OktoberFish - Flying Fish Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

grabbed this one as an extra and poured it into a pint glass.

really nice pour for the style with a rich caramel color and a smooth and even carbonation layer with great lacing on the sides. aroma was really light with a dominant bready malt character to it that really just seemed to overtake the profile. light hops, touches of burnt apple and caramel in the finish.

overall not really that great of an example of the style. not a bad beer, but just average in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 17:25:52 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber with a strong head that lasts quite a while and leaves good lacing

Smell: Mild toffee aromatics

Taste: Starts with a biscuity flavor followed by modest earthy hops; nice spicy elements provide a contrast to the malt after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: On style, with a nice malt profile (not overbearing as some can be) and delicate hopping

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2006 02:51:26 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy apple juice color with a 1/2 inch foamy light tan head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Random streaks and dots of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of bready malt, caramel, and some light citrus aromas. Taste is much the same with a nice bready malt flavor with some caramel, grass, and citrus as well. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and bubbly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good Oktoberfest beer that I picked up on a whim. Nothing too great but definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 02:03:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another" German style" ale for an Oktoberfest made by a domestic brewery.Poured into a becker a clear lighter copper shade with a thinner white head atop.Fruity ale esters in the nose along with some caramel/toffee,there is a smattering of herbal hops as well.A mellow low carbonated feel to the beer.Flavors of caramle and toffee mainly with some light toastiness and spicy hops in the finish.It's not bad but it's pretty basic and very ale like...wich it is.

6%ABV. per bottle label.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 20:32:15 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2002 version. "Not the ordinary Fest beer! Savory malt profile, generous hop finish." This beer is intended for draft only, although I tried it in both cask version and bottle today. It's very deep copper - almost brown in color - with a foamy light tan head that holds very well and leaves some very good lace. The aroma is mainly of a toasty Munich malt - very clean and nice. There is a light fruitiness, but it doesn't seem out of character for a dark lager beer. The body is medium-light and the carbonation is standard, but it definitely has a presence in the mouth! The flavor starts with a Munich maltiness, followed by a nice, light hop flavor - almost unoticeable at first - but then reveals a moderate bitterness and finishes fairly dry. The hop flavor and bitterness are present but don't really go any further than that. A nice beer with an interesting toasted malt profile; but not overly exciting compared to standard Oktoberfests. Still, an enjoyable quaff for the fall season.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2002 19:42:47 | More by NeroFiddled

metter98

New York

3.38/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear copper in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that faded away and left only a very thin ring of bubbles on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of caramel and toasted malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has flavors of toasted malts with notes of caramel. There are also some notes of bitterness and hints of malty sweetness.
M: It feels slightly less than medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer isn’t overly difficult to drink, but it lacks the thicker body and stronger flavors associated with the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 12:36:51 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear, nice orange-amber color and is topped by a frothy pale tan colored head. The aroma is pretty clean; I get subtle notes of cherry, caramel, a dry toasted malt character and a hint of biscuits in the finish. The aroma is fairly subtle on this one. The taste is quite dry except in the finish where there is a bit of sweetness, and the palate is fairly light. There is a malty mix of cherry and caramel in the finish as well as a bit of bitterness. There is a light hop spiciness that runs through this beer and it is in line with the overall subtle character of this beer.

This is a nice easy drinking beer, it is not chock-full of flavor, yet it is quite satisfying; definitely a beer to be quaffed in great quantities. It does not have nearly the hop character that I like to see in an Alt, but it does have that nice fruity finish that I find typical of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2005 23:27:22 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 9/23/2010 at The Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell, NJ, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, lager yeast, some hops and some fruit.

T: The taste is very bready with flavors of a hearty malt character and lager yeast up front. Then some caramel and fruit sweetness comes in. The hops presence is good for the style and brings a nice balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer that is worth drinking of a long time if you're the mood for an Oktoberfest beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2010 16:20:27 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew poured out as a light brown color with a fizzy light tan colored head on top. The smell of the beer had a sweet malt aroma to it with a light autumn spice on the nose. The taste of the beer was decent for a Marzen, it's still too watered down. The mouthfeel was light, could have been a little heavier and more warming. Overall it's an average brew I think. Nothing I'd need to have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 02:39:04 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.08/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle, mine says 5.3% ABV,

A: Pours a classic orange with a light white head. Solid retention per the style, no lace.

