Dominion Octoberfest Maerzen - Old Dominion Brewing Company

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap here recently at a local restaurant.

Served in a pint glass.

A: Poured an orange color, with a slight chill haze, and minuscule white head.

S: I got some bread with some German malt poking through the dough. Also, the fresh filtered water kinda reminded me of a melted lollipop.

T: This was slightly sweet, but not too Americanized. Nice balance between the sweet and the German mothball.

M: Nice spritz on the carbonation front, but I honestly wish this had a touch more bitterness for added character.

O: Nothing groundbreaking here, but I must say: I chugged my pint rather quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 19:33:06 | More by Chaney

SmokinSmyth

Belgium

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this at the Dulles airport in the Old Dominion bar/restaurant. Pours a dark brown, with a good head and fairly robust lacing.

Smell is good, strong of toffee and malt. Taste was good, reminded of the days I lived a couple of miles from the Old Dominion Brew Pub in Ashburn, VA (since bought by Anheuser-Busch and closed - boo, hiss).

A very good example of the Oktoberfest type of beer, although chilled it warms you with its look and feel. Taste is better than average, drinkability very good, mouthfeel is a little thin.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2010 16:29:55 | More by SmokinSmyth

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from tap into a mug.

A: A medium to dark copper with a two finger white head.

S: Sweet caramel malts with some grainy bready notes.

T: Malts take the show here giving off a very sweet bready, caramel malt flavor. Some toffee and even some sugar sweetness. Slight grassy notes but not hop bitterness. I expected a bit more. Finish remains sweet and coating.

M: Coating but sticky sweet. No alcohol detected.

D: For me it was low, it needed some more balance.

Overall not a great Ofest in my opinion. In fact, OD had not produced any beer that has been memorable for me. Sorry.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2009 20:43:24 | More by Kadonny

drabmuh

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on draft at the Old Dominion Pub in Hyattsville, MD. Light amber in color, nice white head, some lacing on glass, beer is clear.

Aroma is slight, faint, smells like an Oktoberfest, just hidden. Slight malt character in aroma, not a lot of anything else, no hop character.

Flavor is great. I think Oktoberfests are hard to have a really standout flavor. The flavor profiles are so subtle, its hard to accent anything specific. This beer is malty, correctly so, and has no bitterness from hops or any grains. There is no aftertaste, drinkability high, mouthfeel is fine.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2009 18:46:12 | More by drabmuh

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appears a crimson hued copper with a small white cap that sticks around. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of fresh bread, roasted nuts, sourdough, Munich malt, and caramel.
Taste is of the aromas with a smooth, sweet malty flavorthat is top notch.
Mouthfeel is chewy, smooth, medim boxed, and extremely addictive.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2009 22:04:20 | More by weeare138

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this at my local Beef O'Brady's, they just wanted an Octoberfest beer for the season I think.

It came with almost no head, and looked almost flat. I saw them pour the beer and it didn't sit at all. An orange-amber color with no haze.

The nose detects almost nothing, maybe some grain.

The tongue catches some malt, slight bitterness and some grain. Very watery and flat feeling in the mouth.

I can drink these but it's about as good as a A&B Amber Bock, if it's fresh it's nice if not...

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2009 19:26:52 | More by ImusBeer

StrangeBrewer76

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Having had other beers from this brewery, my hopes were not high and my assumption was relatively accurate. This beer came in a pint glass the color of a bottle with no head to speak of. A disk of faint bubbles in the center of the glass was the only indication that this might be a carbonated beverage. The smell was a pleasant grainy malt and no detectable hops that I could pick up. It tasted like a nice German beer, true to style. Wet and drinkable. There is a nice nod to a heavily toasted or chocolate malt in the first impression which was nice to look forward to in the next sip. I would serve this at an Octoberfest party as the centerpiece.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2008 21:39:03 | More by StrangeBrewer76

Redrover

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Green Leaf in Williamsburg. Great little bar!

Served in a standard pint, the beer is orange-brown with a thin collar of beige foam & spotty lacing.

It has an aroma of lightly toasted grains, honey and spice.

The taste is a nice combo of sweet with toasted malts with more than a bit of backend spiciness (almost reminds me of rye). Nice balance & better than expected complexity

The mouth has heft but the beer is easy to session. Well done!!

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2008 16:40:56 | More by Redrover

Rootdog316

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Rich, rusty brown. About the color of peat moss. Butter cream colored head that dissipated after two sips.

Smell: Caramel and oatmeal.

Taste: Fantastically autumn-like. Toast, rye, just a hint of chocolate. A little sour/bitter bite on the finish but not unpleasantly so.

Mouthfeel: Clean and effervescent.

