I usually think Cherrios when I smell or taste Pils or Vienna malt. However, I judged a lighter-colored Octoberfest over the weekend that tasted like graham crackers and nuts. I described the flavor as “medium rich graham cracker-like maltiness with a nutty note,” but I still believe that I could have improved upon that description. This beer was clearly made with Vienna malt, but there was something else in the grist or the process that left a touch of non-caramel malt-based malty sweetness. The sweetness was different than Pils malt sweetness. Does anyone here brew Vienna-style beer? When it comes to lagers, I have basically stuck with Pre-Pro Pils, Bo Pils, and Dortmunder Export.
I don’t know if I’d call it graham crackery on its own, but a lot of 'fests call for a bit of CaraMunich. In low amounts I get more of a biscuity malt flavor rather than the typical crystal malt flavors. I use about 1/4 lb in a 3-gallon batch of Märzen and I find it just accentuates the malt a bit at that low level.
I think it’s a fine description if that is what you tasted that is what it was. I battled with wanting to have beer geeky sounding descriptions but have settled on just writing what it is. Its about the beer not my vocabulary. One minor tweak might be a comma between medium and rich. Medium rich isn’t really a level, but… medium, rich graham cracker is
could have been some munich. that has a sweetness to it that is very different than crystal malt but still gives a bready/graham like character.
I get a hefty amount of bread crust and graham cracker aroma/flavor from the Best Munich 10L. Really nice malt.
The BCS recipe calls for Pils base with smaller amounts of Munich 10L and Vienna (maybe a touch of Caramunich?), which (IMO) strikes a good balance of mid-range (nutty, graham) and light (saltine, cheerios) malt flavors.
I’d rather use more Munich and no CaraMunich. So many domestic versions are overly rich/sweet (ala Sam Adams). Did you find that during judging?
+1
EDIT - +1 also to too many versions being too crystally/caramelly sweet.
Also, Good on’ya for judging more. I think your knowledge and skill will be an asset to the BJCP.
A true to style Octoberfest is not supposed to have caramel malt in its grist.
Edited.
Graham crackeriness sounds a lot like Vienna and Pilsner malt. Pilsner malt, to me, tastes like honey grahams. Vienna helps take it to another level.
I get nuttiness from English Maris Otter malt, especially if you toast it for a little while in a 350 F oven. It might sound crazy, but I see no reason why if you wanted nuttiness that you couldn’t use some percentage (maybe 10%?) Maris Otter, toasted or not, in an Oktoberfest style beer. Or you could try toasting your own German malts to see if it does the same thing.
I’d recommend a good percentage (20-30%) pilsner malt in any Oktoberfest, to make it taste more “German” and preserve some honey-like sweetness. The remainder should be Vienna and Munich, except perhaps as discussed above. My humble opinions.
If you define “true to style” as “historically accurate recipe” then sure. For me, it’s all about the finished product. My recipe is based on Brewing Classic Styles, and I’m pretty happy with it. Thankfully we’re not all required to brew the exact same recipes 
I made the BCS recipe recently and spaced on using the caramunich it calls for. IMO, it doesn’t need it anyway. It’s great and very authentic without it.
Oh you didn’t get the memo? Uh, yaaaa, we’re gonna need you to, kinda, stop brewing your own recipes and, ya… stick to what the book says. Mmm kay? Thanks
Movie makes me grin every time. 
Crap, I better write to Gordon before they finalize the new guidelines… 
Exactly! I rarely use caramel malt darker than CaraPils these days, and when I do, I do so sparingly. I have taken to using 1/2 to 1% pale chocolate malt to color my bitters. At that proportion, pale chocolate malt adds complexity and color without adding roastiness.
Has anyone ever made a 100% Vienna beer? I need to check through my logs, but I do not recall using more then 30% Vienna in a grist. I used to add between 10 and 20% Vienna to my Dortmund-style lagers.
I have not done this personally but I know a guy who did. In fact our local homebrew club the Manty Malters had a SMASH beer “competition” where we each did a SMASH (Single Malt and Single Hop) beer. I made a Bohemian pilsner with Saaz that turned out too fruity, must have fermented a little too warm. But anyway… the one my friend made with 100% Vienna and Tettnanger hops was the standout awesomest beer of all that won the comp. Everyone loved the complex toasty malt. The Maris Otter beer took second I believe. Somewhat personal preference, I suppose, but even so, we certainly proved, at least to ourselves in our club, that a fantastic beer can be made with all Vienna and no specialty malts.
I don’t think I’ve gone over ~ 30% myself IIRC, and it was in an O-fest. I’d be curious myself - Vienna is such a great malt.
Yes, I have made an all Vienna Vienna lager, that was inspired by one Jeff Renner brought to a club meeting. It works.
Id be willing to bet Gambrinus Honey malt was in the recipe. I used it for a couple itterations of my Vienna Lager recipe… looking for a little something to add “malty” when my returned judging sheets were asking for more. (At the time I was using a 50/50 blend of Vienna and Munich for a Vienna Lager…). I got a very distinct “honey grahm cracker” addition to the beer that I did not care for. It added the perception of sweetness without being overly sweet, and a unique flavor that I like in my belgians, but not in my Vienna lager.
Below 3% was not really perceptiable, at around 10%, it took the beer too far.