Oktoberfest - Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Ford

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a regular pint glass

This is a really good Oktoberfest beer.

A bit less bitter than the Shiner and Karbach styles I've recently had. About the same smoothness as the Saint Arnold.

Really good carbonation.. just right. Great taste. I'd buy a six pack of this over many others.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:39:59 | More by Ford

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a very brilliant amber color, which shines in the light. Little foam. Very sweet malty nose, and loads of esthers. Quite buttery malty taste, and a lot of caramel in the mix. Sweet finish, with just a nutty hint of hop at the end. Very good,.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 22:34:56 | More by KTCamm

mactrail

California

3.68/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

If you said this was a pumpkin beer I'd believe you, it's that sweet and malty.

Clear and reddish orange in the glass. Quite a carrot-top color. Head and retention are nothing to brag about, and the carbonation is just average. Almost an oily mouthfeel. Rather tangy with some green apple flavor. The maltiness is quite distinctive with some burnt caramel. A touch of earthy hops I"m not so crazy about.

A stronger, more flavorful, and pretty weird sort of Oktoberfest, but quite drinkable. From the 12 oz bottle bought at H and H Beverage in Abilene.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:25:45 | More by mactrail

Vashtar

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

It's a clear, dark amber with a nice head.

It smells extremely malty. There's a hint of what smells like isopropyl alcohol, and it's unsettling.

It also tastes malty. The different notes hit you for a few seconds straight.

It runs over my mouth like a wave. This beer gooey, but great. It isn't the typical ideal mouthfeel that I look for. I think it's in a whole other category.

Overall, this is both one of my favorite October fest beers and one of my favorite dark beers.
Actually, I'm not really sure why it's an Octoberfest at all. If you threw some coffee in it you'd have a great beer in a totally different kind of way.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 04:07:19 | More by Vashtar

gtermi

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer pours a nice amber color with a thick tan head.

S: The beer has some coffee, malt and some

T: The taste wasnt as strong as I was hoping. It has some sweet maltyness and some caramel, but not really much else.

M: The beer mouthfeel isnt anything special. I drink it and just feel like I am missing out on something.

O: This a decent average Oktoberfest beer, but nothing to go out of the way to get.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 07:35:55 | More by gtermi

LacquerHead

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I drank this at a BBQ in Texas. Poured this in a large mug.

It poured an amber color with a light tan head.

S: not very strong, some malt aromas - nothing to outlandish.

T: Not bad. It seemed like a typical Oktoberfest beer. Some sweet malt flavors.

Overall: For the price, $8.00/six-er, this was a fairly solid Oktoberfest beer. It didn't knock me over with taste, but I found it to be very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 21:59:05 | More by LacquerHead

JMad

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I drank this from a pint glass...

Pours an amber color with burnt orange hues, the head is tall, foamy and lofty with a tan color. It smells of roasted malt with surprising coffee and milk chocolate with earthy hop undertones. The beer has an herbal hop bitterness, with roasted malt being the dominant flavor, there are also hints of coffee and caramel. It has a medium body with moderate carbonation and a nice dry finish. This Oktoberfest was unique compared to others, in my opinion it tastes more like a brown ale, still good though.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 02:25:18 | More by JMad

zimm421

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a standard pint glass. Has a below average tan head that doesn't stick around long and doesn't leave any lacing to speak of. Appears a brown color with some haziness.

Nose is full of coffee and other malts. Just not what you expect from a Marzen. Some sweetness from the caramel malts. Taste is very similar. All sweet, no balancing factors. Just not right for a Marzen. The flavors were decent, but just doesn't fit into the style.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied. Too thick and heavy when going down, again, just not quite right. Overall, a decent brew, but nothing above average. Got stuck drinking this all of last week because it was the best they had to offer where I was staying. Don't seek it out..

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 19:24:29 | More by zimm421

Pegasus

Texas

4/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Cloudy, deep amber in color, with a large, persistent, off-white head, thin, broken lace.

Aroma: Earthy notes, and toasted malt, with a slight herbal hop presence.

Taste: Opens with strong toasted malts, mild caramel and toffee, lots of bread and nut malt, solid malty notes throughout the taste. Finishes with a wave to toasted bread flavors.

Mouth feel: Pleasant and full body, no carbonation sting.

Drinkability/notes: A very solid example, quite representative of the style.

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce brown glass long neck bottle with a pop-off crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 14:27:56 | More by Pegasus

Atlas1

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first Oktoberfest beer of the season. I like the new Rahr label design. A little hokey, but in a classic Norman Rockwell sorta way.

The Rahr Oktoberfest is one of the prettiest beers I've seen in a while. Beautiful hues of oranges and reds remind me of autumnal leaves changing color (not here in south Texas, mind you, but in places where leaves actually change colors). Nice thick head with some lace. The nose is dense and malty, as a good festbier should be. The yeast aroma kinda reminds me of Shiner Bock, but in a good way. Earthy and sweet. Taste follows suit, delivering plum flavors with muted apple and pear. Malty sweetness but dry enough to cut through anything that lingers too long. Mouthfeel has a medium body feel to it; firm but not austere.