S: Sweet Munich malt, lemon zest, some cracked grains.

T: A nice balance of husky grain and sweetness. A subtle note of bittersweet chocolate in the mid-palate adds an interesting element. The caramel flavour in the finish is very enjoyable. Bright crisp hopping adds to the balance.

M: Light to medium-bodied, crisp carbonation, light aftertaste.

O: A really good festbier, and it's nice to see another East Coast version of this style in CA, they seem to do it well. It has a freshness that's hard to find with a version from across the pond.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 02:06:52 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light amber in color with some orange highlights on the side of the glass. 1" head. Some spotty lacing develops. The aroma is very soft and only some caramels are detectable. The flavor is of caramel, light nuttiness, ripe red fruit, and soft bitterness. Overall it is mildly sweet.

Mouthfeel is slightly crisp at the start. The finish is somewhat dry. Thinner in body than other oktoberfests. Nicely drinkable, but there are better oktoberfests on the market.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2005 00:20:49 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours orange/amber with a decent color and clarity. The head is somewhat disappointing - a thin white head soon becomes a small patch. Minimal lacing is left.

The smell is of an earthy bread with some caramel.

The taste is of malty caramel with just enough bitter hops to restrain the sweetness. Roasted grain is also in the mix. It tastes like a good amber ale with some caramel malt added in. It has just a pinch too much water, but it doesn't distract from the taste as much as it does the mouthfeel.

There is, as I said, some watery thinness. Still, there is enough body to make it acceptable. It holds on by the thread, but does keep its flavor and has a smooth quality about it, and things are held in place.

This is nothing outstanding, but it has pretty good characteristics - Just wish it had a little more body to it. As I mentioned above, it is an ale - An amber ale with some caramel added. Still in all, it's certainly worth trying. It's smooth and has a nice taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2006 06:53:03 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at JP O'Malley's in Allentown.

I'd call it a nice interpretation of the O'fest style. This one has a more pronounced cream character to it. It may mask some of the malt, but the smooth caramel still comes through, along with a bit of German lager tang. Overall, it looks good, it's smooth, drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2007 05:01:05 | More by tempest

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Standard Tap...
Appears a copper amber with a small white head that slowly fades.
Small amounts of lacing are left in the glass.
Smell is of a syrupy maltiness, mild sour dough, and a pinch of hoppiness.
Taste is of nice amounts of malts with caramel and sour dough being a standout.
Mouthfeel is good. This one always surprisingly gets better for some reason. I much prefer the draft to the bottle though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2005 20:07:15 | More by weeare138

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a somewhat murky amber with a minimal head that quickly disappeared. Lacing was minimal. Aroma is very sweet, mostly toffee and caramel hints with some fruit notes.

Taste is very sweet and malty. Definitely caramel present but also some light citrus style fruitiness. Finish is crisp with a fairly pronounced hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and clean.

The drinkability for an O-Fest is there but the citrus and fruit notes in the middle of the taste really threw me for a loop. Not a great representation of the style but you could definitley do worse.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2007 11:57:07 | More by Kegatron

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: bottle from Monster Beverage, Glassboro, NJ

A good Oktoberfest selection, and probably my favorite brew from Flying Fish.

Poured a hazy brown with a white head that recedes to a film. Malts on the nose and some caramel sugars. Hearty bread in the taste, some nuts, with sweet malts and chewy caramel; pleasantly hopped in the background. Medium body, nice and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 11:19:51 | More by Rifugium

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a moderate marzen color with no detectable head. Very soft carbonation.

S: A very nice sweet munich malt aroma captures the nose with some light brown sugar notes.

T: For flavor there is some soft creamy caramel, and a very dominant earthy hopping. The flavor is very smooth with a slight creaminess on the back of the tongue going down. The bittering was nice with an earthy dryness at the end that lingered in the back of the throat for a brief while along with a slight alcohol presence.

