Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Marzen Reviewed
October 13, 2008
Well it’s finally here! The Brew Club reviews the one of the “Big Six Oktoberfestbiers” as part of the “Oktoberfestathon” where we try to review as many Oktoberfest/Fall Seasonal/Pumpkin Ales as possible!
I’ve had the Spaten Oktoberfest beer before, and I remember liking it but I didn’t have anything to really compare it to at the time. Its a lager technically, and a lager really has to be something special for me to give it more than an average rating.
Unfortunately, the Spaten Oktoberfest seemed solidly average to me in every way. It is a beautiful color as most of these beers are, kind of a dark golden color. It had a nice aroma, nothing that stood out as outstanding but had some sweetness and some hoppiness, but nothing really special. Average.
The head was bubbly at first, but it dissipated before I came back for the picture, which was only a couple of minutes! There was no glass lacing to speak of, and it seems I got most fo the carbonation out with the pour. No bubbles in here, very clear beer. Mouthfeel was light, very thin and watery indeed with a little bit of a hop burn aftertaste.
Generally, I was unimpressed with this Spaten Oktoberfest beer. If I were to do a blind taste-test, I would think this was some kind of plain-Jane beer (no offense to Jane). It was OK, but really nothing special about it. I thought it was bland really. It isn’t offensive, but it didn’t meet my expectations based on what other people had said about it, and how I remember it the last time I tried it. I wouldn’t get it again considering all of the Oktoberfest seasonal alternatives.
Rating: 
While you’re here, why not check out Bob the Brit’s review of Spaten Oktoberfest?
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Posted in 2 Star Reviews, All Brews Reviewed, European Beers, Lager, Seasonal Beers
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June 15th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Had this one at the Flying Saucer in Downtown Nashville, this is a good light beer.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Spaten Oktoberfest is a good beer, but doesn’t measure up to the beer of the same name I enjoyed in Munich 37 years ago. Of course, back then it was not brewed by a multinational holding company–Inbev–but was still a smaller privately held brewer….
Progress is supposed to be a good thing. We’ll see.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Frank, check out Bob’s recent review of this beer. He also remembers ‘the good ‘ol days’. It seems the beer has changed over the years, perhaps not for the better?
http://thebrewclub.com/2009/10/09/spaten-oktoberfest-beer/
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Blue Moon Beer – Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale =-.