Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Bright, clear copper color with a half-inch head that seems to disappear almost instantly. Leaves little to no lacing.

S- Roasted malt, burnt bread crust, toffee, faint smoke, musty earth, and just a touch of hops.

T- All malt, with very little sweetness. Some soapy flavor comes through in the finish. Finishes dry with some nice hop bitterness.

M- Medium texture with above average carbonation. The level of carbonation keeps the usually sweetness of this style in check and allows the malts to really shine through.

D/O- A well done interpretation by Victory. Nice malt characteristics and a balanced sweetness. This is one of my favorite American takes on a German Märzen. Recommended. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 19:53:44 | More by pvsob

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is clean and clear rusty amber. Two fingers of dense, buttery, slightly tanned head dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing.

Smell: Very malty and sweet. Lots of chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Very enticing.

Taste: Smooth, malty, and sweet. The taste mostly mirrors the smell — chocolate, caramel, and toffee — and there is a slightly dry finish and a little earthy bite at the end.

Drinkability: Nothing too complex, but it is a solid brew. It reminds me a lot of Millstream’s Oktoberfest from last year.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 04:53:38 | More by TheQuietMan22

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Great Lakes Oktoberfest.

A: Clear orange-tinted amber with lots of very tiny bubbles and a two-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted a few minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Toasted caramel malt. Citrus hops.

T: Moderate sweetness and moderate hop bitterness to balance. Toasted malt and bitterness in the finish. Bready and slight citrus.

M: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation. Sort of watery. Slightly dry.

O: This beer looked and smelled pretty good. The flavor was good, not great, but good. The mouthfeel was okay. I liked the Great Lakes Oktoberfest better, but this wasn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 01:36:49 | More by SolipsismalCat

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought this beer because I wanted a great Fall brew, and I usually enjoy most of what Victory makes, so I thought this would be a winner. Well, I have to say its up there with one of my favorite Oktoberfest brews. WellI wouldnt really call it an Oktoberfest, but instead its a Marzen.
It poured a healthy reddish nut brown and smelled of toffee and molasses. Low carbonation but enough to be refreshing. It tastes great! Full of flavor with little after taste. It seems that Marzens dont really score to well on BA, understandably so as they really arent amazing beers in general. But comparing apples to apples, this stands out as a pretty good choice. I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 14:03:57 | More by DrinkSlurm

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Enjoy by Jan 2, 2012.

Appearance
Soapy, weak head with no lacing and poor retention. The color is getting towards the darker side of the Oktoberfest spectrum.

Aroma
Toasted grain, bread crust, a spike of lemon and grass.

Taste
Middle of the road. Toasted bread crusts, some caramel malt and a grassy hop fining.

Mouthfeel
Too much carbonation. Its fizzy and prickly. The finish is dry.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 03:42:58 | More by MbpBugeye

MrSoto

Puerto Rico

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

The head is a bit off-white it is thin and dissipates very quickly leaving just a tiny layer of bubbles on top. The color was an amber/dark orange color with lighter orange hues. The mouth-feel was medium, you can taste the sweet and bready maltiness. Inside the mouth it feels kind of like a shortbread cookie. The aroma and the taste is quite alike. You can feel a bit of earthy hops, not citrusy of piney.
I haven’t had a lot of Oktoberfest style beers but it’s pretty good. Not really something I would drink a lot of.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 00:41:16 | More by MrSoto

Retsinis

California

3.08/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

It's now October, so I was in the mood for a Marzen/Oktoberfest beer.

The bottle has a "drink by jan 24th 2012" stamp near the neck, so I would assume this is relatively fresh, and still what it should be.

A: The beer pours clear, with a light copper/amber tinge. A half inch of white bubbly head rose & quickly settled, little to no noticable lacing.

S: Not too much going on, scents of grains, lager yeast, and light caramel.

T: Mirrors the nose, slight bread flavor, a mineral quality flavor in the malt, lager yeast, and some light caramel notes.

M: Medium carbonation, light body, crisp.

O: Easy to drink a few of. Not bad, unoffensive, but nothing special. I'd actually take Sam Adam's Octoberfest over this, or Paulaner though.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:44:23 | More by Retsinis

flagmantho

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz bottle into a mug. Prost!

Appearance: rich amber-orange hue with a crystal-clear body and a thick finger of frothy ivory head. Great!

Smell: dry, biscuity malt, which is style appropriate but not my favorite interpretation of the style. It's a bit prickly and off-putting to me.

Taste: dry, biscuity malt. It starts out breadier and sweeter, but rapidly dries out on the palate. Style appropriate. Bitterness is pretty good, though. Not terrible, but really not to my taste at all.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation. Satisfyingly fizzy.

