Oktoberfest - Capital Brewery

BoitSansSoif

France

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-Lovely robe--a deep, clean reddish-amber. There was almost no head, and what there was didn't last. There are a fair amount of bubbles rising.

S-Malts toasted to varying degrees, whole wheat bread, and a hint of nuttiness. There is also something faint and earthy that lingers with the alcohol. This is my last bottle from the fall, and it's past its peak for freshness, but I don't recall ever picking anything else up.

T-Toasted sweet malt and nuts. I have to admit I was going to score the taste rather low based on my initial impressions, but when I poured the rest of the bottle, it seemed to have warmed up a bit and revealed some better-pronounced characteristics. Also, the carbonation was rather high, and it hid some of the flavors, but it's dissipated rather quickly. The light aftertaste is toasty and pleasant.

M-Now that some of the carbonation is gone, this Oktoberfest is smoother, and its medium body matches up decently with its flavors. It rolls pleasantly across the palate, and passes under the uvula with a little carbonated fanfare before bidding adieu.

D-I learned my lesson. Let this stuff warm up a little more than you initially think it needs. At first, I found the stuff kind of offensive, but when I gave it some time and a chance, it wasn't too bad. It unfortunately is not ready to drink right when you open it, which is usually when my patience is short and I don't feel like waiting. After the first few sips, I actually got the hiccups. The second half of the bottle felt like another beer.

Note: I got the best deal ever on this stuff from a major retailer that recently started carrying alcohol. When I hit the checkout, it rang up as $.27 per 6-pack due to a misship (they had ordered a different variety, but received the seasonal stuff, and they were trying to get rid of it). I figured I'd help them out, and I went back and grabbed the last two off the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 09:03:39 | More by BoitSansSoif

marcobrau

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A good looking amber (almost red) fest beer. The carbonation is fine and a good amount of foam is generated with the pour; as the head falls, just a few little bits of foam stick to the sides. A few sips in and all that remains of the once voluminous head is a fine collar of bubbles. There's lots of malt and a nutty character in the aroma. As time goes on I notice a slight vegetal note which is a bit unappealing. However, this is pleasant tasting light bodied beer with light caramel flavors accented by some nuttiness and a slightly sweet, but crisp finish.The mouthfeel is smooth and enhances the drinkability of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 02:49:19 | More by marcobrau

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Good head and a deep amber with only a few bubbles.The aroma is a sweet, inviing malty grain. The taste is even more sweet. Grainy, very light and offsetting hops. Just great, sessionable, malt bomb. Wodl have given drinkability a "5", but it was just a little too sweet to be exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 20:53:17 | More by scruffwhor

SammyDavisJrJrJr

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've had this a couple of times this year, but wanted to write a review on it. So into an old stein my Grandfather brought back from WWII...

A - Clear, light amber color with a nice sized head that disappeared quickly.

S - Noticeable anise aroma, with definite herbal and biscuit notes. Clean and interesting...

T - Big malty backbone with a nice balance of herbal notes, hops, alcohol, and esters. Hops last long after the swallow. I would almost say this is an ale drinker's Oktoberfest.

M - Quite full bodied, with some crispness. Fine here.

D - I could celebrate with this, interesting, but not too heady, and bracing, but not so much that I couldn't drink a few of them.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2007 06:28:04 | More by SammyDavisJrJrJr

Mdog

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Amber, decent head at first but fades out.

Smell: Mostly sweetness.

Taste: Typical fest beer. Bready, caramel sweetness. Some toast-like notes.

Drinkability: Goes down easy, not too strong.

I've had four different Octoberfest beers this fall and haven't really been blown away by any of them. This is a decent beer, but nothing too special to distinguish it.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 18:18:11 | More by Mdog

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. This one is deep copper in color with a light island of head and a full ring around the top. Clarity is fantastic and there are just a small number of bubbles in the beer. This is a solid looker. The aroma is toasty with a dough sweetness that is accented with honey sweetness. I could use a little less of the sweetnes and more boldness in the toasted and dough character. The first sip brings mild toast with some caramel sweetness. This fades to a very mild spicy hop finish that just hints at bitter on the side of my tongue. The brew is moderate with a moderate carbonation. It has good body and more carbonation than I expected from the weak head off the pour. Overall impressions of this one are positive. This is a brew I could easily sit and consume all night. Very solid.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 21:40:32 | More by kmpitz2

svraines

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours into a pint glass to a nice white head and red-orange color. Great clarity. Aroma is not as malty as some and not very pronounced, especially when it is still cold. Good complexity to the flavors with a hint of alcohol. You really have to let this one warm up a bit for the full flavor to develop, if you can resist. The best part is the lingering malt flavor in your mouth drawing you back for another swallow. Pretty average flavor if not for the finish. A lot of carbonation deters from the mouthfeel and drinkability for me. A lot of the taste is lost when you drink a second, but it gives a good warming feel from the alcohol so it might be better saved for the falling temperatures to come.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 17:04:36 | More by svraines

botham

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz poured into an imperial nonic glass. pours a crystal clear, brilliant amber color with a finger of off-white frothy head that dissiaptes slowly and throughout consumption.

