September-October 2005 bottle from the generous Zathrus13, consumed on 2/24/06 in a Nashoba Valley wine glass at about 50 degrees to start
Very large head even at 5 months of age. Beige with dirty snow colored flecks. Tiny bubbles rise in an auburn-to-rich-amber body, not quite crystal clear, but more like fatigued glass on a mirror.
Sweet, sourdough-like malt sugars rise up to greet the nose, with zesty rye-pumpernickel notes and notes of sugary caramel over warm baguette. BUT, unfortunately, it is very weak in strength. Let us, however, keep in mind that it is quality not quantity! As it warms, I note light cherries and mashed walnuts with some brown sugar thrown in as well (though a little more dry than that sounds) that prove to complement the zesty, bready malts. And by the way, the head is still well-retained after the 15 minutes it took me to write that.
Cherries, sweet baguette dough and brown sugar combine to serve a strong helping of malt upon first sip. Bitter hops clear the sweet, round malts, while a soft, very rounded texture smooths the moderately bready, munich maltiness. Only a mild spiciness from the tettnangs (horizon and crystal in actuality) and perhaps the malt flavors could be a little deeper. But then, perhaps not. This is a session style, it’s not a doppelbock. Head never falls below cover (never fully dissipates) and there is light, web-like lacing. No alcohol apparency, little yeast apparency. The different malts are well-represented here. I was wondering why I couldnt find a crisp lager yeast bite on the end, and now it all makes sense. . .

Great copper coloured body with a perfectly dense tan head. This is exactly what you’d want a autumn beer to look like! Aroma of fresh low a.a. hops, citrus, nuts, malt, toffee and some caramel. Medium-bodied; Strong nuttiness up front with some metal and blood tastes. Aftertaste shows some caramel and other sweetness, but hardly any character, malt or hops. Overall, a decent beer-I’m not sure why this is classified as an Alt, but it really doesn’t matter-this one doesn’t deliver. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased at Chevy Chase Wine & Liquors in Washington, D.C. on 19-December-2004.

Thanks to Willblake for this brew from Flying Fish! Oktoberfish has a nice deep copper color and a fine head of frothy off white foam on top. Malty aroma with a nutty touch to it. The flavor is sweet and has a rich nutty aftertaste that is enjoyably different. Not an Oktoberfest despite the name. Very nice and a good change of pace. Sorry, but I’ll have to pass on the Lederhosen though.