Best of the Fests: Oktoberfest Beer Review
Now that stout season is officially here, we thought it would be good to take a look back at the best Oktoberfest beers in the Charlotte area.
A quick history lesson:
The traditional beer brewed for the Oktoberfest celebration in Germany is the Marzen (typically called Oktoberfest in the US). The name comes from the decree that beers must not be brewed in the summer months due to fire risk when brewing. This ‘March’ beer was brewed with more hops and malt than the traditional styles. This resulted in a higher alcohol content, allowing for the beer to be stored until the fall when brewing could begin again.
Today, breweries around the world enjoy brewing a (non-pumpkin) seasonal beer to celebrate fall. Marzen is the most popular, with the lighter Festbier a distant second.
To crown the definitive royal family of Oktoberfest, Charlotte Beer Collective gathered a solid group of experienced beer drinkers and an insane (12!) local beers to fight it out. We had a trusty assistant move all beer into growlers so that each taster could pour a blind taste of each beer. We then had everyone rank their top 3 in order. We complied all the scores and tasting notes, and we have officially crowned the top 4!
4 – OMB Mecktoberfest
This is the OG Oktoberfest beer from the OG Charlotte brewery. Most tasters gave this beer a very solid rating, but it failed to get many 1st place votes as the taste was malt-forward compared to the other offerings.
3 – Twenty-Six Acres Marzen
This beer from relatively under-the-radar Twenty-Six Acres was the surprise hit of the day. Most reviewers gave it a strong score, but it seemed to lose points for being a bit too light. Overall, a great beer from one of the best breweries to watch in the Charlotte area.
2 – Triple C Oktoberfest
This is just one more example of a great beer by the guys at Triple C, who continue to brew solid beers in every category while they stay just under the ‘beer hype’ radar. This was probably the best true-to-style beer in the lot with a great balance of hops and malt. I really can’t say enough good things about this beer.
1 – Sugar Creek CLT Epiphany
This beer stood head-and-shoulders above the rest. Sugar Creek calls this a Weizenbock, but it was right at home with the rest of the malty Marzens in the group. The Belgian yeast used in this beer gives the distinctive flavor of clove/allspice that pairs perfectly with the style and the season.