Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

DoubleJ

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Flying Dog to Gordon to Karl to Sam, we enter the last beer of the American Oktoberfest Invitational, the tasting which I sample some of the marzen's of the bigger American craft breweries. Before I go on, I will say that this is the first SA Oktoberfest I've had in three years, which is the longest stretch I've gone without tasting a beer that I already sampled. To some, that may not sound long, but I've only been able to legally drink for only a slightly longer time. That will end very soon. Is SA Oktoberfest as good as I remember? On to the beer:

Poured into a stange, the beer's color is darker than other maarzen's with its rich amber red color. The head on top is semi-creamy/semi-fuzzy. It slowly drops. Light in the nose. There is some "raw" hop leaf crawling in the nose with weak notes of malty goodness. Where are my malts? Will I taste them?

Oh yes, I taste them, though on the lighter side. Bread crust and sweet King's Hawaiian rolls lead the way in this smooth, medium bodied beer. It's slightly fruity, and very faint alcohol hints itself on the palate. Dry biscuit malt finishes off the journey.

In the land of marzen's, SA Oktoberfest will hold its own given its distribution, freshness, and price advantage. Not as heavenly as I remember three years ago, but still very servicable and easy drinking. (In case you were wondering, Boréale Blonde is now the beer I haven't sampled in the longest time, dating back to December 2006.)

The American Oktoberfest Invitaitonal comes to end with these four beers, and now is the time to crown a winner. And the winner is....

Gordon Biersch Festbier!

No leftover marzen's at this Oktoberfest, and in the end, the guy who tells you not to trust a skinny brewer takes it all. Hope you're all full of pretzels and potato salad (and beer!) after this invite. Good night everyone!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 03:48:37 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

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

Got this on-tap at Fontaine's in Atlanta.

Pours a good dark amber color with a one-finger white head. The head dissipates into a wispy layer of bubbles on top and a ring of bubbles around the glass. Lacing is good just above the beer, but isn't that sticky.

Smells very malty - both bready and sweet. Some caramel notes as it warms.

Tastes very malty as well. Sweet at first then mellows as it warms. Some caramel taste as well, with a smooth finish. Just a touch of bitterness at the end as well. There's a slight off taste every now and then that I can't put my finger on.

Mouthfeel is good. Carbonation is just right, but it could be a little thicker. Goes down very smoothly though.

This is a pretty drinkable beer. No egregious flavors that don't belong. It goes down easily and quickly.

Overall a solid Oktoberfest beer. The quintessential harbinger of the best season of the year.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2008 23:59:48 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Release 2003: The beer pours transpicuous deep amber to burnished copper, the head modest in size and semi-creamy in consistency, the color a very light tan, the resultant lace a thin sheet to drape the glass. Nose is crisp and clean, sweet with lots of malt, start is also sweet and rich in malt, top middling. Finish is perky in its acidity, the hops light in their spiciness, very dry aftertaste, a so-so beer, drinkable and decent enough to rate at least and average score from me.

Release 2002: The beer pours a nice translucent deep amber color, the head is portly, frothy, the lace in thick sheets, the color beige. Nose is malt and light hints of caramel. Front is sweet, the top skinny, the finish is mildly carbonated, a tad dry, slim on the hops, drinkable beer, but a bit to sweet for me.

Release 2001: Different label, same beer. Nice malt nose and a decent hop presence, not a great beer, not bad either. The beer pours a copper-brown color with beige head and fair lace. Drinkable and worth a try

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2003 01:20:43 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A bready beige head sits atop a light rustic-amber body coloring. Visible carbonation was extremely light, with soft whispers of lonely bubbles rising reluctantly. The head dissipates rather quickly leaving a thin film coating.

S: The nose was soft, light caramel syrup with only the slightest hint of hops of nobel flowery origins.

T: Sweet and syrupy upon the opening sip. Maplesyrup, caramel appear in the forefront while a light noble flowering hop presence presents itself on the tongue upon the swallow. Hints of chocolate and munich appear ever so briefly upon warming on the close.

M: Light bodied, you hardly feel this at all resting on the tongue. Nil carbonation factor, easily manipulated on the tongue.

