Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured this Oktoberfest from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a nice copper color, produced a tan head, nice retention and it left a nice amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma of this Oktoberfest consisted of toasted malt, sweet caramel and some herbal hops. Medium bodied, full of malted grains, (5 different malts according to the bottle), suggestions of fresh baked bread, and a nice helping of herbal hops. Well balanced, somewhat sweet. Overall, very nice example of the style- Great session beer and well balanced. This is one of Samuel Adam's most popular offerings, probably should have tried this years ago. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:00:13 | More by GossageBrewery

FlatRabbitRed

Arizona

4.94/5  rDev +33.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First off .... I do believe they change the recipe every year, I go through several cases every year. The 2010 Octoberfest was the best they have ever made and the 2011 was not as good!

Some other reviews said it has a citrus quality, thats wrong!

Malty, caramel, with harvest flavors; pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 14:14:56 | More by FlatRabbitRed

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.01/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Strong notes of caramel taste with an edge of hops. Appearance is toasty brown with a deep orange hue (coriander). Smell was hints of caramel, light barley, and toffee. A great beer for a chilly winter night. Mouthfeel is thick but overall refreshing. I could drink 12 of these in a sitting and not grow tired of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:55:06 | More by Jacurdy60

Amish_Ambush

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed on: 09-01-2006

Taste: Toffee, Caramel with a slight hop edge. Malty toastiness and a subtle, light sugar water taffy in the aftertaste. Very nice.

Smell: Slight Toastiness. Slight Hops. A little bit of caramel.

Ap: Small head, medium lacing. Burnt orange in color.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Smooth.

Drinkability/Notes: I will get this again before is disappears off the shelves. A good effort. Thank

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:13:38 | More by Amish_Ambush

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 Fl Oz bottle poured into a 'Back Forty Beer Co' badged US pint tumbler @ home on 28 Dec 2012.

Looked happy in an American glass: good deep amber hue to the body with a thin off-white covering on top.

Sweet malty molasses all over the place in the aroma and the first sip confirms what your eyes and nose were telling you: this is malts first and foremost, with the hops just there to calm it all down a little.

I'm sweet toothed so this was fine my me but it is far too sweet for a true Oktoberfest Marzen if you want to talk about styles.

Most enjoyable: the second half of the tasting was helped along by some soft French cheese and the UK's equivalent to saltine crackers. They went well together.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 16:39:53 | More by BlackHaddock

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Two-fingered head off the pour. Ruby bronze in color.

Toasted grains, bordering on roasty, with German hop mustiness and earthiness. Light aroma of rooibos tea. Quite splendid for how simple it is.

Hearty and semi-sweet with heavy roast, toffee, tanginess, and earthy hops. Burly, with a bitter middle. Finishes tangy and with some leftover grain sugars. Pleasantly malty.

Very soft and drinkable. Mildly spicy in the brushy finish.

Can't not call this a favorable classic this time of year. This bottle will not be my last.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:36:46 | More by thecheapies

dbossman

Nebraska

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Reddish copper hue with a steady 1/2 inch head; lacing is nearly non-existent

S: Bready, toasty malts with some subtle tea, brown sugar, and toffee aromas--but mostly toasted malts--a bit subdued even for the style

T: Much more toasted bready malts--lots of biscuit with some subtle citrus undertones along with a touch of toffee and brown sugar

F: Decent medium body--especially for a lager

O: This is a great American version of a marzen: crisp, nice body, toasted malts, mmm

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 18:32:28 | More by dbossman

pkalix

California

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

left over from last month; not sure why i didnt rate it...
pours a typical sam adams- plain, un-spectacular. no real head to speak of. expecting relatively sub-par taste and the usual same malts and hops as all the rest of their line-up...
smell is caramel-y, pumpkin-y.
taste is . . . . decent. 5.3% abv is almost noticeable even though it isnt warm yet. quite strange, i think.
i like decent beer. i appreciate the effort a brewer gives. i understand not all experimental batches go to production. but it seems sam adams will produce anything with (almost) the same old types of ingredients and it all pretty much tastes the same. i keep trying different beers to find that one that isnt (so far) but it really is the same stuff. but i suppose it's drinkable, and that's a good thing. jus not something i would bring to a gathering of friends....