M: at first seemed a tad watery but once it warmed up the palate was just fine.

D: Overall a decent example and perhaps one of their better beers making for a good session marzen.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 12:26:18 | More by beerthulhu

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sample at the Mill Hill Saloon in Trenton, NJ: The beer is brownish-amber with a medium thin beige head that has good retention. Thin rings of lacing. Bready malt, grain and floral hops aroma. Medium body with a mellow fruit and malt character, and grassy hops in the background. The finish is sweet at first with a light hops and spicy alcohol aftertaste. Above average overall.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2007 20:07:42 | More by Dogbrick

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Tawny in color with a large head that retains well. Some spotty lacing is observed.

s. Roasted malt and roasted grains.

t. The malt character is very nice, with a fruity twang that reminds me of dried apricot, but the roasted malt helps to minimalize the sweetness. Hops are bare;y noticable, just a lingering earthy and bitter finish that is slightly dry.

m. Slightly dry finish, medium bodied, crisp.

d. This is a very good session beer, glad to try the six pack. One of the better fall seasonals I've come accross this year.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2008 00:22:33 | More by Stinkypuss

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at the house of 1,000 beers. Paid 3 bucks for a single.

A - Fairly good even with low carbonation. Head and lace seems good for the style and the color is a honey colored amber.

S - Smells of light hops, caramel and sweet malts.

T - Simple yet good. Everything from the smell yet blended perfectly. Hops have a zing to give the toasted malt finish crisp rather than dry, Good.

M - Light to medium easy to finish.

Overall pretty standard beer. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 01:13:38 | More by DrDemento456

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured a slightly hazy, medium copper with modest off-white head. Smell is nice and malty, with some toasty and caramely notes presemnt. Taste is a very sweetish malt. Initially there was a mega hops presence, but this seemed to diminish with subsequent sips. Finish is somewhat dry ( a little too dry for my taste). This is an OK beer, nothing fantastic. A nice easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2005 01:06:04 | More by tgbljb

mynie

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Something oddly cute about this bottle. Maybe I'm just a little loopy after reading Foucault for the past 4 hours. I dunno. Little weird fishbone airplane thing made me giggle like it was a kitten.

Pours is sorta meh for a marzen. Darkish foggy amber, small white head that dies away quickly.

Smells a lot better than meh, I'll tell you what. Big east coast malt smell. (What the hell is that? That super mellow, sweet earthiness that I only come across in session-strength beers from back east? Geary's and Magic Hat and Brooklyn all have it. It's the malt, right? Or is the water just different? It's a malty smell, nonetheless. I think it's the malt. I make an ass out of you and me thinking it's the malt, but I still think it's the malt). That's blended with lightly zippy, very chocolately and caramely bock yeast and a light, spicy hops. Very nice.

Doesn't taste quite as good as it smells. Full malt profile, like ten different kinds of bread at once. Light hints of milk chocolate, butterless biscuits, that damn, delicious east coast mystery flavor, and then some lightly spicy hops finishing it off. Nice and complex with a lingering bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 03:14:17 | More by mynie

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is a bit malty. Taste is light, carbonated, some malts, a bit mild for the style, just a touch of hops at the finish. Feels light in the mouth and overall, while nothing offensive, there are far better oktoberfest beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 23:00:43 | More by tone77

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured crystal clear medium amber with a low white head which laced the glass.

The aroma was malty with caramel and some roasty chocolate.

The flavor was malty with caramel and chocolate and not very clean. There was also present a roastiness.

The finish was dry, make that bone dry. The body was medium.

12 ounce bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2004 23:53:09 | More by GCBrewingCo

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this brew during a return visit to the USA. It pours a very clear copper color, with a very slight head. The aroma is notably malty, with a toast and caramel quality. There's just a touch of hops in the aroma, but it's mostly about the malt. The taste is just slightly sweet, with the toasted character continuing throughout. There's a touch of bitterness in the finish. Moderately sweet, and with a fairly full mouthfeel. This is a nice, although not exceptional, oktoberfest. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2007 21:58:51 | More by Suds