Oktoberfest rocks on! Great Lakes Brewing Oktoberfest

Great Lakes Brewing (Cleveland, Ohio) produces some fantastic beers -- some that I can include among my favorites; Elliot Ness, Edmund Fitzgerald, and Dortmunder Gold to name a few.

Needless to say, I was very excited to try this beer.

The beer pours to a medium amber -- not quite as dark as some of the others, and produces a fairly durable foam -- a good looking brew to say the least.  The aroma is subtle, but I picked up some bread and malt hints.

Great Lakes Oktoberfest is way more complex than Leinenkugels, and on par with Brooklyn in terms of character.  It is definitely stronger and bolder all around.  Malt tastes and aromas are clearly evident, as are hops. Starts out with a little smack of carbonation followed by some hops-based bitterness.  This fades into some malty and caramel aftertones that are slightly sweet. 

I think I preferred this one slightly to Brooklyn, but it is close.  Not quite up to Bell's on my chart, but quite good.  I actually prefer a slightly smoother Oktoberfest beer, so this might be why I'm not moving it up on my chart. 

#1 - Bell's
#2 - Great Lakes
#3 - Brooklyn
#4 - Leinenkugel's

Another round of Oktoberfest - Leinenkugel's

I have absolutely no self-control or moderation.  When I went to the store for a six-pack of Sam Adams Oktoberfest, I also picked up a sixer of Leinenkugels and a six of Great Lakes Oktoberfest...

So where to start...

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest is a good looking brew when poured into a glass.  Absolutely gorgeous deep golden color with rich foam -- nice!  It certainly screams Oktoberfest in appearance, at least.

The aroma and taste of the beer are both good, but not outstanding.  The brew is well balanced, but a bit underwhelming.  Not so much so that I won't be finishing my six-pack... I enjoyed the beer, but it isn't heavy with Oktoberfest character.  I prefer both Bell's and Brooklyn to Leinenkugel's, but that isn't to infer that it isn't a decent brew.

This would be a good beer for someone who is stepping away from light beers or traditional American beers, but doesn't want to end up with something so far off track that they don't enjoy it.  This is a safe choice, and would be a good intermediate brew for such purposes.

So yeah, I'm going to drink all of it -- not a drain pour -- but it isn't going to the top of my Oktoberfest list.

Rankings to date - Domestic Oktoberfest Beers:

#1 - Bell's Oktoberfest
#2 - Brooklyn Brewing Oktoberfest
#3 - Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest

Tonight's game...

I'm a Bears fan.

Even good beer cannot make the first half of tonight's game look good.  Our new QB, for whom we gave away way too much in trade, has thrown three (3) THREE (III) picks.  One was essentially a pick-six.

I've had about 6 beers tonight - more than my normal amount.  My back hurts from driving all day yesterday.  My teeth hurt from a brewing sinus infection.  6 beers in, and I can STILL SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN the PUKE GREEN AND YELLOW packers UNIFORMS and the Bear's uniforms...

Can we get our money back?  GM is offering a 60-day return policy on new car purchases.  We should get the same. 

Bell's Oktoberfest

I picked out two American-brewed Oktoberfest beers at the store the other day -- Brooklyn Oktoberfest and Bell's Oktoberfest. 

I'll ruin the surprise right now -- I preferred the Bell's...

This beer pours to a clear, golden color with a medium amount of foam. Very nice appearance.  I picked out some hops, citrus, and malts in the aroma of this beer.  Not an overpowering aroma, but good...

Now -- on to the taste, which I really liked...


Starts out slightly on the bitter side, but not overpowering in this regard.  Bitterness gives way to a nice balance of malt, hops, and some spices.  This blend of spice, whatever it might be, really worked for me.  Not too heavy for the weather, but the right hint of fall.  We've had hints of an early fall here in Ohio, but also some hot/humid days recently, too.  This beer just hit me as being right for this year's summer-to-fall transition. 

I'm going to get some more of this.  Perhaps next year, another Oktoberfest will tickle my fancy.  I'm going to try others this year, too, but this one is a repeat buy, for sure.   Now stop reading this and go get some!

'Tis the season!

Nah -- not Christmas...

The Oktoberfest beers are arriving on shelves even as I write this.  Needless to say, I'll be reviewing some Oktoberfest beers over the next few weeks/months.

Autumn is probably my favorite time of the year.  Oktoberfest beers certainly contribute to this, so I'll take this annual opportunity to partake of the fine brews and share my experiences.

Cheers!