Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

tewaris

Minnesota

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

Sam Adams Octoberfest

Should be fresh enough. Pours a very deep and dark amber color, with a medium off white head and medium retention. Sweet malts, perhaps toast in the aroma. Taste is definitely sweet with a slightly astringent finish that almost seems like a very mild version of roast. Drink easy and smooth. Can't be beaten for buck a bottle.

3, 3.5, 3.5, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 02:26:56 | More by tewaris

Mojo

Alabama

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

This beer pours up a beautiful copper with a large tan head. Elaborate lacing is left as the glass is emptied. The nose is fruit and roasted nuts, a pretty pleasant if understated smell. Mouthfeel is kind of thick and syrupy. Taste is very sweet with sweet roasted malt from begiining to end. My main issue is that it tastes a little one dimensional. I'd like it to have a bit more assertive finish. But I enjoyed it overall and would take another if offered.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:13:07 | More by Mojo

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a copper-orange color with a brew with a thick two finger off white head. The head slowly over time to leave a very nice level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is heaviest of roasted malt with a good dose of caramel sweetness. Mixed with this is a light earthy and herbal aroma as well.

Taste – The flavor begins of a biscuit flavor with a good presence of a roasted malt. There is a lighter sweetness of caramel and some brown sugar up front. As the taste advances the sweetness fades and some flavors of a slightly bitter earthy flavor and some nice spicy flavors come to the tongue. Toward the end of the flavor, the roastiness intensifies and when mixed with the rest of the flavors, leaves a roasty and spiced flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer is on the slightly thicker side with a carbonation level that is on the slightly lower than average side. The thicker body was quite nice for the roasty and spicy flavors, although a little bit more carbonation would have made it a bit more refreshing.

Overall - Smooth with some nice roast and malt. While not the very the best Oktoberfest in my opinion, it is quite nice. A good go to for more session style drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 00:44:49 | More by Darkmagus82

rramsey

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

One of the best Octoberfest's I've had. Pours with an orange hue. Good carbonation. Taste is good. It is an enjoyable beer for the style. Mouthfeel is average. I enjoy this beer during this time of year. I will buy more next year. I can drink several of these at a sitting. Marzen is not my favorite style of beer but is a good beer and I enjoy drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 23:24:44 | More by rramsey

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
5.3% ABV, Enjoy before Feb notched on label.

A - Autumn in a glass, this clear lager shines with is a robust rusted amber color which is capped by an off-white head of tiny bubbles. Spotty lacing collects around the pint above the thin, left over skim.

S - Fall is captured upon first whiff. Light Vienna malts provide an excellent base of faint toast and biscuit notes while the Munich malts offer quite a bit of mild sweetness which swirls throughout. A touch of earthiness suggests some hops but they're generally absent. A touch of mineral harshness trails off but this beer is generally very clean.

T - Maltiness continues to develop with it's Vienna base, once again pushing toasted qualities along with an overall sense of breadiness. The Munich malt's sweetness drops back from what the aroma suggests for something a little easier drinking while the finish opens up to hops just a hair more. Herbal notes and grassy earthiness are timid to say the least, but offer balance. Again, the beer's light mineral harshness becomes just a bit intrusive.

M - Medium-bodied and smooth, Samuel Adams Octoberfest has a delightfully malty but refreshing feel that really works well as a sessionable oktoberfestbier. Just a little dry earthiness on the finish goes a long way to keep the beer balanced and inviting.

O - Embodying the essence of fall, the malty aroma encourages the mentality to shift from light, crisp beers to maltier lagers before turning to full, rich stouts and the like. If there wasn't the pesky mineral finish that's almost metallic at points, I'd really, really love this beer. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good Oktoberfest; one I can drink quite a bit of in season, it's just held back from greatness.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 21:17:18 | More by BeerFMAndy

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at fridge-cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a 1.5-finger cream-colored bubbly head that dissipates pretty rapidly into a slick of bubbles across the surface. No lacing. Clear with lots of bubbles.

S – Full of malt with grain, toasted bread, and caramel aromas. There are maybe some earthy, floral hop aromas as well.

T – Follows the nose and adds some. Sweet nearly all the way through with grainy, bready, nutty, and toasted malt flavors. There’s a subtle earthy and spicy hop bitterness that comes through at the finish.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a crisp but creamy mouthfeel, and a grainy and slightly bitter and spicy finish. Grainy sweet malt and spicy, earthy, bitter hop flavors linger for a little bit.

O – This is a pretty good Oktoberfest beer. It has all the hearty and tasty malts that are supposed to be there. The subtly bitter finish was a little different touch, which was nice. I wish the head characteristics were a little better. Overall, this is a nice fall beer from Sam Adams.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 02:40:53 | More by BlackBelt5112203

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle poured into an appropriately sized mug. The modest lacing falls a bit short of the handsome deep orange body below. Modestly sweet toffee aromas are complemented by subtle fruity, leafy and nutty notes. There's a tad more depth of flavor than the nose would suggest, although it's not as robust as I'd like. Lingering tangy toffee and mild sweetness are the closest things we have to lasting impressions here. Appropriately mild bitterness with modest leafy hop flavor and carbonation. Notions of bread crust with apple butter. A touch thickish on the palate. Quite easily drinkable, but ultimately forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 23:04:14 | More by PDXHops

tviz33

New York

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle to a pint glass

A- Pours a medium orange color with a tan two finger head. Good amount of lacing.