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:13:23 | More by pkalix

Chris_Cali_2o9

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams cup

A- Reddish orange, 1" fluffy off white head

S- Citrus, floral, metal, bready malts

T- Malt bomb, toffee, caramel, berries, orange, sweet bready malts

M- Medium bodied, crisp carbonation

O- A nice brew, lots of malty goodness, never to sweet, never watered down, it's just a solid example of the style. I'm done complaining about the metallic twang, it seems all sam adams malty holiday beers have it and it's most likely a house recipe thing.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 03:04:20 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

Bills453

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -26%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - poured from a bottle into a Duvel tulip glass. 2 finger off white head died off very quickly. Color is an enticing red/orange, just how you would picture a fall leaf.

Smell - no particular smell really pops out at me. Smell alcohol, some earthy smells. Grass, dirt...haha.

Taste - really not that impressed. I enjoyed Great Lakes and Yuenglings offerings far better.

Mouthfeel - a bit watery.

Overall - a pretty average Sam Adams offering as well as a pretty average Octoberfest offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 22:49:24 | More by Bills453

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Glass.

Appearance: Clear darker amber in color with an off white head, head was about one finger and faded quickly leaving a thin residue on the top.

Smell: Fruity, nutty, with malts and hops.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Medium bodied and smooth. Bitter taste up front, but no offensive. Nutty notes, with some mild sweetness too. definately some wheat too.

Overall: Not a bad Oktoberfest brew. Not the best I have had, but still it is good.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 22:02:27 | More by Cavanaghty

superspak

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle into perfect pint glass, best before Feb 2013. Pours fairly crystal clear orange amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of pear, apple, caramel, toast, bread, light toffee, and herbal hops. Pretty nice aromas with decent balance; a bit too fruity. Taste of caramel, pear, apple, toast, bread, light toffee, and light herbal spiciness. Lingering notes of light fruits, caramel, toast, bread, light toffee, and light herbal spiciness on the finish for a short bit. Pretty good flavor balance; quite a bit watery feeling on the finish; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and lightly crisp mouthfeel that is decent. Seriously lacking the creamy and slick mouthfeel this style usually shows. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a decent Oktoberfest. Needs less fruitiness and more bready/caramel flavors; but this is still very drinkable. Fairly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 05:01:42 | More by superspak

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich amber color and the little head is gone extremely quickly. An almost sickly sweet smell strong on malt. Taste is much spicier than the smell would lead on. Not bad, but with spices and sweetness, it is not the best Oktoberfest out there, even by American breweries. Very drinkable and nothing bad about it, but not great either.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:24:54 | More by leprechaunandfatman

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this with an italian dinner in a water glass. The pairing was a little odd, but it worked decently.

I get a decent amount of European hopping in the nose. There is a decent amount of nuttiness as well. It was kind of mellow with as many different smells there.

The flavor is a good example for the style in a very non-challenging way. It is perfect for the audience. This combination makes this beer an easy drinker.

Overall, this is a decent example of an Oktoberfest type beer. There is nothing different about this beer... it is very simple.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:01:33 | More by ummswimmin

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz. brown bottle with "best by" month notched on the label. Served in a steidel.

Appearance: Deep, rich, amber color. Develops 2 fingers of tan lace that fizzle out very quickly into a thin ring.

Smell: Not very aromatic. Smells mostly of malt, slight hints of allspice, pumpkin pie in there.

Taste: Malt dominates the palate, there's a bit of hoppy bitterness at the end. It's a slightly sweet-tasting beer.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation. Light and easy to drink with a smooth finish.

Overall: This is a tasty and uncomplicated beer that doesn't really stand out anywhere in particular but will keep you more interested in it that any run of the mill lager. It's good and easy to drink. Good choice as a "go-to" beer for the season.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 07:25:17 | More by VoodooBear

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle (bbd Mar 13) into a pint glass, copper amber colored with 1/4" tan head that dissipated rapidly leaving no lacing, crystal clear
S: caramel malts, toffee, spices, grains, slight apple
T: rather bland taste, slightly sweet up front, hint of cardamon, dry finish, slight hop bitterness
M: on the thinner more watery side, some carbonation, finishes crisp
O: it's an average beer, nothing exciting or offensive either, smell was the best part, OK to drink but there are better Marzen/Octoberfest style beers out there

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 22:26:52 | More by M_C_Hampton

FennelDTD

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Overall an OK beer, not great on any aspect, but presents as a fairly full flavor Octoberfest. Does have a slightly off smell when first opened, but the taste presents a better profile. Hints of spice, not overly hoppy. Nothing impressive, but would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:33:23 | More by FennelDTD

MaximalC

Illinois

2/5  rDev -45.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours transparent copper in color with a modest off-white head. Aroma smells of grassy, slightly skunky hops and some caramel. Tastes much like it smells, but worse. A funky hop stank presents up front, asserting itself through excessive carbonation. The malt aspect tastes less like caramel and more like raw sugar--quite offputting. The finish is a heavy does of wheat must. The sensation is kind of like what I would expect if I buried my head in a box of cheerios and inhaled deeply--less than appetizing. Finally the wheaty vapors subside and the process repeats itself with the next sip (sip being the operative word here).

