I was underwhelmed by this brew. The aroma is great which hyped me up for a smooth bodied malty balanced beer. However I get hot alcohol, and bitter Magnum and can smell crystal. I can’t taste anything else in the way of hops. The mouth feel is okay and it finishes with a long lingering warmth. Which is not terrible in a RIS but not-so-much in a oktoberfest. Not in what I perceive to be the style anyways. I have always associated festbier as maltsters showcase, not boozy. The bitterness level isn’t bad, website says it comes into 30 and I would have guessed 40. I am just disappointed that the big bready pilsner and munich are not balanced in flavor like they are in the aroma. I will say the appearance of the beer is beautiful. It gives me a new association/benchmark to Brilliant clarity
this years is a ‘festbier’ (Style 4b) not a marzen (style 6a) like a lot of American Oktoberfest beers are.
I thought this years SN Oktoberfest was very well done in the festbier vein, lots of toasty and bready malt aroma but is a little thinner bodied and more pilsner like and thus more quaffable/sessionable than a richer marzen. In fact reviewing the ‘festbier’ style guidelines and it seems pretty spot on.
Not sure if you meant crystal malt or crystal hop, but there isn’t any crystal malt listed on the ingredients and it sure doesn’t taste or smell like it to me. if you can pick out the crystal hop, that’s tough for me to discern amongst the other hops in there.
I did greatly prefer last years version, but I like this one a lot, and it is growing on me - definitely drinkable while working in the garage even if its still hot outside.
Crystal hops is what I mean. I just expected something different, which was brewed with Mahrs Brau. Idk why but I expected different
It is a pretty good looking beer though…
Have you had a true festbier rather than a marzen? Might change your expectations.
I have only had Weihenstephaner festbier. This one seems to have a hot alcohol flavor that I am not crazy about.
I haven’t had this years yet but I really enjoyed last years. I do not know how true to style it was but I knew from the first taste that it wasn’t just another SN offering. I am looking forward to this years and I think it’s pretty neat what they do as far as mixing it up every year.
I brewed an Oktoberfest last year and it was actually a little similar to the SN Oktoberfest last year, just mine was not quite as rich. Mine was a little lighter tasting. I am really thinking about brewing another one to have ready come Oktober.
The beer uses the Record hop which is said to be “wuerzig”, a dry spicy flavor. Is it really hot or hop derived? I haven’t had one - yet. I am seeking it out.
I am not getting hop spice, its an after burn, which only at 6% should not be there
*EDIT- not in my opinion or preference anyway, because lets be honest, who am I?
well,mi haven’t had it yet. Not on tap in my little village, so I will vhave to find it in Ann Arbor on tap, or buy a six pack and see for myself.
Drinking this now. Can’t say I have ever had a festbier before. To me, this tastes like a slightly maltier pils with a strange tangy thing going on. I am literally picking up the tiniest amount of malt aroma and nothing else. I probably don’t fully understand the style.
There were so many good looking ‘oktoberfest/marzens’ that I wasn’t sure what to choose. A little disappointed in my selection. Wish I would have chosen the Odell or Prost offerings…
Festbiers are stong Helles, not quit Bocks. Malty from Pils and a portion of Munich malt. The Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest uses the Record hop that is said to be spicy. I am giving up on finding it on draft locally, may get bottles soon.
Thanks for the info on the style. This tastes a little more bitter than I expected. I did enjoy the second more.
Many have said it is a little more bitter than they expect. It is Sierra Nevada, and the Record hop’s spicy character may accentuate the hop bitterness.
Come down to my house Jeff - my friend got me a keg and a sankey to homebrew fittings adapter as a housewarming gift. Tapping it later today
Whoa, nice!
I will have to pass for the near future. The wife’s uncle does live in Gainsville, and we have been talking about another trip to go see him. Maybe someday?
I bought a six pack. Drank it. Liked it. 
I’ve been to many fests while stationed in Germany '87-'90 to include Oktoberfest. I don’t know if the beer they serve there is to the definition in 4b or 6a or not, but I can say that the beer served at fests is not ‘hot’, ‘tangy’ or ‘spicy’.
That’s not to say that this beer is not a good beer. Many Brewers interpret their offering as a riff on a style.
I found it to be smooth like a lager should be with a spicy hop note. Reminded me of a Helles. I still have one left I will give it a thorough sampling this afternoon.