Drinkability: Very. This beer is perfect for a crisp fall day and the aromas and tastes compliment the smell of fallen leaves while sitting on the porch. This brew would also compliment a mediu-bodied cigar very well with neither overpowering the other.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2008 06:11:04 | More by Rootdog316

Gavage

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: amber orange in color with a thin head. Decent lacing painted the glass.

Smell: malt sweetness is nice but mild. Little else detected.

Taste: caramel, some mild bitterness, and a hint of earthiness and fruit sweetness towards the finish makes up a straight forward beer.

Mouthfeel: crisp at the start, smoother at the finish. Aftertaste is brief. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: easy to drink beer here. This is a decent option when looking for an oktoberfest style. This one was nice and fresh on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2008 12:02:34 | More by Gavage

sinistrsam

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Lager's Pub in Baltimore. It poured a clear ruby brown with little to no head and mild lacing on the glass.
There wasn't much in the nose, except maybe some mild malt.
The taste was wonderful; Grass and sweet malt, caramel, very mild hops. Reminds me of a caramel pilsner with a touch of fruit. Maybe some wood in there.
The MF started semi dry and smooth but finished very mild in both sweetness and carbonation; almost a buttery caramel feel lon the tongue.
I was impressed; I've had so many Oktoberfests this season (including many AT Oktoberfest) and I really enjoyed this one. Hats off, ODBC.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2007 19:36:14 | More by sinistrsam

granger10

Wisconsin

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

Brighter amber color with a moderate cream head. Smells slightly toasty and a tad hoppy. Some herbal elements in there as well. Taste is fruity sweet to begin with but there's an underlying toasted malt component. Hoppier than almost any O-fest I've had. Spicy and herbal hops are right there with the toasty malts. Not really too rich or caramelly, which is what I usually like in an O-fest. Body is a bit too light for my liking but the flavors are enjoyable. Overall, this was different but enjoyable. I don't know if I would get it again however.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2006 16:09:29 | More by granger10

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

$2 16oz. pints at CAH last Sunday.

Clear slight orangish-tinted amber. Finger-thin layer of off-white lace. Nice rings as the glass was drained. Hints of roasted malt and some caramel, backed up by some spice. Same for the flavor. Nothing awe-inspiring. More hoppy and bitter-dry in the finish than expected. There's some spices mixed in, but not very assertive. Decent mouthfeel. Not too drinkable. Not sure what the off-flavor was, but it just didn't "feel" like an Oktoberfest beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2005 00:23:00 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

RBorsato

Virginia

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted on-tap 09/27/05 at the OD brewpub in Ashburn, VA.

Dark gold, copper-ish color with low head retention. Light malt aroma with light Vienna Malt spiciness. Medium bodied and smooth with a spicy malt character and light nuttiness. Finishes nicely with good hop balance.

A solid Octoberfest from a solid brewery.

Per ODBC website: Dominion Octoberfest uses all imported German malt, and is very true to the original German style. Imported Saaz and Hallertau hops are used to balance the strong malt character. In 2004, Dominion Octoberfest won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the German Style Maerzen/Oktoberfest category. ABV : 6.4%

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2005 18:40:25 | More by RBorsato

Dithyramb

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Mahaffey's in Baltimore.

Pours a slightly hazy penny colo with a creamy light tan head. Dropped down to a nice spotty lacing.

Roast toasty malts and spicy malts on the nose,

Has a gentle sweet malt flavor, like thick chewy German bread. It has a slight bitterness in the spicy hops that combines very well. Both flavors mingle well in the mouth for the aftertaste.

Medium bodied and medium carbonated. Very creamy and pleasing. Worth having quite a few.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2004 13:40:50 | More by Dithyramb

dacrza1

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

date reviewed: 31 January 2013...
glassware: standard pilsner...
occasion: last 30 Rock ever...cannot quantify the sadness...
appearance: ambitiously bubbling copper body with a thcik, fluffy off-white head--sediment seems present...
aroma: pleasantly malty; sharply incisive at the throat--not a boring stand-still lager....
palate: short notes: mellow and smooth, nice a nice cigar...
taste: pearish, fruity, and surprisingly complex....some of it works, some of it trifles...
overall: a pleasant beer to experience and revisit--quite a sessionable drink...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:48:56 | More by dacrza1

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 7/24/2012. Pours lightly hazy and cloudy orange copper color with a nice 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of apricot, pear, apple, caramel, toast, toffee, brown bread, light nuttiness, light grass, and herbal hops. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of apricot, pear, apple, caramel, toast, toffee, nuttiness, brown bread, grass, light roasted grain, and herbal hop spiciness. Lingering notes of light fruits, caramel, toast, toffee, brown bread, nuttiness, light roasted grain, grass, and herbal on the finish for a bit. Nice flavor balance and robustness; with almost zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice Oktoberfest style. Very nice flavor robustness and balance; and very smooth to drink. I enjoyed this quite a bit, well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:37:59 | More by superspak

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Mixed and matched this at the House of 1,000 beers. I think I paid around 2.50 for the single. Color is fair enough for the style. Light amber brown with a slight opaque colored head which seems to stick around for a bit. Smell is a clash of herbal like hops and German malts. Not too much caramel or toasted malt.

