Oktoberfest
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

OktoberfestOktoberfest
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From:
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #369
ABV:
5%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,873
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 14.45%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
132
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 28, 2023
Added:
Apr 06, 2003
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  16
A crisp Bavarian classic with Vienna and Munich malts for a deep golden color, nutty undertones, and toasted malt flavors. Prost!
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by californiakebab:
Photo of californiakebab
Reviewed by californiakebab from California

3.08/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance - pours a deep amber, garnet hue with brilliant clarity albeit a quickly receding head that leaves faint lacing on the glass.

Smell - malty, bready, some caramel. Crystal malt showing its character in the aroma, very little to no hop presence.

Taste - sweet malt, some toastiness, less caramel than the aroma. Don't really detect any specialty malts in the flavor. Some mild hop bite at the end with a bready aftertaste.

Mouthful - well carbonated and lively, light bodied and goes down smooth.

Overall - very light and uninteresting for an oktoberfest beer. The use of crystal malt lends character with the aroma and appearance, but I found the taste to be somewhat lackluster. Abv is only 5% which seems low for a more fortified festive style?
Aug 10, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.49 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Oct 28, 2023
Photo of matcris
Rated by matcris from Arizona

3.52/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tried a single. Decent, but not up to some of its German competitors in the flavor department.
Oct 19, 2023
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.26/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Shimmering clear amber with a short white head leaving an arm or two of skinny lace.

While leafy and nutty with a mild toast, the malt presents overall as semisweet, all within a really pleasantly frothy, fulfilling body.
Oct 06, 2023
 
Rated: 3.63 by emwilke from Nevada

Sep 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by rpmello81 from California

Mar 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.25 by mpenske from California

Feb 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by paulish from New York

Dec 27, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Sep 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.48 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

May 18, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Mostly clear amber pour with a cream cap. Caramel malts, toast, and nuts in the nose. Taste is very nutty with the toast, bread, caramel malts and hints of earth. Feel is bready and malty, decently crisp and medium bodied, best aspect of the beer easily.
Oct 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.17 by evanwoertz from California

Sep 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.28 by antihero404 from California

Sep 29, 2019
Photo of BayAreaJoe
Reviewed by BayAreaJoe from California

3.54/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Good, very easy drinking Oktoberfest beer. A bit on the lower end of the scale in terms of aroma & flavor but still pleasant. Good drinkability feel, maybe just on the sweeter side of the scale. Overall decent, but I'd probably rather have a terrific German märzen for relatively the same price.
Sep 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by Gregory88 from California

Aug 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by jewellrunner from Missouri

Nov 09, 2018
Photo of chitoryu12
Reviewed by chitoryu12 from Florida

3.57/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Look: Clear brownish-orange. Thin head of off-white foam.

Smell: Very faint hops and grain malt.

Taste: Light malt, a bit of hop bitterness. Not much else.

Mouthfeel: Average thickness, but creamy. High carbonation.

Overall: Not bad, but pretty generic and too inoffensive.
Oct 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by Just-the-sip from California

Sep 26, 2018
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from Trader Joe's:

Bready and malty but not too sweet like many Oktoberfestbiere. Very drinkable, though not to the point that I'd want to drink it by the litre at a bierfest (which is basically the point of the style).

B- / WORTHY
Sep 05, 2018
Oktoberfest from Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 132 ratings