smells malty (caramel), with a subtle hop aroma, among a few spices, notably pumpkin and a dash of coriander. a good mix for an oktoberfest.

tastes malty up front, with a notable amount of CO2. bready yeast is apparent as well, lending more to a mild abbey tripel than an oktoberfest. alcohol presence is distant, but noticable. finishes on a dry hop note. there is a good balance of flavors and aromas here, somewhat unique for the style.

aftertaste semi-dry, and of lingering malt flavor. very pleasant.

mouthfeel is medium-bodied, and very smooth in character. the CO2 here adds a bit of bite, but doesn't deter from the rest of the brew.

drinkability is great. oktoberfests can be filling and rich, but this one sneaks in under the radar with bold flavors and a rather simple profile to allow for high drinkability and loads of character. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2007 00:51:29 | More by botham

amatuerbeerguy

Oklahoma

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma of malt, grassy, toasty. Poured out a hue of orange with an amber overtone. Head was large with moderate lenght lending to lacing on the glass. Flavors of malt sweetness, toasty, grassy character also present. Some biscuitness apparent in finish. Mouthfeel is somewhat high carbonation, with moderate body. This helps to accentuate the biscuitiness in the finish. Overall this is an enjoyable beer. Not overwhelming in any aspect. One of the better Oktoberfest beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2006 03:28:28 | More by amatuerbeerguy

SMark

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up on a trip through Wisconsin about a month ago. Poured a good head of about 2 fingers. Lasted over 2 minutes. Clear amber coloring. Very slight lacing.

Slight malt and hop aroma.

Hops seemed to come through more than the toasted malt. Worked very well together.

Good mouthfeel as the taste was not prolonged but did last comfortably enough.

Would welcome the opportunity to drink these at a 'fest' activity but sadly not available in our area.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2006 21:45:09 | More by SMark

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark red-orange body, creamy head that fades into a thin off-white film.

Smell: Malt, slightly grassy, very toasty.

Taste: The malt is biscuity and a little sweet. The hops are very apparent, and definitely don't sit in the background, it's a hoppier Oktoberfest than my last two. The only problem is a slightly gamey, smoked meat flavor that I am not a fan of, but it is only a hint of that flavor.

Drinkability: A very enjoyable Oktoberfest, one of the better examples.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2006 17:06:13 | More by TastyTaste

malcontent

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appropriately the color of a turning leaf, Capital Oktoberfest is a deep red, with an impressive head that diminishes to nice lacing. Good looking brew.

Malt with caramel sweetness but a surprising hop character as well. The sweet smell is actually almost an overripe one in nature, corn-syrup almost.

More subdued (thankfully) than many of this style. Malt is the leading trait but it doesn’t dominate the palate as there is a refreshing hop bitterness to end with a trace of (this time controlled) sweetness. Very good.

Despite darker qualities it is still a relatively light feeling beer with just the right water/carbonation balance. A nice tongue-puckering effect at the end, which for a hop-head, is a plus.

Gotta admit, I don’t like the Oktoberfest genre but this particular entry is fairly tasty. Not something I’d drink all the time but I could absolutely see myself getting a six-er or two every fall.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2006 00:54:41 | More by malcontent

terrabyte

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a light copper that picks up the light well. Average foamy head.

Smells slightly fruity with a bit of toffee.

Flavor is sweet with a creamy toffee or caramel flavor. A lot of action at the front of the mouth. This beer is too sweet for me, but I give it credit for being powerful in that way.

There is a bitterness if you swallow too much foam, but that hardly happens.

Overall, one of the more disappointing Oktoberfest, on top of which is a style that I'm not a fan to start with.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2006 00:04:04 | More by terrabyte

pweis909

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer poured out orange-amber with a fair amount of foam. The smell hinted at the malt profile, and the brew delivered a big dollop of malty munich to the tongue. This one felt smooth in the mouth, and was quite drinkable. This is an easy drinking festbeer.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 17:16:16 | More by pweis909

expatsteve

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark amber with brown hues and low visibility. Very light suds cover after a brief 1/4 inch head. Low/medium viscosity.

Aroma: Light toffees and molasses, with some raisin developments as it warms. Light metallic finish with grainy hints. A little butter and brief burst of grapefruit.

Taste: Grainy, yeasty finish upfront with peppery metallic hops. Nice malt - toffee and a little raisin - for a lighter-bodied beers. Pine, grains, raisins and a pepper burst in the finish, flavors that linger in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Light, smooth, refreshing with a slightly dry finish.

Drinkability: A nice rendition of the style, though a little lighter than I'd expect from a Capital beer. Easy drinking on hotter days, though without the warmer notes and depth that people might expect to find. A good, solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2006 04:43:13 | More by expatsteve

Jredner

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sweet aroma. Fruit (grape dominates) and caramel malt. Orange with little head. Malty fore followed by a grape heavy middle and finish. Fruit smoothness lingers int he aftertaste. This beer has a fantastic aftertaste. It tastes better 5 seconds after you swallow than it does in your mouth

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2006 00:47:13 | More by Jredner

karengarys

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours very rich mahogany/ruby red, leaving a bit of a head which dissipates fairly quicly.

