Oktoberfest 2026

woo, always looking forward to this one. I gotta say though, while is is in no way a bad beer, its definitely sitting in the lower quartile of the various collab ofests they've produced over the past decade or so. It looks great in the glass though a deeper amber to copper color with a full foamy khaki head that really sticks around. Nose is restrained, hints at a vague berry fruit (I get this sometimes with Munich malt) and a faint hopping, maybe a touch of caramel and/or dough. Clean ferm profile, and balanced, with a semi-sweet malt profile, fairly bready, maybe a hint of toffee, leading to a med bitter finish. Why do I say its in a lower tier compared to prev years? Perhaps its because it feels a little bland, the malt profile just doesn't stand out much. The hops are there enough to balance but they don't stand out either. In a way, this can be good, its a beer made to be drunk without thinking too hard about it - and I'm down with that. And that's why I'm saying its not a bad beer by any means. But I still prefer the more distinctive and flavorsome offerings of years past, which were still quite drinkable too.

Can from Nugget Market in Woodland, CA. Pours clear amber with a moderate white head. Aroma of lightly bready/toffee with light spice notes. Med body or so. Flavor is the aroma with the additional presence of strong grass/spice. Toffee seems strong, but there's more than enough bitterness to keep it down. Really good Okto.