Oktoberfest Lager - Olde Hickory Brewery

cosmicevan

New York

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

picked this up when visiting family in NC about a month ago...notched as best by january 2013...bottoms up! enjoyed from a duck rabbit snifter.

a - brew poured a watery transparent amberish with a thin head that was gone almost as quick as the beer was poured. hardly a ring of bubbles was left on the surface of the beer.

s - smells nice. big grape. some nutmeg and crystalized malts. big sweetness.

t - much like the nose, but a bit of booziness on the backend. grapes and nuts. all malts. lots of grain. fairly bready and crisp. toasted.

m - a bit boozy, but other than that, fairly classic.

o - overall a nice take on the style. on the sweet side of things, but good. not my favorite marzen, but solid.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:00:59 | More by cosmicevan

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

1.5/5  rDev -58.6%

04-09-2013 02:55:10 | More by SmellsofMahagony

JordanPP

North Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -24%

02-19-2013 00:23:25 | More by JordanPP

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

12-04-2012 23:07:01 | More by t0rin0

Hanzo

Virginia

4/5  rDev +10.5%

10-31-2012 00:21:54 | More by Hanzo

bexley10

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

10-10-2012 13:31:51 | More by bexley10

BigTrubble

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

09-23-2012 23:08:47 | More by BigTrubble

BCash

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

09-18-2012 00:58:20 | More by BCash

brewdude1982

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%

09-09-2012 01:27:37 | More by brewdude1982

tastybeer

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Orange-amber, white-like medium sized head, and straggly/spotty lace.

A: Has that pleasant deep malty aroma that this type of beer should have. Smells sweet and caramelly.

T: Tasty. Sweet with an autumn-like darkness. Hops are hidden in the background under malty cover.

M: That thick chewy maltiness that doesn't always come with this style (and should) is at the forefront.

O: A good representation of this style. Maybe a tad sweeter than usual, but not in a negative way.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 00:32:55 | More by tastybeer

wedge

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear deep orange color with a small off-white head on top. Clean, sweet toasted malt aroma...fresh grain, floral notes, and some toffee. Flavor is sweet through the middle - probably a bit too sweet. Rich toasted malt, caramel, subtle spicy/earthy hops. Clean and medium bodied. I liked where this was going, but the sweetness kills the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 00:30:16 | More by wedge

carrollmel7

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

09-01-2012 22:43:05 | More by carrollmel7

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The locals say this is a fantastic Oktoberfest.

Initial pour produced a nice amber body with a slightly small head. It has since faded (only a matter of seconds) into a small ring of white head. hm.

The smell is grainy and sweet. Almost exactly like Great Lakes: super grainy and earth (more than GLBC). Almost smells crisp (which is what I dont want). Definitely some good caramel malts in there, but just doesnt smell sweet enough.

It tastes like a goddamn world class oktoberfest. Super grainy and earthy up front. The caramel sweetness really only comes in to cut the graininess out and make it clean and drinkable. Its not as sweet as the world class Marzens, but its just one minute step below those.

Its a fantastic Oktoberfest, and might be one of the better NC beers Ive had that doesnt come from a barrel of some kind. Olde Hickory, you met expectations once again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 23:07:07 | More by VncentLIFE

brotherloco

California

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

07-05-2012 02:04:02 | More by brotherloco

Lantern

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

12-27-2011 13:52:51 | More by Lantern

whitekiboko

South Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -30.9%

12-27-2011 01:08:55 | More by whitekiboko

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a clear, light copper color with a slight light tan head. Very sweet aroma that reminds me oddly enough of candi corn and marshmellow. Medium mouthfeel. Sweet upfront with notes of fruit, caramel, and the aforementioned candi corn. From there it draws out with a slight bitter metallic ending. Drinks fairly easy. Some brown sugar notes as well. Decent but not stellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 23:44:03 | More by kbutler1

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%

12-04-2011 00:04:02 | More by tclapper

planbee

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -17.1%

11-26-2011 05:49:25 | More by planbee

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%

11-18-2011 02:54:46 | More by Bung

thespk2011

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +38.1%

11-17-2011 04:06:45 | More by thespk2011

EasyReader

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%

11-17-2011 00:55:04 | More by EasyReader

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz brown bomber with a freshness date.

LOOK: Clear brassy glow, ample lacing.

SMELL: Toasted bread, baked apple, herbal hop, fresh hay, clean.

TASTE: Clean, crisp, malty, toasted grain, bread crust, dry, grassy, herbal, spicy hop, hint of yeast.

From first sip this beer is on the right track but further through this bomber I realized how honed in on the style it actually is. Simply, Olde Hickory nailed it to style.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 03:02:58 | More by Jason

beer2day

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear copper gold with 1-finger cream head. No retention and zero lace.

Biscuit and caramel malt combine for a nice October mix. Light notes of herbal hops.

Taste brings out more of the caramel malt, a light lemon zest, and a crisp finish. Just a touch of herbal hops in the end.

Body is a bit thick and slightly syrupy, but pretty much right for the style and taste.

Overall, well done. Nice, sweet marzen.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 01:41:16 | More by beer2day

prototypic

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Many, many thanks to kkipple for the bottle!

Oktoberfest Lager pours a light copper color. It’s crystal and looks almost orange with backlighting. A slightly off-white head rises to nearly a finger in height before falling quickly. Lacing was light and very spotty. It’s not bad. Not exactly eye-grabbing either.

The nose is easily above average. It’s all kinds of malty. Smells like a mix of caramel and toasted malts. They smell equally strong. It smells somewhat earthy and grainy. There’s definitely a mix of grassy and earthy hops in the mix. Noble it is. Alcohol is masked extremely well. I’m not getting much at all in that department. Smells pretty good.

The flavor is above average. It definitely has a prominent caramel and toasted malt base. It’s sweet, but not overly so. There are a few grainy and earthy notes lingering throughout. The complement the malts pretty well. Noble hops are definitely in the house, but they’re more subdued than expected. I suspect the wealth of malt buries them a bit. Alcohol is not very noticeable. Finishes malty and sweet with a touch of grassy hops.

Oktob erfest Lager has a medium body. Carbonation is light and soft. It has a pretty nice feel. A bit more full than you’d ordinarily expect in the style. I like it. Goes down pretty easy, too. A bomber is no trouble at all.

Personally, I think Olde Hickory did a pretty good job with Oktoberfest Lager. Sure, it’s not among the elite in the style, but it’s a solid release nonetheless. It could be improved a little with a tad less malt, allowing the hops to shine through more. Pretty good stuff though. Definitely worth checking out. Thanks again, Dan!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:55:45 | More by prototypic