Fest (Summer Fest) - Capital Brewery

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm confused. Why is Fest designated as an Oktoberfest? A 'summer seasonal Oktoberfest' makes no sense, especially when Capital has a beer actually called Oktoberfest that's released in the fall. Shouldn't a summer beer be a hefe, wit, APA, fruit beer, etc? Oh well, I guess the only question that matters in the end is 'is it any good?'

It certainly looks like an Oktoberfest to these eyes; all burnished autumn gold and bronze like a Wisconsin forest in late October. The creamydense head is a fetching shade of lightly toasted ecru and is great color match for the beer beneath. The fact that very little lace adheres to the glass is disappointing.

The nose needs to be stronger, but maybe I just need to be more patient and wait for the aroma-blocking cap to recede a little further. It's primarily toasted caramel and toffee malty with an overripe apple fruitiness and an appealing light spiciness. Bolder would be better.

Wonderful flavor. Biscuit sweet caramel malt and fruity hops add up to something more than the sum of their parts. Hops make more of a statement on the palate than they did in the nose and are present in a greater quantity than one usually sees in an O-fest. Still though, the flavor profile is a study in balance. The body is a tick or two bigger than medium and the carbonation is generous without being overly energetic.

I don't care how Fest is designated, it's a winner no matter what style one cares to assign. I do believe that it's my favorite of all the Capital beers that I've had so far. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2004 23:56:31 | More by BuckeyeNation

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was baffled by the style with this one. The name suggested Oktoberfest, but it's not, and it nearly tastes like a pale ale, but it's not. What are we festing, anyway?
Appearance: bright, light peachy hue, with a modest, though sizzling off-white head.
Lively aromatics! Zesty, fruity, peachy, citrusy, and very tasty!
Light hops, but warm, happy, friendly flavor.
Tangy taste, decent texture. Medium body, sweet, long finish.
Very much enjoyed! Tasted like a pale ale, but lacked the body and hoppiness. How'd they do this with a lager? Quite enjoyable! Whatever the occasion is, I'll happily toss back a Fest in celebration!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2003 19:46:44 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, golden orange color with an off-white head of bubbly foam. Nice retention and some soapy trails of lace.

S - It smelled of caramel, roasted malt and floral notes. Smells like an authentic German marzen.

T - Sweet caramel malt upon first sip backed up with a slightly grassy bitterness, even a little floral-like touch.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied lager with a dry finish.

D - This is a pretty solid oktoberfest. Capital always does a good job with lagers and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 01:41:44 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from MilwaukeeCrusher, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains lager yeast, honey, light caramelized malts, some citrus and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of honey and citrus up front. Then some breadiness comes in from the lager yeast and a thin malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, decent lighter representation of style, this is a solid beer to pound down for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 01:03:06 | More by TheManiacalOne

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Badlanders in Wind Lake WI, pinky up in a Capital snifter. Review from notes.

Arrives with a slim cap of white foam that sticks around and laces generously in drippy arc patterns. Color is a hazy orange gold.

Sweet and malty aroma, a little bit bready with apple and pear notes.

Flavor is similar to the aroma, but with a lightly bitter aftertaste that dries it out before it becomes too sweet. Dominant bready notes, soft and supple feel. Some fruity yeast elements add a bit of complexity. ABV is hidden, and it's a pleasant drink with food. Apparently a top seller at the bar I had it at.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2011 03:29:56 | More by emerge077

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a warm orange colored clear body with a white foam that sits on top. A gentle carbonation floats to the surface.

S- This bee has a nice light toasted malt smell that is slightly dry and a pine green hop hint in the finish.

T- The taste of dry toasted malt has a soft caramel malt note in the background. The faint biscuit note comes out when it warms a bit. There is a light green piney hop note that has a faint citrus taste to it.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a slight fizz finish.

D- This beer has some nice malt flavors but there weren't the fresh qualities that I have tasted in other fest beers.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2006 22:37:56 | More by rhoadsrage

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep amber, off-white head, very little retention, great lace.

S: Spicy, grassy hops, bready malt, light caramel.

T: Spicy/grassy hops, bready malt, caramel & nut, balanced bitterness. Germanic (not another American version with too much crystal malt).

M: Moderate body & carbonation.

D: Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2007 02:23:46 | More by Derek

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled full bottle at the Capital Brewing Seminar for distributors and establishments in Brooklyn Center. Thanks to AL for the invite.

Color is a caramel brown of lighter tone, creamy thin and light tannish head that fades to leave dripping stringy lace. Smell is a roasty malt with a touch of light fruity sweetness. Taste is pale and a bit crispy of roasted malts with a short astringency and hop bite of clean bitterness thats nicely balanced and tolerable into the finish. Medium body, finishing of mild bitterness, crisp and quite refreshing. One excellent drinker and would make for a good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2003 14:45:30 | More by tavernjef

RoyalT

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - This is a radiant and thick dark orange in color with little head of course.

