Oktoberfest - Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

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

willyumlong

Texas

3.33/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had a few of these at the brewery last night. Medium dark amber color poured with almost no head but good lacing. Very clear.

Nothing too special or strong on the smell.

Tastes like a standard oktoberfest beer with a mild malty flavor and a bit of caramel. Very slight bitter aftertaste.

A little bit thicker than others but smooth and dry.

Pretty nice beer to drink I had three. Not sure the ABV but must be decent as I could feel it pretty good by the last one. Overall not a bad beer at all.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2008 00:18:13 | More by willyumlong

Onslow

Texas

1.98/5  rDev -40.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

thanks stu! .. some head on pour but dies to nothing ... smells of a rusty caramel can .. sour, metallic maybe some traces of caramel ... got this right from the distributor so i know it was fresh, but tastes spoiled ... ANOTHER IN A LONG LINE OF DISAPPOINTMENTS from the lower end of texas brewers! .. i don't get it, Bitter End burns down, but these guys stay open!!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2008 17:43:32 | More by Onslow

JDV

Texas

1.53/5  rDev -53.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Rich maroon pour with a slight bit of cloudiness and a beige head. More importantly though, it smelled and tasted spoiled but it was bought almost immediately after being released... Musty, thick tart malt smell. Very sour, lemony, spoiled taste. Not good. bland and almost rotten tasting. I literally couldn't take a 4th sip for the rating even, and cringed as I brought it to my mouth. I'd say it was an old bottle, but I know it was fresh within a few days of being released...

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2008 22:10:58 | More by JDV

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +28%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A pretty decent Oktoberfest beer that improves as it warms up.

Quite attractive dark amber color with a short-ish tan head.

Very nice and malty, fresh and rich. Quite satisfying. Very well-balanced. It reminds me a dark german bread.

Very smooth mouth feel. The aroma was a bit weak. It just needed a little more of something to me.

Definitely do not drink this beer cold. It is much, much better at something approaching cellar temperature. Much more complex than it appeared on first sip.

Also I should note that this beer is not a good value. It is quite tasty but for the price, I would go with Paulaner Oktoberfest instead. $9+ a sixer is way too much.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2007 08:08:55 | More by jmbranum

skillerified

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a delicious looking beer-bottle brown with red highlights around the edges. Turns a little redder in stronger light. Limited head with no retention and pretty much no lacing. Lots of carbonation. Good color, but the lack of foam hurts.

All chocolate and caramel. A little toasty. A nice smell. With much agitation, some hoppy (spicy, piney) notes just peek through.

It's like dipping your tongue in carbonated liquid chocolate. Some toasty caramelized notes come through here and there too. A good taste, but nothing to write home about.

Fairly light on the palate. Good crisp carbonation prickle. Actually reminds a little bit of Rahr's Ugly Pug, which I find quite tasty. It's lighter though. Mostly sweet. Just a little bitter bite here and there.

Tasty. I won't have trouble finishing my sixer. But I have to think there are better Marzen/Oktoberfest brews out there (I haven't tried too many myself).

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2007 23:13:49 | More by skillerified

HardTarget

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served at the Ginger Man in Ft. Worth

Aroma: Mild malt edge, some yeast notes (hard in a bar)

Appearance: Good clarity, dark amber glass with a tan head falls to a thin collar but lasts without lacing.

Flavor: Malty, toasted, close to balanced with malt winning the day and keeping any real hop flavor down. Slight purple grape in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Lightish body, a touch thin

Overall Impression: Easy drinking, great malt character, head retention and body could use a tweak. Good beer, liked it!

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2007 22:16:24 | More by HardTarget

goochpunch

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours out like a dark, raspberry flavored iced tea with a tiny head that fizzles quickly into nothing. Smell has some nuttiness from the malts and a brown sugar aspect to it, but this is all drowned out by a harsh graininess and a weird butter/rubber band medley that I can't put my finger on. This odd characteristic comes out right at the gates in the flavor accompanied by heavy toast and even a bit of roasted malt flavor, it seems. The graininess shows up in the middle along with that weird rubber thing (which stuck around all this time). Finishes sticky sweet with a touch of marshmallow flavor. Mouthfeel is awfully light and prickly with a stickiness that follows each sip. Not impressed at all. I was really hoping for a good local O-fest.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2007 03:09:48 | More by goochpunch

allengarvin

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Just out in stores, this beer pours out a lovely reddish-amber color with a small initial head that unfortunately fades a bit too quickly, leaving not the slightest hint of foam on top. The aroma, though, is nearly perfect for an oktoberfest! Too many American versions tend to sweet caramel and nothing else. This version is nicely toasty, with crusty bread-like melanoidins; it's got a complex and interesting malt profile. Deliciously tasty too, with all the emphasis on the malt. Nutty malt with a lightly toasted aspect, sweet but not cloying, with a clean finish. No hop flavor to speak of, but that's not a loss for the style. The body seems a bit flat and watery, the only disappointing aspect of the beer.

An solid interpretation of the style. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2007 03:21:06 | More by allengarvin

Commandogeraldo

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I'm here in Fort Worth, and I definitely want to support my local brewery, but man, I wish they'd come to the table with some higher quality beer. I shall explain. This one has all the markings of an Oktoberfest, one can see what they are going for, but it's just not quite happening. I kept thinking to myself that it wasn't quite as good as Saint Arnold's Oktoberfest. Rahr's has a pleasant aroma with some good malty notes, almost no head retention or lacing, and a bit of a bite in the finish that wasn't to my liking. Keep on trying, Rahr, I'm still hanging with ya.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2007 20:41:14 | More by Commandogeraldo