Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

NerveStorm

California

4.43/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A mellow October beer with a smooth finish. Good flavor with less bite than I expected. I found this a very pleasing drink. There is a malt bias, with no IPA like bitterness. Great with a meal or just a refreshing drink. I wish this one was around more of the year.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2011 04:09:12 | More by NerveStorm

CS1971

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +35.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I haven't had a Sam Adams I haven't liked. This beer continues the tradition. It is fully flavored, complex, has a great smell, and it truly brings me back to what made me fall in love with craft beers, I am a real fan of octoberfest/ pumpkin beers and this is at the top of my list! Thanks Sam!

Serving type: growler

09-19-2011 03:32:45 | More by CS1971

IronLover

Pennsylvania

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

Orange in color with an amber hue and perfect clarity. Poured with a dense, frosty foam that covers the edges of the glass with sticky lacings. Foam slowly reduces to frothy white cap. Sweet, light, earthey, caramel malt aromas and a bit of metallic aroma in there as well. Smooth, lightly creamy, delicate feel. After drinking ales all summer long, the mellow feel of a good lager is interesting. Sweet malt up front with a sour dough bready flavor through the middle. Finishes delicate and wet with a light bready taste. Look forward to this easy drinking octoberfest every year. By far Sam Adams best seasonal.

Serving type: growler

09-13-2011 05:13:09 | More by IronLover

kmac101

New York

4.7/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I drank Sam Adams Octoberfest in a 24oz bottle and also the 12 ounce bottle. I think that the 24 oz bottle was a lot more enjoyable and had a better finish to it.

Sam October has an impeccable smell which helps with the drinkability, this beer is hard to keep in my glass. I have tried a lot of different octoberfests because it is one of my favorite styles and I think that Sam's Octoberfest is exemplary. One of the best on the market.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2010 14:56:17 | More by kmac101

ectomorph

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Coming back to this beer over a year later. My 1st time through, I think I had a bad bottle or something.

12oz bottle well within the freshness date.

A - Clear dark copper body with a 1/2 finger off whit head that disappears quickly.

S - Faint honey and maple syrup with a hint of biscuits.

T - Roasty bread goodness with a honey sweetness. Some floral hops add to the mix. Not a malt monster, but close for the style.

M - Light bodied with good carbonation. Goes down smooth and finishes clean.

D - High. Good in any weather, with any food.

Serving type: growler

09-28-2009 21:53:30 | More by ectomorph

n00tz

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Amber bodied light head that diminishes over a minute or so leaving enough to lace the glass I poured it into.

S - Roasted malts and caramel scents are picked up.

T - Very smooth malt flavors of caramel, bread, and something sweet that I can't put my finger on..

M - very herbal feel with enough hops presence to be wonderfully balanced. not thin but not syrupy by any stretch.

D - Excellent introduction to SA's seasonal brews. I'll be coming back for it again.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2008 02:03:30 | More by n00tz

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