I'm not confident I would have picked this out as an oktoberfest in a blind tasting, but then again I'm not a big fan of oktoberfests, so maybe I might have. Suffice it to say this brew has next to nothing going for it, coming off more like a beefed up light macrobrew than an homage to German brewing tradition. Not quite as bad as Sam Adam's chocolate bock, but pretty close.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:30:16 | More by MaximalC

CMUbrew

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a SA glass

A: Pours with a pretty nice looking head that is only slightly off-white and somewhat quick to fade. The body is a very clear ambery/dark orange. Decent amount of carbonation visible.

S: Grain and doughy malts about sum up the nose here.

T: Bread dough malts, toasted grain, sweet tea, barely present earthy hops.

M: Really feels like a solid lager should. Slightly less than medium body, not thin, somewhat calm carbonation, slightly drying finish.

O: While not my first or favorite example of the style, I certainly would want to try more Marzens if this was the first I had had.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 01:30:49 | More by CMUbrew

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice, light marzen. Nice amber although clear color, with decent head. Certainly not as full-bodied as many German options, nor as creamy in mouthfeel, but the flavor is pretty good. Easy drinking and satisfying and pretty refreshing. A good product from Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 20:38:48 | More by Beer-A-Lot

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a coppery amber, with another fizzling head that leaves behind no lacing as it falls apart in about half a minute. Medium body and carbonation levels.

Smells faintly of caramel and nuts. But only just. The flavor is much more notable: I get nutmeg-laced bready and toasted malts with a striking absence of earthiness and plenty of extra caramel. In other words, this beer is somewhat sweeter than the usual Marzen on the market. But some folks like that sort of thing. It gets a cinnamon dusting sort of flavor garnish as the glass warms up towards room temperature. Another middle of the road Marzen in a market already full of middling Marzens.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 05:30:15 | More by WastingFreetime

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 fl. oz. bottle into a pint glass. For Brewery Fresh Taste, Enjoy Before - Mar.

Appearance: Pours a thin-looking, watery copper color. Head is somewhat weak and recedes quickly to nothing. Unfortunately, this beer looks like most bar-grade pints. Put this next to a Yuengling amber lager, and I don't think I could tell the difference.

Smell: Somewhat malty, but overall unimpressive. The aroma is very faint.

Taste: Slightly sweet cinnamon malt flavor. The taste is unoffensive and makes for an easy drinking beer. Decent, but not outstanding.

Mouthfeel: Actually a decently thick mouthfeel. Surprising for the way it looks and tastes. Probably the standout characteristic for this beer.

Overall: It comes off just too weak and watery for me. For some reason, I feel this way about a lot of Sam Adams beers. Craft for the masses? I'm ordering it at a Pizza Hut, but not too many other places.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 21:20:57 | More by JednoPivoProsim

carlborch

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Brilliantly clear pour. Copper color and moderate carbonation. 2-inch tan head forms, but dissipates rather swiftly to a thin, creamy, covering. Malt, caramel and spice in the nose. Hints of bread, pumpkin pie, and dried fruit. Minimal Belgian lace. Medium body. Very nicely balanced palate with a pleasant lingering of malt and pumpkin-pie-spices. Tasty. The hop notes are high restrained.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:13:01 | More by carlborch

mscudder

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served into a mug.

A - A crystal-like rubyhue with a thin ivory head. Below average retention and lacing.

S - Strong toasted malts, light spices and grain. Nothing here to love.

T - Malts, sugar, light spices and a bit of juiciness. The taste is acceptable, but nothing makes me want to rush out and grab another.

M - Well carbonation with a nice medium body. Best part of the beer.

O - It is far from awful, yet there are just too many Marzen's that are way better. I remember loving this beer in my under-aged youth. Time has elapsed and my palette now says otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 03:15:03 | More by mscudder

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear red-brown with one-and-a-half finger, white, creamy head that lasted a couple minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Caramel malt, bread, mild.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Toasty malt. Mild flavor.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

O: There's nothing wrong with this beer, but the aroma and taste are mild and uninteresting. Not bad though.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:45:43 | More by SolipsismalCat