Smells super malty and dark/sweet, with a bit of floral hop.

Taste is VERY rich in roasted malt, and a bit of hops to balance. I really like this because of what it does NOT have - many oktoberfests, even the standards, have a bitter tar-like flavor that stabs the tongue. This does NOT.

Mouthfeel is nice and creamy.

Finish is dark and sweet.

This is one of my favorite oktoberfests, and I'd recommend it to anybody.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2005 00:55:37 | More by karengarys

longarm

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Amber color is very nice which is usual with Capital beers. It's a little cloudy for a lager. Excellent carbonation with viscous pale head.

Aroma reminds me a lot of the Capital 1900 lighter lager. German malts, with a hint of noble hops.

Flavor is plain. It's not bad, there's just not a lot there that's exciting. Might even be a bit oxidized.

Thin mouthfeel, but has a relatively clean finish with a hint of hops spice that comes through.

Drinkability is decent on this beer, but I'm used to so much better from Capital. As mentioned before, it's not bad, it's just not impressive and maybe a bit on the light side for me when I think of an Octoberfest style.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2005 19:39:38 | More by longarm

granger10

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer has an almost fiery color to it. Lighter than I'd expect. Aroma of spices and sweet breads. Taste doesn't have the sweetness I was looking for. Lots of malts but they're rather dry. Hops don't really seem to play a factor in this beer. A bit heavy for an Oktoberfest. However, this beer was well attenuated and had a nice smoothness to it despite the thickness. A decent offering from Capital but definitely not their best.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2005 02:10:38 | More by granger10

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, reddish amber brew into a Berghoff tumbler leaving almost no head of macro looking foam. Thin and disappointing.

Sweet malts, some spice, and fall fruits apple/pear make up the aroma.

Pretty mild with a quick bitterness that overwhelms the sweet malts. There is some brown sugar and a bit of caramel in here.

Feels creamy and smooth enough my second pint brings the odd sensation that it’s going to cause stomach problems later.

It’s easy to drink but it might not be a good idea to drink too much.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2005 17:02:30 | More by DaPeculierDane

battlekow

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reddish-amber, almost no head or lacing. Smells appley and malty, much less musty than other Oktoberfests I've had. Tastes similar to the smell, though mustier, and the mustiness in this case is particularly unpleasant. Not much bitterness. Mouthfeel is crisp and dry. Like the rest of Capital's beers (with the notable exception of their bocks), solid but unspectacular.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2005 01:16:06 | More by battlekow

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. This beer has a clear brown color with a half inch head. The aroma is malty with just a little fruit. Light caramel flavor with lots of fruit, especially apple. The fruit flavor is a little over done. Very little hop flavor. Finish is dry. Medium to heavy mouthfeel. This beer is alright, but there is too much fruit flavor and not enough toasty malt.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2005 00:30:53 | More by beveragecaptain

dirtylou

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz single bought at Woodman's in Madison

appearance: pours a thick copper with a rather thick layer of bubbly white head...zero lacing

smell: rather fruity, almost like apple cider (the real stuff not the woodchuck shit). very sweet malts, very autumnal aroma

taste: fruity sweet malts, heavy on the apple, light caramel (lighter than normal), a sweet bready taste is also dominant

mouthfeel: thin body, dry finish

drinkability: i wish i had bought more than 1, good thing this stuff is abundant

all in all, this oktoberfest pushes the boundaries, definately a bit more fruit dominated than some others. I enjoyed it and will probably grab some more in the coming weeks

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2005 23:43:15 | More by dirtylou

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This pours with a nice Oktoberfesty copper color. There’s a good maltiness here, but also a nice snootful of German hops that doesn’t appear in most "authentic" Oktoberfests. While German Oktos are going lighter, this one is well-tuned to the American craft beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2005 15:17:33 | More by DrunkMcDermott

Skidz

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

(old review, replaced)

I had a chance to visit Capital Brewery and was invited to try out the Octoberfest, only 3 weeks old in the fermenter. I went back to try it again after the first time, a very unique experience and a very unique tasting beer this early on. Kirby was a great guide and invited many others later on to take a taste of the beer straight out of the lagering tanks.

Coming out into the glass, quite quickly (100+ barrel tanks), it pours out a light orange-yellow and sits a hazy amber brown in the glass. It's still quite young, so it hasn't quite cleared up yet and there is some yeast suspended in the beer.

Smell is quite malty, I wouldn't expect much less, and yeast is very evident. Fruity esters emerge, apples and pears, along with a light spicy aroma. Very interesting, I will definately compare this to the final product.

Taste is still malty. Bitterness comes on quite quickly, shorty after the initial maltly sweetness. Dry and yeasty on the finish still carrying on the spiciness from the hops. Brown sugar and caramel flavors also seem present.

Very smooth in the mouth, and creamy. Carbonation is light, but still coming in. Obviously this was drunk as zwickel, so it would be difficult to drink much of it, although I had my fair share. Easily consumed, and enjoyably consumed at that. A unique experience not soon to be forgotten. I will make it a point to review this year's Oktoberfest just to see how it compares to this tasting.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2005 18:51:59 | More by Skidz