RB score 3.31

Sampled from a bottle this beer poured a hazy orange-brown color with a large foamy orange-tan head that lingered and left a bit of lacing. The aroma was sweet with toasty malts, toasted caramel, yeast and a light vegetal presence. The flavor was sweet and tangy with caramel, bread dough and perfume. Medium length finish. Moderately full bodied and smooth. Pleasant.

Clear amber bod large foamy off wht head. Toffee, bready toasty arma. Toasty, bready flav with light spicy. Med bod mod carb. 7/3/7/3/14 3.4

Decent American festbier, a bit overhopped and dry on the finish, but including a nice easygoing toffee-caramel heart that never grows too sweet. Needs to be a bit more indulgent to be a standout marzen; the bitterness on the back end kills the creamy malt vibe, leaving a seltzer-like fade devoid of much Oktoberfest goodness. Still, the malts are solid and the aroma's good.

Trusting my run-in with food poising has run its course. Bottle from Total Wine, Gainesville. Pours amber-brown with a small beige head. Aroma of floral hops, leaves, grass, caramel. Flavor of caramel, toasted bread crust, light citrus. Decent... now stay down.

12 ounce bottle from Total Wine Manassas, 8/2/16. Clear amber, large foamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of herbal hops, toasted malts and caramel. The taste is caramel, toasted malts, toffee, citrus. Medium bodied, mild lingering bitterness, well balanced.

12 ounce bottle into dimpled mug, best before 1/18/2017. Pours crystal clear deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, lemon/orange zest, light pepper, floral, grass, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and moderate citrus/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, lemon/orange zest, light pepper, floral, grass, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, citrus, light pepper, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness as well. Very clean on lager flavors, with minimal yeast notes present. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is a very good Americanized Oktoberfest style. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. This stays close to style with the malts underneath all of the American hops; with a good balance of the German hops as well. A very enjoyable offering.

Bottle: Nearly clear amber/orange with a thick beige head. Nutty, caramel, bread aroma. Taste is dry....caramel malt, leafy bitter hops. Quite good....a nice, slightly different take on the style.