Gordon Biersch Edition!
Gordon Biersch FestBier
According to their description, Festbier was created as a "modern day Oktoberfest" with a lighter body and a more robust, hoppy flavor than a Märzen. Well, half of that is about right, as FestBier just tastes by and large like Märzen light. I don't really catch the "hoppy flavor." Maybe my prejudice against light lagers is coming through. Maybe my affinity for GB's Märzen (which would be a 4 out of 5 if it were a seasonal...hell I'd give their Märzen BBQ Sauce a 4 out of 5) is coloring my judgement. Whatever the case may be, this just doesn't really do much for me.
2.5 out of 5 pumpkins
Thomas Creek Pumpkin Ale
As you can see, you start off with a pretty stout head with some decent lacing as you get down the glass. Right on the label, this one says "Brewed with spices and natural flavor," which happens to be telling, because it's a little short on pumpkin. That being said, this one certainly improves with each sip. Smooth on taste with a medium body. Small alcohol bite, but not shocking with its 7.3% ABV. Overall, pretty decent drinker.
3 out of 5 pumpkins
Abita Brewing Co. Fall Fest
This is sadly another large-scale brewery release that just plain falls flat. The body is far too light to call itself 'Märzen-style," and I'd go as far as to say it tastes watered down. It simply sits there as a plain old beer. There's also a bit of a cleaning solution aftertaste to it, so that's not real great either.
2 out of 5 pumpkins
Southampton Pumpkin Ale
Off the bat, there's a good solid pumpkin spice aroma to this brew. There's a slight twist to this pumpkin ale, though, and that's the inclusion of vanilla extract. Whether it's the power of suggestion or not, I can definitely tell it's there, and it makes for a unique flavor profile. The vanilla mellows out the body nicely and almost creates a pie crust taste. I'm a bit conflicted, though, as the vanilla masks the spice flavor. The body is a touch thin, but the smoothness of the vanilla helps combat that. There's a lot going on, and while I appreciate the complexity, it's not quite all in harmony.
3 out of 5 pumpkins
Cricket Hill Brewing Co. Fall Festivus Ale
What struck me immediately about this one is how hazy it poured. I certainly would have assumed it was an unfiltered beer, but from what little info I could find from Cricket Hill, not so. But down to the taste - this brew is very hoppy. A piney hoppiness hits right out of the gate, lingers through the mouthfeel, and in the aftertaste. As beers go, this would be a pretty good pale ale with a little extra body, but a Fall Fest beer this is not.
2 out of 5 pumpkins
Souther Tier Pumking
So Pumking was one of the two or three this season I've been kind of holding back and looking forward to because of its superior reputation. To wit, it's easily one of the most unique pumpkin ales I've ever had, and I'm glad it comes in the 22 oz bottle so that I had ample time to digest (no pun intended) everything that's going on here. With minimal head and deep golden hue, the nose is drawn to a very distinct oat scent with a hint of spice. The taste is surprisingly sweet, though immediately supported by more of the oats and spices I was smelling. The pumpkin comes very late, in the back of the tongue, almost when you're ready to ask where it is. The mouthfeel is *remarkably* smooth and a little creamy with medium body. Impressively, there's basically no alcohol bite whatsoever on this 8.6% ABV Imperial. Brass tacks: while it's sweet enough that I'd relegate it to almost exclusively for dessert, this is a unique, complex, satisfying brew. Go get one.
4 out of 5 pumpkins
Flying Fish Brewing Co. OktoberFish
Oh, so that's what Gordon Biersch was going for. OktoberFish is a Festbier (what most American breweries describe as a lighter, more drinkable Märzen, though it appears to be, in point of fact, synonymous with Märzen in Germany) that really hits its stride well. The medium-light malty body is well matched by the complementing hops. One of the only Oktoberfests I've had where I'm actively thinking about hops. The kicker: the hops are tettnanger and/or hallertauer, right? Nope! Horizon and Crystal from right here in the US of A. Never would have guessed. This almost rivals Victory's Festbier. Almost.
4 out of 5 pumpkins
No comments:
Post a Comment