A fine effort by the folks at Rahr and Sons. Maybe not the best example of the style I've ever had, but a pretty good beer nonetheless. I wouldn't reject the idea of revisiting this beer in the future either.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 20:02:47 | More by Atlas1

DarkAngel

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +47%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oktoberfest's are my absolute favorite brews, this time of year is better than Christmas for me. And this years batch of Oktoberfest is the best Rahr has done. I still prefer Hoffbrau's Oktoberfest (If I am completely honest) but I still love this batch. Great taste, great feel, and all around good brew. A must have for the beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 19:48:27 | More by DarkAngel

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: ? (I believe on tap at Casey's, Newtown Square, PA)

Poured a clear bronze color with a short-lived white head. Pretty basic aroma and taste, with mild, toasty malts going on and not too much else. Not terrible, but pretty bland and uninteresting. Medium mouthfeel, can seem a little watery at times, but still somewhat drinkable if you're not feeling too adventurous.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 14:55:38 | More by Rifugium

champ103

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear copper red color. A one finger white head forms, and recedes in a second. Light lace is left behind.
S: Sweet malt, some sweet caramel/toffee aromas. Nothing else.
T: Again, sweet malty flavors that are pretty generic. Caramel, maybe toffee depending on how you decipher if. Nothing else. Fairly bland and neutral.
M/D: A light to medium body. Fairly smooth. Not hard to drink, just nothing I really care to have a lot of.

Overall just bland, neutral, and inoffensive. Nothing I would recommend, but nothing to offensive either. Pretty much the definition of average.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2010 02:01:46 | More by champ103

Mora2000

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a white head. The aroma is actually fairly nice, with some caramel and toffee notes. The flavor is not too great. There is nothing wrong with it, it is just very bland. I get some toffee and bready malt, but that is about it. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

I had heard the beers from Rahr's were better after they renovated their brewery, but this is the same, bland beer that they have always brewed.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 00:00:05 | More by Mora2000

armock

New York

1.38/5  rDev -58.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

A - Its a sad thing when the best part of a beer its appearance, poured a dark copper color with an off white head that fades in the blink of an eye.

S - I can't completely bash its smell as it does smell theres some malt scents but not what I look for in a Marzen

T - I don't taste anything that would make me say this bottle is infected but I'm not tasting anything good here either

M - This beer has a thin watery body with medium carbonation to it

D - Unless you like dirty mop water stay the hell away from this one the rest of this pint is bound for the drain avoid this beer

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2009 22:04:43 | More by armock

Tilley4

Tennessee

2.55/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I tried several local Oktoberfests while down in Dallas recently and this was one of them...

Pours a dull brown and has pretty much zip for carbonation... Ok, a little foam tries to rise up but that quickly disappears, leaving a murky liquid behind... Not what I was hoping for here...

Well, the sweet biscuity malts make up for the bad appearance... They bring a respectability back to this.. Pretty decent for the style...

Well, this is a big disappointment....this is watery and bland with a touch of sweet malts but there's also this buttery oily finish that really has me struggling with this one....this is the weakest of the locals by far..

Well, I got to try a brew that I never would have had a chance to try otherwise but in this case, that's not a good thing...

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2009 12:51:29 | More by Tilley4

randal

Texas

1.95/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Rahr you got me again! I used to buy the blonde lager quite a bit when it was $6.99 and at that price accept the occasional flat or sour bottle. Now that Rahr beers are priced in line with Great Divide, Sierra Nevada and others I don't take the chance however I saw the Oktoberfest and being a sucker for something new picked it up.

The description on the bottle says a large fluffy head - I was greeted with a dismal off-white scum, kind of like what you see lapping at the edges of Lake Lewisville. The beer itself was murky and uninspired. A marzen lager should snap and this just squatted listlessly in my glass. The taste was faintly malty with a touch of sweetness but I was distracted by an overriding watery mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 13:25:19 | More by randal

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.4/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle tried 20 Oct 2008.

Poured in a 0.4 L glass stein. Large tight yellow head. Well carbonated. Clear deep red-auburn color. Caramel, malt, almonds and a little ethanol in the aroma. Sweet and malty with some caramel and buttersotch to start. Toasty sweet nuttiness, almonds, pecans. Finishes with a bit of cinnamon spiciness. Medium body.

Not my favorite oktoberfest but decent.

Got this at the FW CM when Rahr was there giving samples so I presume this was a good batch. I've not run across a spoiled batch myself but I also don't frequently purchase Rahr because they seem to consistently run $2-3 more per six than other locals (the ofest was $9.75 per six when I bought it).

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 15:54:37 | More by htomsirveaux

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured with a foamy tan head that had large bubbles and faded fairly quickly. The beer had excellent clarity and was a deep amber with some orange highlights. No lacing to be found. Some visible carbonation.

