In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into Harpoon Brewery and the beer is their Octoberfest. This is the first time this beer is being featured on this blog. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this northeast craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this 1980’s craft brewery. Let us get into this Octoberfest.
It has a clear amber color with a white constant head. The aroma has a sweet malty to nutty notes. The taste has a slight sweet malty to nutty notes with a dry malty finish for the aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.
Here is a description from the beer bottle:
This rich, full-bodied, malty beer – perfectly balanced with a generous dose of hops – calls out for lederhosen, dirndls, and oompah music!
Roll out the barrels!
And keep them coming, because this is going to be one festive, malty fall. Come to the brewery and celebrate Octoberfest with us! Prosit!
Here is a description from their website (www.harpoonbrewery.com):
The original German Oktoberfest was brewed with one celebratory festival in mind. Harpoon Octoberfest is brewed with TWO festivals in mind; our Octoberfests at our breweries in Boston, MA and Windsor, VT. We love the style and it’s a great beer for the fall season. In true Octoberfest tradition, we threw our first festival here at the brewery in 1990. There were a couple thousand people here celebrating amidst the brewing tanks. We can’t quite fit everyone in the actual brewery now – last year nearly 18,000 revelers attended our Boston Octoberfest and nearly 7,000 joined us at our brewery in Vermont the following weekend. Prost!
Description
Harpoon Octoberfest is a malty tribute to fall, balanced by a gentle hop bitterness. In keeping with tradition, it is a Marzen-style beer, brewed with abundant quantities of Munich, Chocolate, and Pale malts. Those malts provide a solid, full body and create the beer’s deep color. It is a rich, flavorful beer.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: garnet-red color with a firm, creamy head.
- Aroma: hop aroma, (not overpowering but present)
- Mouth feel: full-bodied, smooth, and malty
- Taste: gentle bitterness to balance any residual sweetness
- Finish: soft and malty with a mild bitterness
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.harpoonbrewery.com
Twitter: @harpoon_brewery
Closing, I like this beer. This beer gives you something different then the rest of the Oktoberfest on the market. Most Oktoberfest are very sweet with a heavy caramel notes. There is some with a heavy malty notes. This one is like this year’s Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest. This beer is true to the classic beer style. I love how it echoes the fall season which it should. I will be picking up some more bottles before the end of the season. I wish I could get this in cans. I would to take this out to cook outs or tailgating. This is a great beer and I recommend it. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser16@gmail.com
Twitter: @djweiser
Instagram: @djweiser13
New Beer Blog Goose Island Oktoberfest (2014)
In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into the 2014 version of Goose Island Oktoberfest. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this Midwest craft brewery, you know the history of this 1980’s craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this Chicago Orignal craft brewery. Let us get into this fall beer.
It has a dark clear copper color without a head. The aroma has a slight sweet malty notes. The taste has a sweet malty to slight but faded caramel notes. The aftertaste has a dry malty finish. It is pretty drinkable beer.
Here is a their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.gooseisland.com
Twitter: @gooseisland
In the end, I have to say this year’s version is so much better than last years. I was not a fan of last year’s beer. It is night and day compare to these beers. I am pretty stun and impressed. The layer of depth has some notes of caramel notes. I did not really pick up too much of the toffee and apricot notes that is marked on the bottle. I am not too sure and I came up with these tasting notes before reading the bottle. I had a chance to try it on draft and it is pretty constant from bottle to keg. This is a great beer and I highly recommend it. Get it while it last if you are outside of the Chicago market. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser16@gmail.com
Twitter: @djweiser
Instagram: @djweiser13
New Beer Blog Goose Island Oktoberfest
In this 400th blog post, we are going to get into new fall seasonal from Goose Island. It is the return of their Oktoberfest after six years absence. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Chicago craft brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer blogs to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.
It has a clear amber copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is caramel. The taste is a heavy sweet creamy caramel without an aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.
Here is a description from their website (www.gooseisland.com):
Brewer’s Notes:
Brewed in the traditional Märzen style our Oktoberfest pours a brilliant copper over rose color with a bone white head. Notes of toffee and burnt sugar in the aroma and flavors of sweet dried apricots are delivered in a dry malty body with the mild earthy bitterness that is the hallmark of Hallertau hops.
Recipe Information:
Style: Märzen Alcohol by Volume: 6.4% International Bitterness Units: 17 Color: Copper Hops: Hallertau Malts: 2-Row, Carapils, Munich 10, C-20, C-40, C-120
Availability
Seasonal Bottles: 6pks Draft: 1/6 & 1/2bbl
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.gooseisland.com
Twitter; @gooseisland
In closing, over the years, I have grown to start to dislike fall beers. It just seems like they disappointment me every year to year. I was happy to hear that Goose Island brought back their Oktoberfest in package. This beer does not have that Goose Island taste like the rest of their beers. This beer is a little different. It is little bit more hoppier than the normal Oktoberfest. This beer is not my favorite but it is really good brew. It also gives me hope for all the fall seasonals again. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
DJ Weiser 