Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

oberon

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

was pleasantly suprised byt how authentic it was.Nice malty flavor and good color.I like most Sam Adams products.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2002 15:53:11 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sam Adam's always delivers, so when I went to pick up an Octoberfest (OKtoberfest with a K is actually trademarked in Germany, so kudos to Sammy for the "C") this year I naturally gravitated towards them. Some of the O'fests from Germany have been getting weaker and weaker and more watered down over the years. Hell, some of them are gold in color!

It has a great appearance with a clear, orange and gold accented copper that just 'looks like fall'. It's got great head retention and it leaves some very nice lacing behind.

The nose is clean and fresh with some delicate, caramelish and toasty malt.

The flavor offers all of the soft, bready, and lightly toasty malt that you'd expect with a touch of tea-like and mildly floral hops to lend it some character. The bitterness is present but unassuming; and it finishes fairly short and dry. More importantly, it's remarkably clean, fresh tasting, and superbly balanced.

The mouthfeel is smooth and silky with a medium body and restrained, moderate carbonation that help to accentuate its malt.

It's refined. It has finesse. It's remarkably drinkable. There are other, more fully flavored fests out there, but I'm not sure any of them have quite the same quaffability that Sammy offers. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 21:14:50 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a shaker pint glass at Finn McCool's.

I do so enjoy Quizzo beer. This one pours a clear orange amber topped by a half-finger of off-white micro-foam. The nose comprises caramel, citrus peel, red apple skin, and some light toffee. The taste holds notes of light caramel apple (holy hell, it merged!), walnuts, orange rind, and some miscellaneous florals. The body is light, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth, semi-crisp feel. Overall, a nice O-Fest, not among the tops, but good enough for a Fall afternoon o' lazin' 'n' whatnot.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2010 18:28:14 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Appearance: clear bronzish color, with a full, frothy, cream-toned head.
Aroma: somewhat sweet, earthy,vegetal, definitely maltsome, but not quite enough-so.
Taste: malty, but again, only perfunctorily, nicely rounded, rather mild. I wish to reach for the descriptor "rich", as I am wont to do with malty marzens, but this never earns it. Rather flat and dull for an Ok..ooops, sorry...Octoberfest. Some snap in the taste, but not enough. Yeah, way too thin for this style. I do believe I'll have to follow this up with a Summit Oktoberfest to assure me of how good it could get. This version just falls too short.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2003 09:29:21 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a nice amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a malty scent that boasts of pale and caramel malts. It is slightly sweet with a dry lager yeast finish. The taste is good. It has a slightly malty flavor with a dry lager yeast finish. It goes down easy and finishes smooth and creamy. There is a bit of bitter hops in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good Octoberfest. It has good flavor and aroma; an excellent drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2004 18:54:18 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Bottle gifted by the other Matt. Thanks! Beer served in a DFH signature glass. Beer is orange and clear with a minimal head and some lacing. looks ok.

Smells good, kind of like fruits, has some banana in the nose.

Beer tastes pretty good. Medium bodied. It's a little grainy. Beer is really drinkable mouthfeel is good. Not really in a mood to be descriptive tonight. It's good overall. I'd have it again. There are some fruity notes in the midpalate. It's pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 04:08:37 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is grassy hops along with some toffee and caramel malt.

The flavor is not quite what I expected. I get a lot of toffee, caramel and bready malt - as expected - but I also get some cinnamon and allspice. I have had this beer numerous times over the years and I never remember it having the spicy components. Regardless, it was very nice.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 06:13:09 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, amber color. Two finger head with a little lacing.

S - Sweet and malty smell.

T - It is a bitter with hops, but it also has a nutty & malty flavor. The sweet taste seems a little like chocolate.

M - Smooth and medium-bodied.

D - This is a pretty good marzen/octoberfest. Interesting combonation of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 00:23:46 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear copper in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that eventually completely faded away, leaving only a ring of bubbles on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of caramel malts and sweetness in the nose.
T: The taste has some sweetness and malty flavors with notes of caramel. Only some hints of bitterness from the hops are noticeable, although there seems to be enough of a balance to keep the sweetness from being cloying.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and can be considered sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 10:42:45 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +26%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Best By February 2009; Sampled October 2008
Pours with a frothy, two finger thick, lightly amber tinged, tan colored head. The beer is quite clear and shows a full amber color as it sits on my desk. The aroma has some light spicy hop character to it up front, but this is quickly drowned out by a full malt character. Aromas of caramel, toasty grain and whole grain crackers. Actually there is a fair amount of hop character here that lightly spices the more dominant malt aromatics.