Aroma was all malt, some sweetness and a bit like crusty bread. Almost that spice cinnamon note that I detect at times.

Flavor is fine. Not too deep. Some roasted malt, followed by a bread like or cracker flavor. Not much sweetness. A bit dry. At moments I got a metallic flavor. Faded towards the end. Not very complex.

Mouth feel was kind of light and the carbonation was a bit bright. Drinkable, but not very exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 00:26:52 | More by Reagan1984

rgrholmes168

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this out of a 12 oz bottle. The bottle has a nice drawing of a German Oktoberfest and a quick description of "OZapft is", (the keg is tapped) on the side.

The beer poured a I got a decent one finger head, but it quickly disappated and there was no lace left on the side of the glass. Within minutes there wasn't even any foam left.

The smell reminded me of orange and I checked to see if the beer listed orange peel, but did not see it listed.

The has a slightly bitter taste, but it goes down very smooth. I get a decent balanced beer with a light bit of cascade hops.

Not a bad offering if you consider that it is from my hometown brewery of Rahr and Sons. The place is definitely hit or miss.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 18:54:20 | More by rgrholmes168

roblowther

Texas

3.38/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is a reddish copper with no head at all. It smells of burnt caramel, oranges and pepper. At this point, I am intrigued. The taste is mild malt, some dryness, and a slight spice. It is interesting but maltier and somehow simpler than the style examples I've had before. Mouthfeel is slick, light, and nicely carbonated. This is a pretty drinkable beer, with a good balance of the malt & hop flavors. This is a good beer but definitely not an exceptional one. I prefer the Ugly Pug and definitely prefer their Pecker Wrecker & Bucking Bock. Still, a welcome, rare Oktoberfest offering from a US brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2008 02:14:52 | More by roblowther

elniko

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: Very dark amber for the style. White head that quickly dissipated. Solid looking brew.

S: Not much on the nose, which I took to be a good thing as it does not look like I got a spoiled bottle. Little malt apparent but really not much there at all.

T & M: Maltiness up front with thin finish. There is some toastiness that picked up just briefly as well. Carbonation a little high for the style and diminishes the mouthfeel.

D: On the lower end of the Oktoberfest totem pole. Rahr seems to make average to slightly below average brews for the most part.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2008 22:58:32 | More by elniko

CrellMoset

Virginia

2.08/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle courtesy of ChoqlitStout - thanks!! Poured into a tasting glass.

Appearance: Pours a really dark (for the style) with a fast-fading slightly off-white head. Lacing is almost nonexistent.

Aroma: Initially, pretty harsh and foul, but it mellows out after a while. Still, sort of tart, milky, off, with funky fruity notes, like lemon, and some pale, faint, roasted grains. Husky.

Taste: Similar to the nose, but way more tart - lemon, funky sour notes, roasted grains, husky. Not pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Spritzy, overly carbonated, uneven, a little thin.

Drinkability: Not a fan of this one. The bottle may have been bad, but it was, both stylistically and generally, not a pleasant beer to consume. Gotta work on the malt profile, as well as the quality control here. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2008 04:51:46 | More by CrellMoset

TexIndy

Texas

1.6/5  rDev -51.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Got from Lone Star after the brewery/distributor had replaced the bad batch that got shipped there so this one is factory fresh. Poured from a 12oz bottle (no date) into a pint glass. It was an orangish amber color with a ton of little yeast bits floating in it. Lots of carb. No lacing. It had a small beige head that quickly fizzled to nothing.

The aroma was very weak. A bit of caramel malt and just a bit of hops but that faded very soon after pouring. Not very appetizing. The taste was also very bland and what was there was off. Had a slightly bitter taste and none of the sweetness you usually find in a Marzen. Also had a very weird aftertaste. Can't pin it down but makes you dread the next drink and kills the mouthfeel.

Overall, a terrible beer - avoid. This supposed to be the fresh batch but sure tastes off to me. Not sure what the problem with Rahr is but over half of the beers I get from them are spoiled. When they are on the make a couple really good beers like the hefe but when they are off they are bad. And unfortunately they are off more than they are on. I want to support them since local but tired of spending good money on spoiled beer. They need better quality control, dates on the labels and non twist off caps.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 01:32:13 | More by TexIndy

whoneeds8

Texas

2.95/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I originally bought a 6 pack that was obviously bad. Contacted Rahr's and someone from the brewery drove from Ft. Worth to North Dallas to check it out, and then after tasting a few of the beers he replaced the store's supply with fresh from the brewery beer. BIG PROPS to Rahr's for that.

So I'll be reviewing the fresh beer.

Poured in a pint class to a very nice amber color with a small amount of of white head, with minimal lacing.

Smell is ok, nothing great (but not as bad as the first beer I opened that was bad).

Taste is also ok. I've been drinking many different Oktoberfests this fall and I would have to say this is not a very good contender.

Rahr's customer service is top notch. However, they need a little work on this seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2008 00:24:15 | More by whoneeds8