BREW REVIEW - Samuel Adams - Octoberfest Seasonal

Ahh, Oktoberfest.... it feels like just yesterday I was in Munich partying in 'tents' that looked more like elaborately decorated airplane hangers, singing along enthusiastically to old Bavarian chants that I didn't know any words to, standing on tables and dancing with best friends (whom I'd met hours earlier) and drinking some of the best beers my taste buds have ever enjoyed... It feels like it was just yesterday, but it was actually almost three weeks ago...

I am states bound again, and Oktoberfest 2010 feels like an eternity away, so before they disappear from the shelves completely for 10 months, I'd like to take a minute to write a BREW REVIEW of Uncle Sam's er... Sam Adams' take on the annual German beer holiday.

So without further ado, here is my review of the 2009 Samuel Adams Octoberfest Seasonal beer.

According to the label SA Octoberfest is: "brewed with five varieties of malted barley for a deep amber color and a bigger richer flavor" and at first pour I have to admit it's a pretty sexy beer.

Upon tasting the beer the first thing that I notice is a creamy, moderately-thick mouth-feel. It's not overly hoppie, or overly malty. It's very well balanced and much to my surprise has a very sweet aroma that reminds me of honeydew melons with a floral fragrance coming through on the end. Although it's rich in color with a fairly thick mouth-feel, it doesn't feel heavy on the tongue and it finishes quite clean with a burst of flavor on it's way down the gullet.

I'm happy with it. I'm not wow'ed, but overall, I think the folks at Samual Adams did a pretty good job! I give it 4 out of 5 beer bottles!...or ... a B+!.... or an 87%!...
Hmmmmm.... This would probably be a good time to decide how I'm going to rate my BREW REVIEWs ha.. ok, so the blog is a work in progress, but hey, there's plenty of time to work out the details :)

One final question I asked myself when considering the quality of this beer was, how does it compare to the beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich? Well, it's substantially darker than the majority of the beer I drank in Munich-I primarily stuck to the lighter options (hey when you're ordering beer by-the-liter you need to take such precautions if you want to last a respectable amount of time before passing out!). However, the flavors of fall were clearly present. The quality was high. The beer was clean, balanced, and it was pretty damn tasty! I approve, and I'd like to think that the Germans would to!

Prost!
D.Lux

PS. All this drinking, and thinking about Oktoberfest is making me feel nostalgic of my days at the big event... I think a retro-active 'BREW REVIEW: Oktoberfest-Munich' is in store... COMING SOON!