Spicy hop notes cut through the slightly more dominant malt character of lightly nutty, slightly toasty grain notes and a nice, almost rich, but not to sweet, caramelized malt note. As the beer warms up it becomes more malty and rich, but still retains its spicy hop character. Light toffee notes seem to subtly intrude into the mix of well integrated flavors that define this beer. I really am enjoying the body of this brew as well, it is quite quaffable, but has just enough heft to cling a bit to the palate and lightly envelope the mouth.

This is a nice Oktoberfest, I really like that it is still fresh and has a nice spicy hop character. I really also like how the toasted malt character accentuates a soft nutty note. Overall this is a really well constructed beer, incredibly well balanced between hop and malt. I would seriously have a hard time asking for more from an Oktoberfest (well an non-Rauch one anyway). This would be quite easy to quaff liters of this beer at a time.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 20:35:30 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish orange color, with a decent-sized foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace.

S: The aroma is malty, with caramel, hops, tea and spice.

T: The taste is likewise very malty, as it should be, with flavors of caramel, toffee, tea and some spices. There’s also a decent hops presence in a beer of this style with that distinctive Sam Adams hops signature. After-taste is sweet but not overly so.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, clean finish.

D: Very tasty, excellent representation of style, not very filling, goes down very easily, I once polished off a 12-pack in a couple hours so I’ll say it’s very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2006 23:35:45 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

The mighty Sam Adams Octoberfest, It's a personal must have at least once during the fall season. Many of my friends and myself enjoy this beer thoroghly during the autumn months. This beer pours out as a rich dark orange brown color. It's a clear and clean looking with a nice looking head on it that leaves a touch of lacing. The smell of the beer has a good balance of autumn aromas, malts and hops. The taste of the beer is a little sweet upfront before the spices kick in. The flavors of some cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg come together and leave your taste buds tingling with a light hops bitterness on the end. The mouthfeel is a medium bodied and very drinkable in my opinion. If you can get, it try it!

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2011 18:12:57 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Edit 9-24-09 Based on this years offering, I'm dedycting for smell, MF & drinkability ,5. This is don't buy for me until I start hearing good thinks about it, sucked on tap too...

BBD of Feb 08, sampled in my free Sam Adams Glass

Pours amber/copper with 2+ fingers of sand colored head. Above average head retention & average lacing

S: Fruitty & cereal notes

T: Some caramel, dryness & a little bit of husky grains up front. Herbal & metallic hops as this warms. Finishes grainy, alittle fruitty, with hints of honey malt

MF: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinks so-so, not really impressed with this year's offering

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2007 02:54:40 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

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

12 oz. bottle, orange and blue colour, bought at the Hi-Times Wine Cellars, in Costa Mesa, CA, single,

A: Pours a beautiful pumpkin orange, with a nice white head into a pilsner glass.

S: Smells of malts predominately, a hint of hops, and a bit of smoke character I felt as well.

T: Malt is the word here, lots of caramel, but not as robust as I would have liked, easily drinkable, nothing offensive, taste is good overall, has nuance.

M: Typical lager, light and smooth, easy to drink.

D: An good Oktoberfest marzen, I've had better and I've had worse, nice colour in it, a traditional colour, I'll definitely buy some when they come out in the fall each year.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2007 07:42:25 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: copper / orange in color with a 1" head. No lacing developed.

Smell: very little aroma, as some soft sweetness is barely detectable.

Taste: caramel, mild fruit sweetness, a hint of nuttiness, and very mild bitterness. Overall a sweeter beer that is somewhat dry. Simple and straightforward.

Mouthfeel: smooth from start to finish. The finish is also a bit dry. Aftertaste is short with some caramel sweetness.

Drinkability: had a pint before dinner and two with dinner. Of course the restaurant selection was macro heavy, so my options were limited. But I found this to be flavorful and very easy to drink. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2006 11:30:43 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours orangish copper with a thin head that becomes a thin patch. Minimal lacing is left.

Smells of sweet bread. Some subtle floral hop presence is noticeable.

Tastes of malty grains. Bread and some hops are mixed in. It seems, to me, to be a maltier, sweeter version of a Sam Adams lager (not just an amber ale with some caramel maltiness as some craft brews do).


It's fairly smooth, but a bit too sweet for a "session". Although not quite in the same category as a Bavarian O-fest in Germany, it has a freshness to it, and is one of the better of the style that is available in America that hasn't been sitting in who knows what conditions to arrive here.
A bit better on tap, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2006 01:59:51 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

On-tap in suburban Detroit.

