Great Lakes Oktoberfest - Great Lakes Brewing Company

Amish_Ambush

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Original Review: 09-24-2006

Amber in color. Small head and minimal lacing. The body was about medium with a slightly creamy mouth feel. The taste notes include a complex mix of ripe sweet orange, biscuit/toast and some mild hops. The aftertaste consisted of more of the same.

Notes: I think they nailed this one. Perhaps they should bottle this one for their seasonal rotation?

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 01:38:38 | More by Amish_Ambush

PorterLambic

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark honey color with a light tan head. Scattered lace. Clear and bright.
Smell is a bit weak but notes of roasted malt, light fruits and faint hops.
Taste is malty (roasted), caramel, light fruits like apple and green grapes. A hit weaker than I expected but well balanced.
Medium bodied with an effervescence that is a bit sharp upfront but mellowed quickly. Not my favorite Great Lakes beer, not my favorite Oktoberfest, but a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 20:31:38 | More by PorterLambic

jsisko01

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours an orangish/copper color with a centimeter thick, creamy white head. Dissipates quickly and leaves a nice lacing.

Smell - Toasted malts, sweet, toffee, and a bitter funk.

Taste - Toasted malts, caramel/toffee, sweet, earthy, and a slight bitter sting in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - Not a bad Oktoberfest beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:50:32 | More by jsisko01

tectactoe

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a nice copper-caramel color with nice clarity, creamy looking head that sticks around for a little bit, minimal lacing left on the glass. The nose is a malt-fest, filled with toasted bread, butter, yeast, spices, slight floral hops, caramel, toffee, biscuits. The taste is well balanced and on the sweet side up front, hitting with caramel and toffee toasted malts. The yeast flavors work well to balance this and provide a nice structure to the flavor profile. Spices come alive, maybe some clove and/or a hint of cinnamon, I can't quite put my finger on it, but some spice is definitely there, and once again, it helps to counter the sweetness of the malt. Medium, creamy, and overall dense body with mild carbonation, leaves a slight spice filled and yeast-heavy aftertaste on the palate. Mild bitterness and some light hops in the background that become a little more noticeable towards the end; they are musty, dry, leafy in character.

I'm not too well versed in O-fests or Marzens, but this beer is great. In fact, it's quite a bit different than many of the other Oktoberfests I have had, very ambiguous yet very familiar all at the same time. A nice collection of flavors from the abundance of malts, this beer also makes a nice winter warmer, if you can hold onto it for that long.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 13:00:22 | More by tectactoe

barczar

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden caramel color with a huge 1 and a half inch dense, cream head that lingers, eventually dissipating and leaving spotty lacing.

Caramel malt and deep notes of toasted bread crust and nutty toffee dominate the aroma, with subtle floral hops and a hint of citrus adding complexity.

The flavor is very rich and pretty sweet, with caramel forming the backbone. Toffee and toasted malt are present throughout, and there's a touch of citrus at the finish, which is also pretty sweet. Very complex malt flavor that is difficult to describe.

Body is moderate, and carbonation is on the high side of moderate, preventing the flavor from becoming cloying. There's a noticeable alcohol warmth.

Overall, a very good example of the style. Malt complexity is spot on, and the warmth is a welcome accompaniment. The citrus flavor is a touch overdone.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 21:09:08 | More by barczar

raznug

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This Oktoberfest pours a clear deep orange color and is topped with ½” of white head that tends to hang around nicely.
Smell: This beer smells of German malts, spices and yeast, seems to be a typical Oktoberfest.
Taste: It does not taste like the typical Oktoberfest though it has a smooth and creaminess to it that makes it easier to drink than most Oktoberfest. It has a nice malt base with a spice flavor that doesn’t overpower the beer.
Mouthfeel: This is a smooth medium bodied Oktoberfest that is easy drinking yet has plenty of flavors to go around.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 18:23:25 | More by raznug

tviz33

New York

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in a pint glass

A- Pours a fist-high chunky head of off-white cream covering a transparent orange body.

S- Toasty malts, toffee, and just a little bit of spice. A distinct sourness that I can't put my finger on as well. I wish there was a little more going on here.

T- Caramel and toasty flavors. Not much hop presence to speak of, but well-balanced.

M- Medium body that is creamy and refreshing.