D: As with most of Boston brewings beers this one goes down very smoothly with little effort or resistance making for a good session drink aptly suited per style. Pitches of this are optimal, Prost Zum Wohl.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 13:22:30 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.53/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This was served with a thin head that didn't last long. Quite clear medium amber/orange colour. There was plenty of sweetness in the aroma, but not much malty depth and little in the way of hops. Low bitterness, lots of sweetness and this carries straight through to the end. A bit grainy with some corn flavour thrown in. Not very clean tasting, with a bit of fruitiness at the midpoint. The body fell away and became thin towards the finish, but still had some stickiness. A bit disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2005 01:41:17 | More by DrJay

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

It is time of the Fall seasonals and I am trying some new ones this year while they are fresh.

From the bottle: "Samuel Adams Octoberfest is brewed with five varieties of malted barley for a deep amber color and a bigger richer flavor. It's everything we look forward to in Fall."

The pour produced a finger of fluffy eggnog-colored head with excellent retention. Color was a deep copper with NE-quality clarity, reminiscent of a former G/F's hair. Nose was rich and malty and very evocative of the style. Mouthfeel was medium and it was sweet in a toasted cereal way that reminded me of Wheaties, which my father would swear by. It was not cloyingly sweet, but more toasty sweet, if that makes any sense. I liked it simply because I do not like overly sweet anything. The finish was semi-sweet and very pleasant. Worth a try at this time of year.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 00:00:00 | More by woodychandler

plaid75

New York

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

Poured a dark copper hue with a one finger pillowy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a strong caramel malt aroma with a smattering of aroma hops.

The taste was upfront malt sweetness with a solid toasted grain bill. A very good doughy aftertaste as well.

The mouthfeel was on the creamy side.

Overall a good drinkable Octoberfest. A bit on the sweet side and could have used a bit more hop in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2006 15:07:45 | More by plaid75

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Sam Adams Octoberfest is a myriad of the quintessentially fall-time shades of auburn and amber. It is a snapshot of autumn foliage. On the whole, it is quite dazzling; fiery tones of red and coppery glazed oranges flare up when the beer is held against the light. Like its clarity, a majority of the head persists. Although the bulk of it resides along the bumpers there is a thin film that manages to cloak the surface. Lacing drapes the glass.

The aroma exhumes a lot of sulfur. Don't be alarmed - this is common in many lagers. It isn't anything unappetizing but it's not exactly enticing either (and the sizable hint of diacetyl isn't helping things). But that sulfur element is definitely characteristic of many lagers and it is one you can likely learn to live with - if not come to enjoy. Besides, swirling seems to eradicate most of it. You might also note caramel and dried fruit.

This is possibly the best tasting Märzen I've tried in my limited experience with the style. A profoundly malty flavour hints at notes of caramel, crackers and cranberries. It is distinctly sweet; a trace amount of hops is detectable but contributes nothing more than a dash of earthiness. The aftertaste has a lengthy linger and leaves your tongue in the clutches of sulfur and dried fruits. I wish this was served in one of those giant 2 liter steins :(

Because I could probably drink at least a few of them. No kidding. This is one extremely sessionable lager. It is smooth and deliciously sweet. The maltiness is sufficient to provide flavour but not heavy enough to weigh you down. I'm not only drinking this in gulps but have actually caught myself chugging it. To call it quenching is an understatement. Admittedly, I wouldn't know where to draw the line drinking this one.

No wonder Oktoberfest is such a big celebration. Any type of beer this good - especially one only released seasonally - deserves its own ceremony and commemoration. This is a gorgeous, distinctly flavorful, endlessly sessionable lager - in other words, this is a beer perfectly designed for festivities. And you can bet Sam Adams' version will definitely be a source of merriment in my house each fall from here in.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 01:23:58 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

2.75/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Served on draught into a Miller Lite glass at the 9-0 Bar in South Central Los Angeles. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a half finger head of poor cream, thickness, and retention. Colour is an unappealing dark copper. I recall the head being better in the bottled version.

Sm: Absolutely nothing. Me broken nose can't detect anything. All apologies, lads.

T: Slight bittering hops, an overly commercialized barly/malt foundation, and no real substance. It's decent, but far from exemplary.

Mf: Very sharp, which turns me off from it. A touch too thick. Slightly coarse and wet.