Overall: I'm just not in love with this beer. There are Oktoberfests that I like, but this just ain't one of 'em.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 17:55:44 | More by flagmantho

MNJR

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chilled mug. Head pops up then dies completely. Thin lacing, but as I say the head deteriorates almost immediately. Garnet color and very clear. Smells of vanilla and a hint of bitter orange. Very creamy mouthfeel, smooth as silk going down. Flavors of toasty malt, nice orange, spicy, hoppy citrus, with a slight metallic wash that pierces through in the finish. Refreshing, somewhat spiky carbonation. Nothing bad to say about this beer. Very drinkable, noticeably less malty than other Octoberfest brews, which is a nice change. This is a brewery that knows what it is doing, producing consistently good beer, and this Festbier is no exception. You'll want more than one of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 01:35:00 | More by MNJR

tobelerone

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The thin head on this beer disappears quickly, as does the lace, despite a pretty rapid pour. A fairly clear, amber-colored brew. Looks good. Malty lager aroma. Smell is right on for the style.

Nice traditionally malty marzen style, a little sweet caramel flavor, faint hop bitterness in the background. Not the most complex beer, nor should it be. Alcohol noted slightly on the back end and in the aftertaste; very moderate. Crisp, fairly dry finish. Medium carbonation. Drinks nice and easy. Good example of the style, which isn't necessarily a favorite. I enjoyed it more than I expected!

.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 14:13:48 | More by tobelerone

Minkybut

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 40 degrees. The beer poured a nice tan head. The beer smelled a little fruity but did not taste that way. The color of the beer was orange and the taste has a hint of caramel. I liked the beer and would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 15:49:27 | More by Minkybut

DirtyPenny

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into my New England Patriots pint glass while watching the surprisingly good Colts/Steelers game. Curtis Painter is not a real quarterback.

A: Poured with 1/2-finger of off-white head that imploded faster than the Vikings in the second half of any game this year. Festbier is an amber/honey color, as pleasing to look at as a football, thought somewhat lighter.

S: A whiff of piney/citrusy hops surprises the nose, much like the Buffalo Bills surprised the Pats today. Seriously, I expected a marzen to have a maltier nose (not a complaint), but it takes time to warm up and the real spirit of it to come through, much like Ryan Fitzpatrick.

T: Earthy caramel malts with a ghost of a fungus-like aftertaste. Cereal grain finish where I would have expected the hops. Curious what happened to the bit of hoppiness that was in the nose (and that the bottle promised). It was conspicuously absent, like the Steelers running game tonight.

M: Medium bodied. Carbonation was light but this brew was still a bit foamier and and rougher than expected. It's not anywhere near the chewiness of the turf Jay Cutler is constantly picking out of his teeth, but still.

O: Festbier is not a bad seasonal brew, but much like the Chiefs, I do not associate fall with Victory.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 04:06:51 | More by DirtyPenny

Extrajoker00

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pilsner glass

Review from notes: Beer Tasting 09-23-2011

A : Brownish amber with a thin head

S : roasted malt and caramel

T : Sweet roasted and caramel

M : Smooth and a slow finish

D : Left me wanting more

I felt this was a good Oktoberfest and would recommend

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 02:29:21 | More by Extrajoker00

jmshulk

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: Really nice fall, grassy type of smell with some malts and maybe a hint of lemon.

Appearance: Awesome looking deep dark orange/redish color. Light Tan head the falls slowly and gently.

Taste: Nice bold toasted malt flavors with a little grass, some subtle lemon flavor. Not much bitterness.

Feel: Nice and smooth, medium plus body, with medium carbonation.

Overall: Really nice, refreshing fall beer. I've picked this up the past two falls and like sitting back and enjoying it once the weather starts to take a turn and feel more Fallish. It's got a really nice earthy flavor that goes down all too easy.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 01:22:29 | More by jmshulk

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle, well within stamped freshness dating

A - Crystal clear copper body with a fluffy, tan head that has good retention and good lacing.

S - I get some herbal, grassy German hop smells up front. A little out of style, but a welcome variation. The hops fade after a few minutes leaving a nice bready, caramel malt.

T - Sweet, bready malts with a good dose of caramel. Hops balance with a touch of herbal, leafy bitterness in the finish.

M - Medium body with the carbonation a bit too high. Finishes mostly clean with a lingering sweetness.

O - Nice representation of the style, with the hops being a welcome twist.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 16:01:30 | More by garuda

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

At the time of this review, this beer is the #32 Märzen / Oktoberfest on the beeradvocate.com best of styles list, poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a New Belgium globe glass.

Beer is dark amber with a mild haze, lazy head, low carbonation.

Aroma is mildly nutty and mildly sweet, nice.

Beer is medium in body and sweet, nice finish, mildly bitter, really drinkable, good mouthfeel. I enjoyed it and would have it again, the munich malt comes through nice on the finish and midpalate.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 04:07:17 | More by drabmuh

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Pours a pale amber with 1/4" of bubbly head that fades to a thin lacing. Rich, caramel malt notes dominate the nose. Taste is deep, toasty malts with a rich, caramel follow through. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with a good deal of carbonation.

Overall not a bad marzen. The toastiness is a little more than you'll get from most marzens, and it's not as rich as most. A good beer though.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 23:53:41 | More by tdm168

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 12oz bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 9/19/11
*From notes

A: Lovely blood orange-amber. A good pour yields a 1.5 finger frothy head and some really thick and chunky lacing.

S: A generous amount of nuttiness hits the nose here, which I find really appealing. The toasty malt mingles well with the nutty-earth quality, making for a solid bouquet.

