaries of the genre. The sweet malts are there, but held hostage by an odd buttery flavor, & a heavy hand of caramel/toffee mixture. Toss in a bite of apple at the end, & this is one fruity, mixed-up Marzen.

Mouthfeel is pretty raw due to the sweetness; which also knocks the drinkability to average. This one cries out for one-and-done, unless you like puckering up &, like me, your mouth gets sore from too many sweets.

Decent enough beer. Not really representative of the style, but I'm not hung up on that. I just suspect some of these tastes (diacetyl?) might not be what the brewer originally intended. Gimme the Lawnmower any day!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 23:14:30 | More by maximum12