This beer appears a clear dark amber hue, with one finger of tight foamy ecru head, which leaves some decent streaky lace around the glass in its wake. It smells of crisp biscuity grain, and mild earthy hops. The taste is bready biscuit malt, a fair bit less crisp that I was initially led to believe, faint lemon, a bit of caramel and vanilla, and earthy hops. The carbonation is average, and a bit zippy, the body medium weight, and mostly smooth. It finishes relatively dry, with some grainy malt and lingering hops.

A decent enough Oktoberfest ale, which well approaches the Munich ideal, with its reserved, drink a shitload of it, um, now, nature.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 07:02:09 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

A nice fest-like beer. Looks a nice amber-orange with an aroma of toasted malts. Tastes "malty" the same way other good German lagers do with some caramel and toffee. I don't know how this is the #1 Oktoberfest beer as Sam claims, but its still very smooth and drinkable. Worthy of a litre stein.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 06:13:16 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

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

A 12 oz bottle.

A: The o-fest is a coppery amber color, clear enough that I can see the decorative candle that sits on the other side of the glass. A decent head, nearly two fingers in size, overflowed briefly, requiring a quick clean-up. Light lacing followed.

S: The aroma is very malty, bready with a pleasant sweet streak that lightens things up. Hops add a balancing aspect only, little in the way of strong noble hops.

T: The beer has a light body, grainy but not too full. The standout is a dose of caramel, almost syrupy, that follows the initial malt wave. The sweetness that it brings livens up the taste. The hops are a little stronger here too, adding an earthy bitterness. The finish is fast, offering some graininess before fading away.

M: The lager is malty, no doubt about it. The flavor is solid though and the caramel really helps it work.

D: This is like comfort beer. I just feel good drinking it and it reminds me of a simpler time when I hadn't yet gotten into ales. Sammy A., thank you for a nice pint.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 01:58:37 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

First let me state that this is clearly better than last years attempt at an Octoberfest beer, and this maybe my favorite Sam Adams product I have had (this doesn't say a whole lot not too found of ol' Sammy). Either way this one is worth a try, pours a deep ruby brown with a nice sized creamy tan head leaving full even rings of lacing beautiful appearance. Aroma is also up to par with Vienna toasted nut malt tones in the aroma and residual caramel notes arising one warming treat just a lil early in mid August in this heat, just not fall yet. Flavors blend well with a great toasted nuts flavoring from the specialty malts used and spiced up goodness to go around bringing not only a solid representation but maybe a lil uniqueness from the BBC. Finish contains som mild fruit tones and a bready characteristic that I call the Sam Adams funk, keep in mind not always a bad funk just goes here. Mouhfeel has a nice texture medium bodied rides on the palate oh so nicely very smooth. Drinkability don't knock it till ya try it, b/c I almost passed on it and with all the discussion on the Forum lately you'll be able to sound your opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2003 16:14:53 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a deep orange color with a slightly foamy white head and decent carbonation. Nose is pretty flat but I did detect some spice and caramel. Taste is malt, perhaps Munich and caramel, fruit, spice, hops. Pretty balanced but also pretty ordinary on the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 02:55:40 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Orange-amber in color, clear with a pleasant head and tight bubbled sticky lace.

Aroma features a largely caramel smell. The malt is crisp with creamy milk sugars coming forward. Surprisingly, the alcohol warmth comes through, too.

Very round, rich mouthfeel. The flavor comes late, but strongly. Hop is strictly a balancing act to the full crystal malt flavors. The hop is more present after the swallow, but the aftertaste is still more malt; it's also long lasting.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2004 22:39:30 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dated by Feb 06. Also noticed it sez Lager on the bottle. Pours a clear deep golden color with lots of carbonation, small head, but lots of lacing. Scent of sweet malts. Medium body. Very nice taste kinda sweet. Man you could drink this all day long, very nice again by Sam Adams. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2005 00:45:12 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Moderate carbonation and frothy head that doesn't last too long but leaves some lace. Copper/orange color and more malt than hops in fact the hops are barely noticable. Nose has some fruitiness but it is barely noticeable. Finish is smooth with some sweetness but not cloying.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2002 18:10:46 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a light warm brown crystal clear body with a nice gentle carbonation and a thick creamy head of off-white foam.

S- Clean smell with hints of light toasted malt and some hop bitterness.

T- This beer has a smooth soft flavor of slightly toasted malt with a slight tanginess to it. This beer finishes crisp and clean with a German hop bitterness.

M- Medium mouthfeel with a bit of a watery texture. No astringency or fizz from the carbonation

D- This beer has a light smooth maltyness that I wish was stronger. The hops are in balance but to faint because the malt is rather faint.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2005 23:36:47 | More by rhoadsrage