O- A head above Sam Adams Oktoberfest, but not overly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:19:28 | More by tviz33

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle

A: Clear Orange Amber. Healthy slightly tan head,

S; Bready toasted malts, some toffee/caramel, some grassy hops make their way through.

T: A rich rasin bread, maybe even some hints of rum, molasses, caramel, toffee. malt flavors arent overly roasted, more bread crust than burnt bread. Some lemongrass hops in finish.

M: Very big body, high carbonation, creamy/soft mouthfeel, right on point.

O: best american Oktoberfest I've had.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 01:23:54 | More by BigCheese

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at devils den

Pours a clear deep amber color with brilliant red and gold hues. Crop of beige head rests on top, fading into some patchy film on the glass while drinking.

Toasted malts and sweet caramel in the nose. Earthy with soft, leafy hop presence. Hints of raisin, burnt sugar and dark fruit.

Earthy, leafy hops swept away by layers of malt flavor. Toasted bread, bread crust, caramel and burnt sugar. Fairly sweet with some raisin and a touch of dark fruit. Finishes malty and roasty.

Fuller medium body, well carbonated, creamy and chewy on the tongue. Really well balanced and crafted - one of my favorite Oktoberfests right now.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 00:34:50 | More by xnicknj

JuniperJesus

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Among the cacophony of Johann Schrammel blaring in the background and the merry yells of the festival crowds, she crosses your sight. She’s a voluptuous beauty who’s had her share of brezen, weisswurts, and obatzda, but she perfectly fills out her dirndl in full. Among all these Marzens, what is it about this one that has you hiding the bulge in your lederhosen? Her dark copper color helps her stand out from the rest as she pours into your glass with the thickness you expected. As soon as you bring her to your lips, she surrounds you with a warm comfort, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time; her aroma matches evenly with her sweet taste. She is ready for fun and her hearty laugh makes you smile with each sip. After unraveling the strings on her dirndl blouse and voraciously dropping to her knees, you are overwhelmed with her lascivious mouthfeel but also a looming sorrow: this tryst will last but a few days. Alas, Octoberfest wasn’t meant to last all year, so grab her by her thick curves and dive in head first. You might as well: she’s been patiently waiting for you all year with a tankard in one hand and a motel key in the other. As the bacchanalia comes to a close, she quietly slips away into the Munich night; the memories of the copious merriment she leaves behind can only find their match in grandeur in the moist spot she left behind on the bed you shared.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:42:30 | More by JuniperJesus

rangerred

Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear medium copper with an extremely thick two finger head. Excellent lacing and head retention.

Aroma is very malty with biscuit, bread, and lots of caramel. There is an overall sweetness about it.

Flavor is tons of caramel along with dark bread and a little biscuit. Sweetness pervades throughout and it approaches syrupy at times. Some squash flavor although there are no spices detectable. Bitterness is mild with no hop flavor. Mouthfeel is full.

Overall, I want to like this beer but it is just too sweet approaching cloying. It drinks stronger than its 6.5% and is more of a sipper. My idea of an oktoberfest is a flavorful beer than can be drunk in liters and this isn't it.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 20:56:19 | More by rangerred

BamaBeerBuff

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very bright amber-orange color. Lots of carbonation bubbles streaming upwards. Head is fizzy and falls relatively quickly. Nice lacing on the glass, though.

Aroma is very nice. Rich, full, and sweet. Caramel-ish malt and a lot of fruity aromas. There's an herbal spiciness akin to what you'd have in a Christmas ale or winter warmer.

Flavor starts with a slight herbal/ grassy flavor that gives way to a sweeter caramel malt and slightly metallic finish. The feel is extremely creamy and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 20:04:21 | More by BamaBeerBuff

wedge

North Carolina

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

Pours a clear amber color topped by a tight, creamy looking head that leaves sticky rings behind before the first sip. Clean aromas of mild sweet bread and subtle earthiness. Sweet malty flavor - again, clean and lagery. Dough, some toast, nuttiness, and a flicker of leafy hops. Medium bodied and nicely smooth with fine, tingly carbonation. A bit on the strong side for the style, but I think I could suck down a liter or two without much trouble.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 22:16:37 | More by wedge

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is orange with a small white head. The aroma offers sweet malts, lager scents - smells appropriate for the style, albeit a bit sweet. The flavor is ok. A bit grainy and sweet, but also flavorful and enjoyable. Notes of gourds, squash. A tad syrupy on the palate with moderately low carbonation. Overall, a pretty good example of the style, although one was plenty.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 21:33:00 | More by Huhzubendah

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into a mini Hofbraü maaskrug.
6.5% ABV, Best served at 45°F, Please enjoy by 10/18/12

A - Streams of lazy bubbles rise to a chunky off-white head which seems to refuse to dissipate. Minutes go by before the tall, loose foam gently blankets the vibrant golden, honey colored beer. Perfection in a pint, it looks like!