Dr: It's decently easy to drink, but priced rather high. I prefer the bottled version.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 21:38:58 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

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

Pours a copper color with a one-finger head. Aroma is nice and malty up front with a tiny bit of smokiness. Taste is somewhat sweet and malty on the tongue and it fades towards the back of the throat. Not too impressive. Solid beer though. It would probably go well with Octoberfest-type foods.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 04:39:16 | More by Brad007

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Enjoyed in their specially engineered glass.

A: Copper-bronze with an off-white head, thin ring of retention, hints of lace.

S: Nobel hop aroma (floral, herbal & grassy) with some underlying toffee sweetness.

T: Caramel and bready malt, grassy & herbal spicing, solid bitterness. Great for a new world version, but there's a bit more crystal malt sweetness than breadyness from a good continental malt.

M: Moderate body has a light residual sweetness.

D: A good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 00:30:31 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Pours a coppery amber with a thin head that settles to a thin ring. Smells of firm malt and a little nutty, but also a little light and seltzer-like. The taste is pretty similar with an initial burst of firm malt followed by a seltzery fizziness and some late nuttiness. Kind of amazing how much this falls off. Its also just a bit too dry- it needs a bit more sweetness for the style. A bit fizzy and light in the mouth, this one seems better suited to a hot southern summer than the fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 20:51:01 | More by Georgiabeer

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle. Date says best before Febraury. Pours a small head that fizzed down quickly. Very little lacy noticed.

Color was an orange amber. I could taste roasted malts, but little hop flavor going on here. This was an easy beer to drink and definately another great from the BBC.

I will definately be picking up some more of this before the season is over.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2008 01:55:26 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

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

I tried a bottle of this shortly after getting it on draught. As expected the experience was not quite as good. Another good seasonal from Sammy's, although not as good as Old Fezziwig. Nice amber color with a medium head that dissipated quickly. Malty, lightly floral aroma. Nice malty flavor with light citrus notes. Slightly lacking on the Marzen scale but I couldn't find much to complain about.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2002 08:32:25 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

It seems like every year the batch is different, two years ago it was aweful, but last year and this year seem to be back to its usual.
Color is a clear amberish brown, with a white head that fizzed away pretty fast and left some lacy patches. Smell is faint roasted malt, a bit burnt caramel or caramel popcorn. Taste form this was good, very smooth with good rich, sweet malt thats mild and pleasing. Some drying hop presence in the finish but is not strong enough. Thus bringing it to the feel, a little empty and slightly watery, lighter/medium body, smooth, clear and clean with some dryness and sweetness mixing at the end. Its a very drinkable beer, I always get it when it first comes out. But its no Snake River.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2003 11:31:54 | More by tavernjef

JohnGalt1

Idaho

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

12 oz picked up today at the Coop for about $1.40... poured into my shaped Sam Adams glass.

2 Finger head atop a crystal clear amber red brew.

Aroma is pretty much all toasted malts.. bready... no hops.. very appropriate.

Malty out of the gate.. with toasty notes mid palate and a fairly dry finish... some very low spicy hoppy flavors.. Medium body with a smooth carbonation.. very clean.

This brew deserves better reviews... it is waayy better than some German imports I've had lately... maybe because this one is fresh, but I am not sure.. IMHO, this is a pretty spot on Octoberfest.

3.5/4/4/4/3.5

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 08:06:55 | More by JohnGalt1

mactrail

California

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

Clean and malty with a scratchy touch of hops. Nothing very interesting about it but it looks nice in the glass with a real orange color for the season. Malty with a roasted edge. Hops are the earthy sort. Slight bitterness around the edges. Touch of saltiness along with the sweet malt.

Yet another perfectly drinkable beer from Sam Adams. Well made and balanced. Down the hatch and on to something else.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 05:01:02 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Comes out of the bottle a coppery clear amber with a decent off-white, slightly orange head. Aroma is malty with hints of hops and spice. Flavor is firmly malty and has touches of hops and toffee and even a nutty hint. Texture is fairly smooth and rather fizzy and lively. A good beer for the season.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 00:23:36 | More by Cyberkedi

ccrida

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is caramel orange with a wispy white collar.

Smell is sweet and malty.

