The Dedly Blog

Beer In Review: Oktoberfest Surprise

While I ponder why Limbo hangs in Limbo, I'll take the time to enjoy a Samuel Adams Octoberfest with my dinner (Chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms sauteed in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, and water with cheesy broccoli rice on the side). My daughter is napping and my son is playing. Five minutes alone. Ahhhh.

The folks at Boston Beer Company continue their excellent beercraftmanship with their Octoberfest lager. Normally, I'm not much of a lager fan, and Oktoberfest beers are almost always lagers as per tradition. But for some reason Sam Adams gets their lagers right by my tastebuds. I actually like the Boston Lager more than the Boston Ale. And their Octoberfest continues that tradition.

The Octoberfest has a rich amber color with very faint hints of red, a bit of a match for the time of year. There's no cloying sweetness here. There's plenty of hops (German noble, according to the website. Specifically Hallertau and Tettnanger) to keep the yummy maltiness (the website uses "toffee" to describe it) in check. The pale and caramel malts are what gives this beer its color. Get it now as this is a seasonal beer and they've already stopped making it. Once it's gone, it's gone... until next year. 5.4% ABV.

Unlike most of the beers I review, this brand is available nationwide.

Cheers!

\_/
DED

posted by DED at 7:22 PM

 Mike said...

Haven't had a Sam Octoberfest since last . . . night.

It's pretty solid, that's for sure. Not sure if you get Brooklyn Beers where you are, but their Octoberfest is damn good, as are most of their brews.

10/09/2006 7:36 AM

 Alan P. said...

I'll take the time to enjoy a Samuel Adams Octoberfest with my dinner (Chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms sauteed in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, and water with cheesy broccoli rice on the side)...

Cheesy broccoli rice and beer, yummy!

10/09/2006 9:34 AM

 DED said...

Mike: Yes, Brooklyn is available up this way. I haven't seen their Octoberfest though. I don't buy it that much because it's typically more expensive than the already expensive craft beers sold up this way.

Mort: Sometimes you just have to try something new.

10/09/2006 10:43 AM

 Mike said...

Must be a regional thing. Brooklyn's like the default brew at delis, groceries, supermarkets & bars in NY. Same price as, or cheaper than, Sam/Sierra/Harpoon/Bass/Guiness.

Brooklyn IPA tastes damn good, and with an ABV of 6.8%, you can't beat it for the money. That's been my go-to for months now.

10/09/2006 4:47 PM

 DED said...

It could very well be a state thing too. I've recently learned that the state of CT determines the minimum price that any alcholic beverage can be sold for.

It could also be a distributor thing. The company that sells it to my favorite liquor store might also be inflating the price.

Of course, either one of these conditions needs to go. Distributors hold too much power in the beer, wine, and liquor market. And the state putting price controls on alcoholic beverages is an unnecessary infringement on trade.

10/10/2006 10:04 AM

 Mike said...

And if the beer comes from another state, as Brooklyn surely does, it also violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, which forbids the states from infringing on interstate commerce.

10/10/2006 11:08 AM

 DED said...

Exactly! Like, we can't get Yuengling in this state. It's the oldest brewery in America, not far away in Pennsylvania. And it's not because there isn't a market for it. It's all because of state regulations concerning distributors. I can get beer made in San Francisco but I can't get one from Pennsylvania?

10/10/2006 12:11 PM

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