Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

fields336

North Carolina

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

12 oz bottle poured into SN snifter
Enjoy by Jan 18 2012 printed on label

A: clear, orange amber liquid, with 1 finger bubbly french vanilla colored head. Dissipates quickly leaving slight lacing on sides of the glass that also dissipates.

S: roasty, caramel, bready malts, with a slight herbal/grassy/earthy hop presence in there

T: nice bready, chocolatey, malty character with a nice toasty finish. There is a slight bitterness which is nice. Not as cloyingly sweet as some other commercial marzens. Stays more earthy, and bitter than others. I much enjoyed this one, very sessionable, cool, balanced, crisp, and nice.

M: nice carbonation, crisp, drinkable as any marzen should be. I love fall and this style, it's a big hit for me.

O: If you're picking out an American interpretation of a Marzen, this is the one in my opinion, I bought multiple 6ers of this, it's a great beer

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 04:21:41 | More by fields336

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Finally getting around to finishing the 6-pack.

Pours a nice pumpkin/copper orange with a slight haze, off-white head starts at about a finger, turning to a thick ring quickly.

Weak scent overall, takes a while to get a hint of anything. Nutty and caramel malt with some warmth.

Taste delivers some nutty, toasty, caramel malts. Herbal and some spicy hops there too. Slight grainy notes. Decent mouthfeel, carbonation is a bit high.

Decent, but pretty unremarkable, lacks complexity.. Drinks more like a red lager with some fall vibes rather than a true oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 22:42:57 | More by Chico1985

magine

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic.

Pours a hazy deep copper/amber. Head is off white and fluffy, nice tight bubbles. Head settles to a patchy island. Good clinging lace. Good looking brew.

Brew smells very malty; caramel, sweet bready malts as well. Some floral hops. Good nose.

Brew tastes sweet and smooth initially; creamy roasted nuttiness in the middle. Almost has a smoked flavor in the end as it warms. Nice chewy full bodied brew here. Nice dry nutty flavors in the end as well. A nice floral hop in there as well. Good flavors and balance. A great drinking, great tasting marzen. Very good.

This is a top tier oktoberfest/marzen for me. Up there with Great Lakes take on the style. I would love to sample both to see which one I prefer, but this is a damn good brew. Case worthy indeed.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 00:38:55 | More by magine

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Having had nothing but pumpkin ales for the last two weeks, I tired of that and decided to get back to the fall classic: Oktoberfest-Marzen. For good lager-type brew, can't do better. Saw this in the store and picked it up, as I love Victory Brewing and surprisingly haven't had it yet.

Freshness date is: enjoy by Jan 29 '12

Here goes:

Pours a beautiful shiny orange/copper-amber with a solid thick and bubbly white head. Nice retention. Thin lacing that sticks for a reasonable while.

Aromatic notes of sweetness, caramel-like barley, bread and dryness.

Toasted barley, and sweetness all around wave on the tongue,followed by a slight hint of faint hop twang, and finishes nice and dry. Medium body, with very minimal carbonation,allowing the barley sweetness and other characteristics to come through easily.

I really like this one. As good as any authentic made-in-Germany Marzen. And a lot better than some.

Victory scores another home-run with this one, but then again, when do they not?

Four Stars(out of four)

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 19:59:38 | More by happy4hoppybeer

chinchill

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz Undated bottle served in Peroni glass.

Clear copper with a creamy tan head. The head has decent retention but leaves little lacing.

Good malty aroma with a matching flavor! Although I thought the flavor was better than the nose. Sweet malt flavor with enough hops to produce a balance sweet and bitter.

Mouthfeel is OK, but more carbonation seemed desirable,

A marten that is a bit above average.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 01:38:46 | More by chinchill

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 fl oz bottle. Enjoy by Dec 21 2011.

Appearance: Pours a visibly thick dark orange with a thin head.

Smell: Very sweet malty molasses.

Taste: Probably one of the maltiest beers you will ever taste. Sweet sugary molasses.

Mouthfeel: This is one thick beer. Not a ton of carbonation.

Overall: Good, not great, Oktoberfest. Not a lot of balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 20:02:29 | More by JednoPivoProsim

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

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

Solid brownish-reddish heart with a 2 inch head.

Smell is toasty and dare I say floral?

Teeny tiny hops, malt is clearly the meaty backbone, not super sweet at all though. Toasted almonds, toast, caramel. Reminds me a bit of oatcakes -oatcakes are like a hearty kind of shortbready cookie with notes of honey. Might be the tinge of honey giving me that impression.

For me, this is a rock solid Marzen offering for the season. I started luke-warm on the offering, but am on my 3rd 6er. I really enjoy Southern Tier's Autumn Ale, but until someone gives me a better Oktoberfest spirited lager, this is the go to this season.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 00:49:19 | More by CheezyBlaster

JMWEB2

New Jersey

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

A: Nice copper body, decent head with some lacing.

S: Very toasty malt smelly, some nuttiness, little earthy.

T: Toasty and malty, very traditional Marzen, quite tasty.

M: Medium body and very clean.

O: Victory strikes again, great fall beer, traditional American Marzen beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 23:14:30 | More by JMWEB2

Amalak

New York

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

Dull copper color that is crystal clear. There are tons of tiny bubbles with a limited head and no lacing. Nice malty scent.

This actually has a lovely rye taste to it. Nice and malty, a touch of caramel sweetness. Nice blend of flavors. This is a very smooth and refreshing beer. Nice carbonated tingle, but not heavy. Very complex and well-executed.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 20:15:02 | More by Amalak

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

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

No clear date.

A: Amber.

S: Grainy malt with a touch of spice.

T: Bready grains with less butter than I often get in marzens. Nice clean hops on the finish. Crisp finish.

M: Fiesty carbonation.

O: I'm not usually a fan of the style, but I rather like this one. It is remarkably drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 00:56:08 | More by greybeardloon

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Boulevard in J'Town, PA had the Victory Festbier on tap. It poured a clear amber with decent frothy head and laced. The aroma included malt, barley, and some spiciness. The tase was powered by barley and malt....very grainy beer. The mouthfeel is ok, the taste leaves something to be desired. Over all it was ok,,,never been that big of a october Marzen fan. Certainly worth a try though.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 03:18:12 | More by WoodBrew

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a beautiful clea amber, with a one finger head that quickly reduces to a thin lid.

Has a spicy, toffee aroma, with tons of malt and mild hops. If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was smelling a Christmas ale, not a fest beer.

Malty, sweet, and slightly roasted, with tons of toffee, molasses and spice, this is a festive, if not a fest beer.

Medium bodied with mild hops, this is a smooth, if not slightly watered down feel.

A decent fest beer, worthy of a try. But is a crowded season of seasonal fall beers, it is hard to put this ahead of so many other great Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 03:19:28 | More by TheHoppiest

littlelorib

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear reddish amber with a thin wheat colored head that rather quickly diminishes. Smell mostly of malt but not overpowering amounts of malt. There's also something else there (hops?) that my poorly developed olfactory machinery has trouble sorting out. Taste is substantial and well balanced, with that malt detected in the smell balanced by a pleasing amount of hop bitterness.

Overall, nothing about this beer really jumps out at me except that it is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 00:14:45 | More by littlelorib

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