Oktoberfest 2015
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California, United States 🇺🇸
Collab with: Brauhaus RiegeleLager - Märzen / Festbier Autumn Out of Production
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Score
6.90
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On a trip to Germany this spring, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. finalized its inaugural partner, Augsburg’s Brauhaus Riegele, for a brand new Oktoberfest beer. Released each fall starting in 2015, the collaborative seasonal will feature a different German brewery every year. The partnership blends centuries of brewing tradition with modern spirit, giving craft drinkers the ultimate Oktoberfest, a Bavarian festival beer unlike any they’ve experienced in the US.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle - this falls more on the Wiesn end of the Oktoberfest spectrum, so not quite as toasty (or perhaps as robust) as some folks tend to expect - this is more along the lines of a Heller Bock flavor and palate wise than most would expect from a Marzen - okay, now that that is out of the way, I have to say I really like this - rich Munich malts in the nose, some honey, some floral hop character, bread dough - soft texture - light to medium body - clean but rich sweetness, very clean throughout - balancing floral hops and a mild mineral note round things out - quite good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Aug 2015
at 21:26
9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9
If there was ever a beer that proves that sometimes a single serving isn’t enough to rate from this is it, at least for me. I was shocked at first the hopping of this beer, way more hoppy than any bottle Munich marzen. After reading an article about this being the best ofest in the world, I was mildly offended when I discovered this tastes virtually nothing like the Munich exports. No chewy toffee malts, really hoppy. But as I don’t rate to style, I was not gonna really ding it, but I guess I couldn’t help but be annoyed as I gave it a 3.6 and hit submit. Then I had a 3rd, and a 4th, and those spicy hops kept kicking up against the lightly sweet malts, and I thought, damn this is growing on me. I deleted the rating. The next day I killed off the rest of the six pack and savored every drop. True marzen or not, this is a beautiful fucking beer that I could drink all year long.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Aug 2015
at 20:05
7.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 ounce bottle. Pours a honey golden color with a moderate sized fluffy beige head hat leaves a clinging lace. Aroma is a faint toasted maltiness. Bittersweet toasted malt flavor with caramel notes. A wonderful spicy herbal hop midtaste. Nicely balanced and quite flavorful. A bit hoppier than Bavarian Oktoberfests, but still a great brew.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Aug 2015
at 20:04
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled on 6/30/2015. Pours fairly crystal clear golden amber color with a 2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of honey, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of bready malt and earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of honey, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, hebral, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light earthy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of honey, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice robustness, balance, and compelxity of bready malt and earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Extremely clean on lager flavors with zero estery yeast notes present. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and fairly creamy/bready mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent Oktoberfest style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of bready malt and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. This version was paler in color and malt character than the 2014 batch; but was equally as impressive. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Aug 2015
at 20:35
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Pour is a clear tan with a large white head. Aroma is a nice dry biscuit and bready malt. Flavor is another dose of a stellar dry dark bread and cracker like malt. This is one of the best marzen/o-fest beers I’ve had in a while. Those malts are so clean and full of toasted grain flavor. Liquid bread here.
Tried
on 13 Aug 2015
at 20:27
7.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
12 ounce bottle from Whole Foods Charlottesville. Clear copper, thin creamy off-white head, decent retention. Aroma of toasted malt and herbal hops. The taste is toasted malt, caramel, floral and herbal hops. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, well balanced, highly drinkable. Simple, well executed, damn good beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Aug 2015
at 18:15
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from Total Wine in Sacramento, CA. Pours gold with a creamy white head. Aroma of mildly spicy bread. Med body or nearly. Flavor is mildly spicy bready. Finishes fairly dry and somewhat bitter. Better than many I’ve had.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Aug 2015
at 19:33