Flavor is about the same. Herbal hops, mild husky toast grain and some sweetness toward the finish. Simple but I am guessing they hopped it too much since it's kind of bitter. Mouthfeel is about par to style giving me a light to medium bodied beverage.

Overall it's pretty much hit or miss with this beer company and this one is a sure fire miss. Cut back to maybe a couple types of hops and this would be much more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 04:52:21 | More by DrDemento456

jsisko01

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a dark copper/amber color with an inch thick, creamy head that leaves a very nice lacing.

Smell - Caramel, roasted malts, and sweet.

Taste - This is way different than any other Octoberfest I've ever had. The bottle says they use 8 different malts and 4 hop varieties. Mostly what I taste is roasted malts, light caramel, it's quite hoppy, and has a weird floral bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall - I give them props for trying something different but I'm not too fond of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 03:04:28 | More by jsisko01

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a mug.

Pours a clear copper, with 2-3 fingers of off-white foamy head. This settles down in a rich ½ finger or so, leaving back relatively robust looking cascade of sudsy lacing. The aroma smells of floral notes and earthy citrus for the most part, with a faint sweetness on the edges. This sticky ripe sweetness of the nose really starts to stand out after a bit.

The taste is similar, with a ripe and earthy core that is surrounded by a sticky toasted sweetness. There is some bitterness to this but not a lot of crispness, as this finishes with a bit of a raw and earthy feeling dry pithiness on the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a touch of sharpness up front that then gets much more bubbly and creamy feeling along the back. This is overall a little too soft feeling in the mouth.

I wasn’t very impressed with this. That ripe citrus character just dominated a bit too much in the profiles and this just lacked crispness and overall presence on the palate. I won’t be trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 18:50:26 | More by Kegatron

mckenziac

2.83/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a translucent copper color. Has a small, foamy head that dissipates down to nothing fairly quickly.

Smell: Smells primarily of sweet, caramel malts. Not really much else there.

Taste: Mildly hoppy up front. Finishes sweet with caramel and other malts. Kind of ho-hum in this department.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, with a light to medium body.

Overall: A pretty pedestrian Octoberfest-style beer. Nothing really makes it stand out from the other hundred O-fests put out this time of year. Not bad, but not something really worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:48:38 | More by mckenziac

jak3676

Virginia

2.68/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Old Dominion - Octoberfest!

Bottled in Ahsburn, VA I don't think you'll find too wide-spread of a distribution outside of the VA and surrounding area. Which is kinda a shame.

I haven't been a huge fan of many of their other offerings, but I'm kinda liking their märzen. It's a bit darker, and thicker than some I've had, hazy. Some others have described the flavor with hints of toast, slightly nutty with some browned honey. I've never been one for trying to describe what something tastes like - it tastes like a darker than average Oktoberfest beer to me. It's definately a bit rougher that most. But, I think they're accurate in their description.

I like the strength of it, 5.9 ABV which puts in the range of most of its peers and nicely above the average American Lager. The bottling date says 7/10/12 which goes against the tradition, but I'm not sure how many compainies bottles beer and then lets it lager over the summer anymore (at least intentionally).

I wish I liked it more, but overall it seems too rough for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 20:24:55 | More by jak3676

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crystal clear bright amber/orange hue. 1/2 inch of egg shell head. Pungent nose of noble european hops. Toasted buttered biscuit with an herbal and spicy scent.

Incredibly clean for such a rustic smelling nose. Sweet buttered roll up front followed by slightly overdone toast. Rolls in a spicy herbal hop bite which balances more than it betters. Clean, smooth mouthfeel, with slightly lower than average carbonation. Very very very damn good! Better put a 6 of this away before it all sells out!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:30:24 | More by jtierney89

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-dark amber with a thin light tan head 

S-burnt bitter grains with a touch of dark honey. 

T-comes in with a fairly decent taste of bitter dark grains. Has a touch of honey. I like it. It's definitely darker and more harsh than I like my octoberfest styles.

M-high carbonation with a watery finish

O-well it's not a bad beer. It's just not good if you're really looking for  an octoberfest. It's a bit darker tasting

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:43:35 | More by AdamBear

russwbeck

Virginia

2.28/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Amber pour with about a finger of white head.

S: Toffee, caramel malts, maybe a grassiness or water mixed in. Sort of strange.

T: The taste is not great. Tons of malts, caramel, the watery taste, dry finish.

MF: Light and carbonated well. Very dry and weird aftertaste that sticks around for a long time

O: One and done, this was no good.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 04:57:07 | More by russwbeck