Summit Oktoberfest Marzen - Summit Brewing Company

Knuckles

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Apparently, this is my week for boring marzens. I picked up some of the Summit Oktoberfest when I was in Cleveland, just for the hell of it. I was trying to pick some beers that would appeal to a broad range of tastes, and that was the lager I grabbed. Not a particularly scientific sampling, but I did what I could.

Understand, I don't expect marzens to be mind-blowing. It would be nice, however, if I could find one that ranges beyond the pedestrian. So far I've only found two that do, but am in no position to review them.

Appearance: This beer is gorgeous, but awfully damn light. Thing's orange like a double IPA. I expect my marzens to be a bit darker, and with more brown to it. It was pretty, just too damn light.

Smell: Not particularly mind bending. Lots of yeast, wee hint of malt chasing it around my voluminous nostrils. The yeast won.

Taste: Again, unremarkable. Pleasant malt front, the typical yeasty finish, not much in between. I could pound litres of this stuff and never know it.

Mouthfeel: A bit better than the Hooker I had the day before. This has a slightly more solid presence in the mouth, but not breathtakingly so.

Drinkability: Oh yes, you could drink the shit out of this. It goes down easily, and is never unpleasant. It's just not going to change your life. Unless you drink an assload of it, go home and knock up your girlfriend, get married, get a job at the glue factory and spend your days sawing the hooves off of horse corpses before you throw them into the glue pot so the hooves can be sent off to the Jell-O Brand Gelatin factory so we all can continue to enjoy our fruity gelatinous desserts until the end of time because I know we all just LOVE to watch it jiggle. If that happens, then I guess you could say that it DID change your life. But it seems like a bit of a longshot.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2005 05:08:32 | More by Knuckles

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-16-2013 20:42:58 | More by iHeartMNBeer

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-02-2013 04:45:29 | More by spycow

Kenai4

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

04-26-2013 02:47:56 | More by Kenai4

dflatau

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +23.3%

04-21-2013 02:14:06 | More by dflatau

Kunstman

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

04-20-2013 02:45:29 | More by Kunstman

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

3/5  rDev -17.8%

04-15-2013 17:50:27 | More by Whiskeydeez

MNBeer1017

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-27-2013 01:28:05 | More by MNBeer1017

sappypine

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -11%

03-19-2013 19:38:42 | More by sappypine

MAbeerNE1

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

03-14-2013 18:54:01 | More by MAbeerNE1

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out an auburn, amber and brown color, solid mild beige head that stands tall over 1". Great retention, nice looking lace.

Mild aroma of nutty honey grains. Lightly sweet.

Good toasted malt presence, average sweetness. Earthy and floral. Not bitter. Caramel toast. Pretty clean. In some ways it is fairly pedestrian, and in others, it is very true to style. You can pull some hop notes out of it if you look for them. A slight tinge of dark fruit note in the mouthfeel.

A little stronger in the alcohol department, but it isn't really all that noticeable. This is definitely made in the traditional sense outside of that aspect, lots of Germanic types in the upper midwest, this beer definitely has a following while I was in the area.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 16:24:15 | More by Beerandraiderfan

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -17.8%

03-09-2013 23:37:09 | More by ejimhof

allbrigs

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.6%

03-08-2013 04:47:09 | More by allbrigs

Gamblor14

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -17.8%

03-04-2013 04:34:36 | More by Gamblor14

bismarksays

Iowa

3/5  rDev -17.8%

02-25-2013 09:23:23 | More by bismarksays

matjack85

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%

02-07-2013 01:47:25 | More by matjack85

calcnerd

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -17.8%

02-04-2013 03:08:15 | More by calcnerd

ranger7

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11%

01-15-2013 04:07:22 | More by ranger7

Pegasus

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden orange with a modest, dense white head, which does not entirely dissipate The lacing is thick and coats the glass walls. The carbonation is moderate and slow-rising.

Aroma: Robust maltiness, with lots of toasted notes and some caramel.

Taste: Opens with a rich, malty flavor that serves as the backbone of the beer throughout the taste. The malty flavors are reminiscent of freshly baked whole grain bread, caramel, and a faint earthy note. The alcohol is utterly disguised, offering no hint of the 6.6% ABV. The hops serve as an accompaniment to the hops and offer a delicate herbal presence. The taste draws to a close with a lingering note of toasted bread crust and a mild herbal hop note.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A very nice example of the style, it pairs well with a rich vegetable soup and home-baked bread on a cold winter's afternoon.

Presentation: Packaged in a stubby twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 20:37:21 | More by Pegasus

SweJon

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

12-15-2012 18:04:09 | More by SweJon

runlikeakenyan

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

12-13-2012 12:08:59 | More by runlikeakenyan

ebenicr

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +9.6%

12-12-2012 06:09:58 | More by ebenicr

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -11%

12-07-2012 23:33:47 | More by Damian74Shensky

BGdad

3.25/5  rDev -11%

12-03-2012 03:05:15 | More by BGdad

barczar

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear caramel copper color with a foamy one and a half inch cream head that dissipates slowly, leaving substantial lacing.

Caramel malt and buttery, nutty toffee dominate the aroma, with a bit of toasted bread leading to a lightly floral hop finish.

Flavor reveals an underlying subtle citrus hop character, which succumbs to the slightly cloying caramel malt. The finish is decidedly sweet.

Body is moderate, with somewhat spritzy carbonation and a hint of astringency. There's significant alcohol warmth.

Overall, lacking in complexity of malt base, fairly 2 note. Also a bit on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 07:10:59 | More by barczar