T: First of all, it's not sweet - thank God. I like my O-Fest's crisp and dry, with some decent toast and a kiss, I mean a just a peck of hops. Luckily for me, all of the qualities I just mentioned describe this wonderful, easy drinking and delicious Märzen.

M: Compared to most in the Oktoberfest style, this is one well put together lager. It's not overly rich. Rather, the carbonation is a tad bubbly, making this something that's not only crisp, but packing solid substance.

O: Victory's Festbier is easily one of the top two or three American Märzen's I've had the pleasure of quaffing, and reminds me yet again of just how well Victory lagers. It's rustic in all the right ways, yet it's something I can return to again and again. Crazy, insanely drinkable. Buy it by the case.

Between this and Great Lakes Oktobefest, there's no need to look elsewhere for your next Märzen fix.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 21:56:41 | More by Rhettroactive

witster18

Tennessee

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good accessible Okt.

Very malty profile... near choco hints... woodsy... sharp hop to balance late, but very sweet... scrumptious flavor, but a bit less alcohol/heat than most of the style and a bit more flavorful than most in the style...

will definitely re-visit....

the German versions tend to feel 'thinner' than this, but the differences here are quite refreshing... I don't know if this really helps in the drinkability aspect that is supposed to be part of the enjoyment of the style, but as for flavor, this is great!

probably the 4rth or 5th best american okt I've had....

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 20:42:41 | More by witster18

russwbeck

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear golden brown pour with only a small head.

S: Smells a lot more like an amber ale than a marzen/oktoberfest. Lot's of fruity hops and caramel malts.

T: The taste comes through a lot more like a marzen, with hints of typical amber ale characteristics in the back. Malty, with fruity hops in the background. Bread, crackers, caramel malts and hops.

MF: Carbonated well, crisp, light

O: Very drinkable, refreshing. Great beer for the fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:23:39 | More by russwbeck

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I get a very rich smell of roasted malts that almost smell burnt in a way. I also get some soapiness (not in a bad way) and some subtle earthy hop character. The taste is all smooth rich and sweet caramel, toffee and bready malt which ends up melding with the slight flowery, floral hop that you can taste in Victory's hoppier beers.

My favorite thing about this obviously the sweet rich malt character which adds to a very nice body for a beer of this alcohol content. I'm also getting a slight nutty flavor mixing in with the sweet malts. I heard the brewer explain its a party beer because they made it sweet on the tongue which is something the brain says to wash away so you take another sip.

In the end the hops round everything out and really balance out that roasted flavor. The malts really seem to be roasted closer to burnt but not really. It does add for a very autumn like beer. One of my favorites of the season. Exceptionally well crafted.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 01:50:34 | More by thebrood1987

theotherone87

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I purchased a case of this for my pittsburgh friends..

A-Pours a nice caramel color, with a frothy head with a strong pour.. It is easily seen thru

s- Not a strong hoppy beer, as it is a marzen, smells of some breads maybe ,and maybe some german hops

t- the taste is the best part, it is a nice easily drinkable beer for october and or a nice nite slash tailgating beer.

m-nice light carbonation,

o- I enjoy many of victories beers, and this one does fail.. I bought a case for my friends and I know they will enjoy this victory

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:24:57 | More by theotherone87

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark copper with a 1/2 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a thin film. Thin rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and a roasty aroma. Taste is of toasted malt, caramel notes, and a roasty/bitter flavor. The aftertaste is of the roast/bitterness as well. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a nice toasted/roasted malt quality to it.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 05:21:32 | More by UCLABrewN84

dbtoe

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a good not great O-fest. I liked it, but probably will not be seeking it out.
12 oz bottle poured into a pint
Look is a darker golden with a finger of head.
Smell just like almost all Ofest beers, mild and malty.
Taste is full of fest malt maybe a tad bit of char. This really comes out in the finish witch lasts forever.
Feel is a little too much carbonation.
Overall it is a good tasting O-fest. I just think the after taste lasted way too long. Good beer if I’m only having 1, may become too much if having a sixer at a time.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 04:08:22 | More by dbtoe

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a standard pint glass. Fresh 2011 bottling.

A: Clear orange/copper colored body with a creamy, slightly off-white head. A moderate retention cap sticks around the entire time; however in traditional lager nature no real lace sticks around.

S: Sweet caramel, allspice, brown sugar, candy apple, toasted malts and some cereal. It does smell good and there are a lot of elements coming through but the style doesn't really allow for an overly aromatic nose.

T: Sweet dark grains, toasted malts, touches of honey and spice come through and last into mid-palate. A touch of floral hops and caramel are in the finish, with almost a quenching quality to the beer. It's extremely good and very flavorful, especially for a style some would argue is lacking in terms of flavor.

M: Bubbly and lively carbonation but not overly so giving it a medium body. It's very crisp and clean with a semi-dry finish.

In all honesty, this is one of the best Oktoberfests I've tasted. It has much more flavor than a majority of the American brewed (and even some German brewed) ones, with no off flavors. Easily one beer I will be stocking the fridge full of this fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 12:48:45 | More by ShanePB