Smell - The rich, creamy grain is a delight to the olfactory bulb. It smells mashed and well-ground, giving off a huge aroma that has just a hint of alcohol.

Taste - This is a flavor blast of rich, creamy grain and a very mild sweetness. I can't express though how solid this grain flavor is. This is my idea of a well-made American grain-based flavor.

Mouthfeel - This is a solid medium-bodied and very heavy on the tongue. It is incredibly smooth and creamy in the mouth and almost requires the use of a knife and fork.

Drinkability - This is one of the smoothest "big" fest biers that I've had and certainly the best here in the US. I can't remember having this kind of high-quality grain in an American märzen before. Hats off to this kick-ass brewery for putting together this tasty lager - it is a work of art.

Comments: Thanks to my bro-in-law Dan for sending me this awesome German-style American masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 02:58:41 | More by RoyalT

ZAP

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Certainly not an o-fest....seems to fit the bill as a Munich helles lager...has that spicy czech pils hoppiness...decent maltiness...some toasted caramel but also some breadiness to it....medium bodied....pretty crisp....nice enough but not a special creation by Capital...nice summer brew with some character but I'd reach for something different personally (hence the drinkability rating)

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2006 01:25:49 | More by ZAP

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, Steve's University, $1.39

appearance: pours into a Notre Dame womens soccer pint glass...super clear golden orange, 1/3" white foam, very little in the way of lacing, bubbly

smell: sweet malt, syrupy, bready...light caramel, faint grassy hops, light citrus, sweet apple

taste: smooth and sweet, bready, grain, caramel malt, light grassy hop presence, rather mild...oktoberfest is really a stretch for this one but its a decent summer seasonal

mouthfeel: smooth and medium bodied

drinkability: very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2006 00:34:30 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Updated this review 7/31/03...I like it considerably more than I recall. Seems hoppier too).

Throws out a golden-amber body. Thin off white head doesn't show much retention or lacing.
Subtle, yet malty aroma, with toffee/caramel being the feature. Cannabinoid, weedy hops are there too.
Sort of a hybred between a maibock and an oktoberfest (maybe?). Nutty and toasty hues along with a solid amount of caramel sweetness. Faint fruit resides in the distance. Sweet/tart apples and raisins and perhaps peaches. Hops are fairly assertive in a drying, grassy way.
Pretty good, but weird, summer quaffer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2002 23:08:57 | More by cokes

kylehay2004

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Single finger head with trace lacing. Head doesnt last long. Body is hazy golden with amber hues. Bread and sweet caramel, standard aroma. Mostly caramel malt in the flavor. Very light hop and burnt toast flavor. Medium body and light to moderate carbonation. Overall a little bland. Smooth and drinkable. Less hoppy than I like my ocktoberfest beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 06:37:29 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

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

A - pours with one finger of white foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The head settles quickly and leaves light lace.

S - light malt with some musty hops and a hint of honey.

T - rich, bready malt with some honey and herbal hops. Finishes with bread, toffee, and mild bitterness.

M - medium body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - not bad, some malt character with enough hops to balance. Good for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 06:38:55 | More by nickfl

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint. 5.6% ABV, 0970 on neck.

A - Brilliantly clear and golden amber with a low but well-retained white head. Nice wisps of lace on the glass as well.

S - Deep Märzen malts and caramel notes with a nice rich crispness to it that's smooth. A tiny bit of citrus/ floral hops in there too.

T - Crisp floral and citrus-like hops come over the top of the nicely balanced malty background. Lightly toasted Märzen and caramel.

M - Crisp and sharp carbonation but medium bodied regardless. Smooth feel even if it's just a bit slick.

D - A good all-around brew from Capital, one hell of a lager brewery! A drinkable late summer/early fall beer. Solid flavor and nice crispness.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 23:47:33 | More by BeerFMAndy

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle.

Poured a medium and slightly cloudy golden color with a huge (4 finger) sized white head. Aromas of yeast and bready. Tastes of breadiness and honey. I didn't really get too much more out of this one.

Notes from and tasted on: 01/15/06.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2009 15:51:53 | More by hopdog

alexgash

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mellow gold with a small, off-white head. Nose is marzen-esque malts: carrot cake, cooked veggies, rum pudding. Vegetal hop backing with a hint of spice. Tasty, sweet malts up front. Slightly rummy, with caramelized fruits and veggies. Gets a little whiskeyish and cookie-like before some herbal, spicy hops deliver us from maltiness. Medium-bodied, sticky feel, that's light on the carbonation. Pretty drinkable, even for its sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2005 20:44:02 | More by alexgash

mynie

Indiana

3.08/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Mediocre pour. Rust colored, but no head at all and no lacing, neithers.