Taste is pretty clean, but with a bit of a metallic bite, with a bready finish.

Mouthfeel is slick, medium bodied.

Drinkability is pretty good, nothing special.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 00:33:50 | More by ccrida

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

It's October, after all...

A: The beer is transparent with plenty of bubbles ascending from the depths. The color is an autumn shade of orange, akin to the changing hues of the leaves. There is about an inch of off-white head that leaves a fair amount of lacing.

S: It smells like a lager. The sweetness is subtle, with hints of fruit.

T: A nice take on a traditional German classic. The beer is mostly malty, with very little hop presence. It's slightly sweet and fruity, with notes of grain and/or barley.

M: The feel is thicker than I expected, in a pleasant way. There is a slight hint of astringency and/or alcohol in the finish that counteracts the otherwise fabulous feel on the palate.

D: 'Tis the season. It's not my favorite choice within the style, but it goes down just fine.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 03:04:44 | More by Huhzubendah

RoyalT

Ohio

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

Appearance – Nice, light orange body with a big head that held on long and laced the glass.

Smell – Lightly toasted malt in accordance with the style.

Taste – Smooth, creamy, lightly burnt malt flavor. There’s a little caramel touch at the end, but mostly just the smooth, easy, malt taste. Excellent rendition of the style.

Mouthfeel – No carbonation and very creamy.

Drinkability – This went down quickly, which is the telltale sign of a good Oktoberfest beer. When I lived in Germany, I used to drink these warm on tap (the bartender would warm it with a heated tool dunked in the beer specifically for that purpose), and they would often go down after just three or four gulps. I wasn’t trying to chug the mug, but they were just that smooth.

Comments – I drank this at room temperature, and it was very reminiscent of the Oktoberfest beers that I had in Germany. Excellent example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2003 02:32:41 | More by RoyalT

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Copper in color with a nice white head that enveloped the glass with lace.

S. No aroma present besides some faint malts.

T. The malts used provide a sweet taste, the hops provide a nice herbal bitter, and neither wins out. A very well balanced brew.

M. Medium to full bodied.

D. A good session beer, one of the better O-fests I've had thus far.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2008 13:12:40 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a reddish-brown hue and a somewhat clear consistency. There was about a quarter inch of head that didn't last very long.

S: Very malty smell, more so than any other element.

T: Like the smell, malt dominates the taste category. Not overly sweet, but still pretty flavorful.

M: A decent amount of carbonation and a slick, crisp finish. Medium-bodied.

D: Overall, this is a well made beer and certainly very drinkable. It probably won't knock your socks off, but it's still well made.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 14:47:06 | More by avalon07

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clean orange-ish color with a light tan head. In the aroma, quite fruity and earthy. In the taste, just like the smell, fruity and earthy, still quite lager like. A small bite and medium to light bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry, earthy aftertaste. A bit sweet, but ok nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 15:01:15 | More by OWSLEY069

TheLongBeachBum

California

2/5  rDev -45.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Lots of blurb, advertising and fanfare; So I bought some to try.
Oh No, what a huge, bitter disappointment - if you can pardon the pun.

A massive foaming head that at one point threatened Mug-Mutiny. But it laced the glass well, and had an inviting look. Aromas are… Where are the aromas?????? Hmmm… (Deep Sniff). Poured a clear looking, deep Amber-Reddish Color, that again, looked very good, no complaints there. Still, No Aroma though (Deeper Sniff) … I’m trying. Initial taste is of a sickly sweetish, bee… nah - fluid. Weird. What the heck is this supposed to be?, its not like any Märzen/Oktoberfest I have had before. I get some hops in the middle but not many, perhaps just one. Where the hell is that Aroma?? (Snorting the Beer now!!) - Nope still can’t find it. Very lightweight mouth feel, that disappears almost instantaneously. Some cloyiness in the residual tastes, more annoying than pleasurable.
Is this an Oktoberfest LITE ???????

My friends in England, would say of this beer that, “It is all mouth, and no trousers”.
Mediocre or, perhaps, I just do not “understand” this beer??!??? I don’t know. But I do know I don't like it.

Promises, but just does not deliver for me. It will NOT be purchased again!!.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 20:41:07 | More by TheLongBeachBum