Great Lakes Oktoberfest

The sample man came around again, and this time he brought me a seasonal from Ohio's Great Lakes Brewing Company. I never thought to check whether I'd had it before, and wrote these notes:

Great Lakes Oktoberfest,a Marzen -style lager. 6.5% Alc. by vol. 20 IBU. Cleveland, Ohio.

Clear, amber/copper-y colored, lush, long-lasting snow-white head above.

Herbal aromatics, clean and slightly sweet, grassy.

In the mouth, it's a crisp, malty affair, lean and easy-drinking. Definitely downable, with a slight finish. Light caramel malt flavor, classic noble hop character. Fresh and, frankly, delicious.

Telling the truth, I like marzens that are a little beefier than this. just a bit heartier. . Nothing wrong with this, though, nothing at all.

Is there copy on the label to shed some light upon it? "Prost! Our take on the classic German style is a celebration of malitiness packed with rustic, autumnal flavors to put a little more oomph into your oom-pah-pah."

And then I discovered that I wrote this….


Clear and bright bronze/copper in appearance, creamy, off-white brief head.

Aroma: perfect marzen nose, rich malty, shiny cereal, sweet, yet slightly sharp. Pleasantly herbal.

Taste: Tasty amber lager. Smooth on the tongue. Pleasingly malty, rich. Great drinkability. Lays just long enough on the palate, then keeps it on the sly for a while. Swims lightly, keeping the malty marzen flavor going.

…..back in September, 2010, just before I started this blog. Well, they're both true. Go ahead, enjoy one.