Dull smell. No real Pang of marzen or bock malt. Just some light grain and the slightest hint of caramel.

Tastes pretty much like it smells, sadly. Nothing offensive; just a bunch of benign malt. There's a tiny bit of tartness in the back that's more than welcome, but it's not enough to really save ther beer. There's no intensity, no complexity.

It's hard to do a marzen without spice.

I expect more from capital. It's not that I got a bad bottle of this; it doesn't taste stale or sour. It's just bland.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2006 06:03:14 | More by mynie

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer departs the bottle a light brown color with orange highlites or an orange color with brown highlites. The head is nowhere to be found on this beer. The nose is very sweet caramel, almost a honey sweet. The flavor is nice. Lots of caramel sweetness. The feel is a bit more than moderate and very smooth. As I've said before, I'n not a lager fan, but Capital does a good job with them. Nice beer.

Thanks to orbitalr0x for sending this one my way.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2005 02:38:07 | More by kmpitz2

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I too am completely mystified as to style on this brew, has some similarities to a Marzen...this is the summer seasonal offered in the Capital sampler packs.

Sub-amber gold. head at about 1/4 inch for a while. Malty aromas. a little nutiness. Ligher-bodied, fairly nice maple/caramel/walnut maltiness with a good but not overdone carbonation. Fairly unidimensional, lacks hop balance, and rather, the flavor fades without changing much. This is where the bubbles help a little. Pleasant, I could drink a few as a session beer but Capital does better brews.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2002 07:50:12 | More by ADR

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a bronze-copper hue, with persistent streamers of bubbles and it is capped with a moderately-lived ecru head.

S - Vague honey sweetness, earthy and floral, with faint notes of cinnamon-spice. Continental hoppiness is suggested as well.

T - The taste is quite surprising relative to the nose and look; the first sip was so over-the-top Euro lager-ish that I did a double-take. Replete with lots of mineral notes, more pale maltiness than caramel, continental earthy-floral hoppiness, slightly sweaty and metallic notes; the whole thing strikes me as quite German-esque. Really nice for the style.

M - The feel is lighter than medium-bodied, with some silky creaminess to the feel.

O - I usually don't dig this style too much, but this one is a winner

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 16:33:14 | More by ktrillionaire

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. brown bottle. Pours a very inviting medium brown color,with ahuge off-white head that fades fast, after an agressive pour. Smells sweet with carmel malt, and surprisngly enough, floral hops. Taste is rich with bready malt, slightly sweet, with a satisfying amount of hops taste. Served at cellar temp, and this beer stands up to that test. Very good oktoberfest, well worth the $1.09 for a single.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2005 19:28:14 | More by TastyTaste

Redrover

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz brown longneck. No freshness dating.

Beer pours a nice dark gold. Just a skimming of foam. Hardly any lacing.

The aroma consists of some pine/hop and a bit of apple cider.

The taste is crisp and somewhat light. I get a bit of fruit (apple again) and some malt sweetness. Not as much hop bite as I thought I would taste given the hops in the aroma. Beer sweetens even more as you work your way through the glass. Still decent tasting.

Mouthfeel as noted is crisp. Drinakablity is good. Nice session type beer. This beer is not overly complex, but it is good. May be a great step-up beer for someone working into craft beers. A big thanks to my Dad for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2004 01:56:11 | More by Redrover

clvand0

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a light brown color with no head and no lacing on the glass. The aroma is very sweet - reminescent of honey. The flavor has a nice caramel malt sweetness. Not much hopping in this one. Body is ok, but could be a bit thicker. Drinkability is ok as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 13:31:31 | More by clvand0

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I can tell you this is not the time I'm usually divulging into this style, but hey it IS the Capital Brewery summer seasonal, yes summer. It comes in a 12 oz twist-off bottle (still don't know why Capital doesn't have the pry-off).

It pours into my mug a decent light amber/caramel/golden color with a foamy, white head that dissipated pretty luckily leaving no lace.

The smell is like a lot of American Oktos, malty with a sense of almost cola in the scent but with a distinctly more German flair. The malts are malty and springy.

The taste has a boat load of saltine cracker like grain with some nuttiness but not a ton. The hops leave a leveling bitterness which works nicely. It is a bit lighter and waterier than most in a way, but in a good way. The hops seem different here than in most oktoberfest beers.

Overall this is a good depiction of the style, slightly altered.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 01:34:49 | More by crossovert