S- Not a whole lot on the nose. A bit of sweetness, some spice. Far from overpowering.

T- A lot more flavor than smell. Tastes like fall: Maple and caramel and just the right amount of spice. The tiniest amount of bitterness towards the end balances it.

M- Just great. Thick enough to chew on and thin enough to easily enjoy.

O- One of my favorite of the six from the fall sampler pack

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 02:43:23 | More by tviz33

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a finger thick head. Clear body, copper in color. Thin sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Caramel. Toffee. Nutty. Subtle apple notes.
T) Munich malts - caramel, toffee. Nutty. Bready. Hints of tree fruit. Subtle hops in the finish.
M) Fizzy. Medium body. Dry and Chalky in the finish.
O) A well craft Octoberfest. I will always drink one of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 00:43:41 | More by u2carew

yamar68

Minnesota

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

Looks pretty in the glass - clear copper gold topped with a half finger of khaki head that laces a dirty glass.

Smells like Fall... amber type malts, faint cinnamon/nutmeg, sweet bread character, dirty caramel, nothing too exciting but true to the style for sure.

Lots of sweet grain on the tongue, bits of that caramel come through, some pale malt - barley notes, pairs nicely with the weather.

Highly drinkable. Honestly I'm not a big marzen fan in general but this is just fine for a beer with lunch on a day like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 17:28:12 | More by yamar68

vkv822

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into tulip snifter.
Best By: Feb. 2013

Pours a a clear amber red with a foamy off white head with nice retention.

The aroma is malty upfront, cracker and a slight caramel note. There are some grassy hops and nuts in the finish, though a bit subdued overall.

The taste follows the nose pretty closely, though the flavors are more prominent.

Medium body, medium- foamy carbonation.

A solid and enjoyable Marzen. Something I don't mind having a 6-pack of.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 07:57:34 | More by vkv822

DisasterDave

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had high hopes based on the label that says, "5 roasted malts for a rich hearty flavor...." The flavor was pleasant and had the malt flavor as advertised, but not as hearty as I hoped.

In its favor, not a lingering after taste.

It's a beer I would be glad to drink again, but not one I will be excited to tell my friends about.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 03:03:34 | More by DisasterDave

jtnelson40

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Reddish clear copper color poured from bottle into my mug, off white finger wide head, fades away quick leaving a little lacing.

S: Malty, hint of bread.

T: Toasted malt, slightly sweet, I can taste a little orange. Maybe that is the hops?

M: Some carbonation, smooth in the mouth, goes down almost too easy.

O: I like this beer alot! Goes down easy, love the malt flavor. I could slam several of these in a short amount of time!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:26:16 | More by jtnelson40

Scrylol

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dark orange/copper color with a two finger cream colored head that quickly disappears. Little lacing, and a stream of bubbles on the surface.

Slight caramel sweetness to the aroma, with some roasted malts. Pretty subtle.

Nice toasted malt flavors on the tongue, slight caramel notes, some earthy and biscuit notes. Very little hop presence. Leaves a dry, bready, smoky-like flavor in the aftertaste.

Decent carbonation and mouthfeel, nice but watery finish.

A decent Octoberfest by Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 00:34:23 | More by Scrylol

sAws

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours the colors of Autumn, its a really nice looking beer. Has a creamy head and good carbonation. Smell is very faint and not much going on, I expected to smell the 5 malts stronger than this. Taste is delicious with malts. No single overpowering malt flavor just a complex of many malt flavors. Mouthfeel is almost perfect for this style with a slight creaminess. Overall its a great beer that I enjoyed the more I drank it. Will be a definite buy every fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 14:48:37 | More by sAws

magictacosinus

California

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle. No freshness date, but clearly meant to consume by the day Oktoberfest in Germany ends!! Hooray for beer!

Initial pour is highly carbonated, with a generous head, amongst a brownish amber color. Head eventually recedes next to nothing, but carbonation ends up being plentiful. Pretty standard in color - although I could use with a much *nicer* head for a marzen - but overall well presented.

Strong malts make up the backbone of the aroma, but there's other notable flavors to speak of as well, among them biscuits, pumpkin spice, caramel, cinnamon, and brown, burnt sugar. With all those sugars and spices, it's clearly sweet towards the finish, and no alcohol presence is around to overpower those aromas. There's not as much hoppiness as I wished for, but it's still pretty close to how marzens are.

The flavor is exactly the same as the description for its aroma, with the notable exception that it's slightly smoky during the finish. There's a warming alcohol sensation at the back of the throat. Malts are very strong here, with hops playing a minor presence in the beer's main flavor. Did I mention biscuits?? This is very much like a basket of fresh biscuits, but it's definitely more enjoyable than other notable amber ales (such as Fat Tire) due to its nicely thick body, as well as generous carbonation that makes it a delightful drinking experience. I would suggest drinking this far colder under room temperature so the assault of malts don't arrive as quickly as they did for me.