S - Great Lakes Oktoberfest has a rich bready aroma so strong it's reminiscent of breaking a loaf of dense, freshly baked bread and taking a deep whiff in. Strong Vienna maltiness paves the way for light Munich sweetness and faint noble hop aroma on the finish. This beer has an odd intoxicating sweetness like boiling wort without smelling like it will be overpoweringly sweet in flavor.

T - Sip after sip continues the explosion of malt flavors and complexities to bombard the taste buds. At first, it's like biting into honey drizzled slices of dense bread. Kettle caramelization follows with a candy-like sweetness before finishing with a crunchy bite of dry wheat toast. The malt nuances are perfectly wrapped in submissive, yet balancing hops which delicately trickle in light spice and dry earthiness.

M - Smooth as glass from start to finish Great Lakes' Oktoberfest fills the mouth with a rich, medium-full bodied feel that carefully walks the line between drinkable and too sweet. The hop additions stray from the classic dry and prevalent profile to a low-key balance.

O - Great Lakes has struck gold with their spot-on rendition of this German lager which expertly marries different malts which blend to perfection with superb drinkability but are also allowed to develop and contribute different nuances. It's rich without being over-the-top; a hearty, malty Oktoberfest which demands you drink it by the liter!

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 23:18:44 | More by BeerFMAndy

emsroth

New York

3.33/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle with a great label

App: Beautiful medium amber. Quickly failing head, but that is a matter of the glass.

Smell: Smell of munich malt and salty, minerally caramel. I typically like a bit more hops in my O-fest.

Taste: Firm but mild malty flavor. It's a strong pilsener malt base with munich and caramel for flair. As it warms a munich malt and noble hop huskiness come through in the finish. A nice middle ground in a diverse style.

Mouthfeel: True medium body with complexity. A refreshing lightness flanks the palate.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 20:36:31 | More by emsroth

oldirtycaffrey

Virginia

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

Pours a medium amber with a foamy, 1/2 inch off-white head. Lasts for a while and there is a fair amount of lacing left on the glass. The smell is really extraordinary. A strong hint of sweet fruit, chocolate, malt -- really nice. The taste is also sweet -- hints of raisin or dark chocolate. Hoppy. Very clean, crisp taste. Perfect for a Marzen. I find with Oktoberfests, carbonation is the X factor in making a brew a hit or a miss. The carbonation in this one is really pretty perfect -- just a really pleasant, solid beer. Very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 14:14:10 | More by oldirtycaffrey

jak3676

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great Lakes - Oktoberfest

Bottled in Cleveland, Ohio. This has been one of my favorites too. It poured a decent head and a ver nice amber, redish-golden, perfectly clear color. The head didn't last very long in the mug, but neither did the beer :)

It had all the maly taste along with a hint of some hoppy spice, but I couldn't taste the 6.5% ABV at all. I've had a few that tasted a bit thicker somehow, but this was just about perfect.

I'll definately have to add this to my "must remember" list and look for it again.

My bottle has a "please enjoy by:" date of 10/25/12, puchased and consumed on 9/24/12. There's also 10203DE stamped below the date, no indication of what that's for though.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 22:54:23 | More by jak3676

BrianGaynor

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a lager glass.

Appearance: nice orange-amber color with a half-finger white head(I keep my beer too cold so I don’t get much of a head on it). Still like how it looks.

Smell: roasted caramel notes with malty tones. Not that great of scent, honestly. A little musty if you ask me.

Taste: nothing extra spectacular here. A very solid Oktoberfest, one of my favorites for sure. Spices and malts with slight hints of hops.

Mouthfeel: very easy to drink. Goes down very smooth. Finishes with a slight alcoholic burn.

Overall: I am starting to really enjoy the fall season for its Octoberfest beers, and Great Lakes Brewing Company makes arguably one of the best. Definitely pick is up if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:06:53 | More by BrianGaynor

emerge077

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BBD: 10/18/12

Poured into a tulip glass, it has a bright amber copper color with high clarity. Languid sparse trails of rising bubbles from the center of the glass. A sizable head at first pour becomes a frosted thin layer on the surface, with a perfect delicate crown of lace around the edges. Retention is pretty good.

Mellow shortbread aroma, slight toasted grain.

A light bitter bite is noticeable upfront, segueing into some smooth nutty almond from it's grain and malt character. Bitterness is lightly gripping, but slips into the malt cocoon effortlessly. Light bodied but with enough complexity to keep one well interested.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:01:04 | More by emerge077

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle dated best by 9/30/12 poured into a pint glass.

A copper color with effervescent carbonation and a one finger eggshell head. Dies down into a smaller head that sticks around for the duration of the session.

Sweet caramel and lighter maple syrup with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Nice bready, almost pumpernickel presence as well.

Opens with soft caramel sweetness that has a touch of that maple. Spices are similar to the nose with plenty of that bread quality as well on the finish.

Medium body and low carbonation and on the verge of sticky.

Good sweetness with some spice and bready flavors. A great Marzen. I am not huge on the style but I can not think of a better one brewed out of Germany.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 19:28:46 | More by auroracrisis

MadScientist

New York

4.73/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A medium amber with brilliant clarity. The cream off-white head has a good retention time slowly dissipating over a couple of minutes.

S: Light toasted malt aroma and an allergy stuffed nose, but not too bad as I just smell more of the soap on my hand than this beer initially. A very clean lager having no fruity esters, no DMS no Diacetyl. Malt aroma increase as it warms.

T: Rich German Malt flavors (Munich and Vienna) dominate with a light toastiness and a slight hint of caramel. There is a moderately-light earth noble hops flavor with a touch of spice. A firm hops bitterness provides enough balance to make this malt driven beer dry out on the finish with lingering bitterness and a slight grainy malt aftertaste. Again a very clean lagering process so no fruitiness nor diacetyl.

M: Smooth medium bodied with moderate carbonation. There is a slight prickle at the back of the but that could be my allergies going off here.

O: An excellent Oktoberfest, Great Lakes is on Hell of a brewery that consistently reminds me that lagers a worth my time and attention despite being a huge ale fan.

Looks like a 10/12/12 best by date

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 02:55:41 | More by MadScientist

blameo

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- a nice, thick head about .75". Copper color, see through

Smell- caramel, with hints of hops. Also some brown sugar and hints of pine.

Taste- Similar to the smell. On the sweet end, with spices hidden beneath that linger after swallowing. A bit of a bready taste.

Feel- very carbonated. Medium body, not too light but also not too heavy. Great to drink alone or with food.

Overall- not what I would normally expect when thinking about an oktoberfest but still a wonderful beer. I would definitely buy this again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2012 23:41:04 | More by blameo

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance
Golden amber with 1 finger of off-white head. There’s an extremely heavy amount of carbonation. Great head retention and excellent clarity.

Nose
Caramel, bread, brown sugar, nutty malts and a hint of noble hops.

Taste
Big maltiness composed of caramel, bread and nuts. Notes of brown sugar, toast and earth. Hints of noble hops and a pinch of lemongrass. I also detect a touch of bubblegum and pilsner malt. The maltiness lingers in the back of the throat long after taking a sip.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp, clean and refreshing.

Overall
An extremely well done Oktoberfest. Has a nice little bump in the abv compared to more traditional Marzens. Also has a slightly drying bitterness in the finish. Very refreshing. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 16:42:21 | More by justintcoons

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle from the Potsdam NY IGA for 2.75$

Appearance - Clear copper colour with an average size fizzy/frothy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes.

Smell - Malts, grass, cereal, hay, caramel

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, and lots of wet herbal notes like hay/straw/grass. It also has some raisin notes and some light hops. It ends with a malty herbal aftertaste.

Overall - Way too much herbal/farm type flavour for me. Maybe it's spot on for the style, but it just isn't enjoyable. Not something I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 00:30:53 | More by spinrsx