All in all, a very balanced, easily drinkable tribute to marzens and Oktoberfest seasonal beers. While not my all-time favorite, it's still an undeniably well made offering from Samuel Adams. A crowd pleasure for sure, despite being too a little malty for me, personally. Recommended a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 01:54:06 | More by magictacosinus

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

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

The beer poured a clear reddish amber in a crystal mug. The white bubbly head only builds one finger high and dissipates fast, leaving no lacing.
The smell is of roasted malts.
The taste is dominated by this roasted malt backbone, with hints of spice and caramel. A mild hop gives some balance.
Overall a nice fall brew, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 03:21:26 | More by Hopfenpeter

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours a clear dark copper in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that reduces to a thin ring of bubbles at the edge of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderare aromas of caramel malts with an almost maple syrup like sweetness.

T: Like the smell, there is a moderate amount of caramel malt sweetness with just a hint of maple syrup sweetness. The hop bitterness is noticeable in the finish but not overpowering - well balanced.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink and very sessionable - nothing super here but nothing bad either, very much an average beer in the style. Pretty well balanced in flavors between the sweetness of the malts and the bitterness of the hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 02:27:10 | More by dbrauneis

aspect

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Great looking beer, copper in colour with a nice size head that lasts quite some time, great lacing.

S -Some carmel, sweet malts, brown sugar

T- Can taste exacally as it smells, very nice.. brown sugar and carmel and a slight orange peel note, nice and balanced, smooth beer.

M- Nice and soft on the mouth, a medium in body with a slight carbination

Great beer, I've enjoyed quite a few of these and can always rely on Sam adams for a good brew. Give it a try!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 00:43:20 | More by aspect

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

Seasonal bomber poured into a glass mug.

A: Beautiful clear coppery gold with a huge rocky off-white head.

S: Sweeter malts and signature Marzen note of autumn...malt malt and more malt, toasted bread crust slight graininess, faint suggestion of herbal hops...

T: Bready from start to finish, faint hint of roasted malt character but its more toasted...toasted grain, low bitterness, light but constant sweetness.

MF: Watery refreshing lighter medium mouthfeel, low carbonation and clean finish with just the slightest bit of dryness.

O: The sweetness is constant but subdued. Very malty but not the malt profile I prefer. Overall its decent but unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:59:32 | More by Scotchboy

jak3676

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Sam Adams - Octoberfest

I'm assuming this one is bottled the same as all their others, in Boston, MA. This is probably the easiest to find Oktoberfestbier in the states. It's about as average as you can come, but that's not a bad thing. Some else was saying its a good way to introduce Americans to the style without being offensive. I'd agree with that - it's good, but not great.

Coming in at only 5.3% ABV this is definately on the light side for the style. Its perfectly clear, with a nice deep amber toward red color. I liked it, it just seemed to be lacking a bit of flavor, not so bad as to call it watered down, but definately missing something.

Only indication of bottling date is a notch out of FEB on the side of the bottle which matches the traditional style perfectly, but maybe that's a "sell by" date?

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 19:52:45 | More by jak3676

BierStein711

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a short pilsner glass.

Four finger snow-white head

Deep amber in color with a lighter red hue at the bottom of the glass.

Smells: hop, malt, and roasted malt

Taste: Sweet start, fades into roasted malt, and finishes with a hoppy biscuit taste

Mouthfeel: moderate, not too light, and not too heavy

Overall, I'm sure this is best on draught! I'll have it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 02:49:59 | More by BierStein711

fields336

North Carolina

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

A: reddish brown with 1 finger of tan fizzy head that dissipates quickly. The carbonation looks great, streaming off of the bottom. There is little to no head left after 1 minute after pour.

S: mm that nice toasty, bready, roasty smell that lets me know fall is almost here. clean, no diacetyl or yeast is present

T: That nice freshly cooked toast flavor mixed with a slight biscuity flavor. a little bit of hallertau style hop flavor is present, along with a slight grainy flavor, almost like yuengling

M: Great feel, medium bodied, creamy, easy drinking, refreshing. carbonation is nice too

O: Just an overall good beer. I've had better octoberfest's though.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 02:59:30 | More by fields336

n2185

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a clear copper with two fingers of beige head that almost completely vanishes with no lacing.

S: Munich and pilsner malt aromas up front with sweet biscuit, caramel, and citrus notes following.

T: Munich malt flavors here as well with bread, caramel, and slight citrus. The finish is clean and bready.

M: medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer is light and dry, though could use a bit more carbonation.

O: a solid Marzen overall. I'd like a bit more carbonation and depth of flavor, but it's still tasty and clean.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 23:35:01 | More by n2185

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: dark amber colored body with a white head that fizzles out extremely quick with no lacing.

S: malts, grains, and bread, but gives the essence of fall.

T: some caramel, malts, and a decently low hop balance finishes really crisp and clean.

M: light/medium bodied with moderate carbonation smooth and refreshing.

O: this is good for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:31:58 | More by kangarooAdam59