198. St. Louis Brewery / Schlafly – Oktoberfest

We’re on our way down to the Oktoberfest celebration in Hermann, MO. My friend organized a bus trip, so we could all head down and have a great time enjoying the beer and wine in the German settlement town without having to drive. I came completely unprepared for my Oktoberfest Challenge, hoping I’d be able to find an Oktoberfest beer I had not had yet. On the ride down, my friend brought several beers, including this Schlafly Oktoberfest, so I thought I’d add this to the list.

I had a small clear plastic cup on the bus, and it appeared to be a copper/amber color, and it head a nice amount of carbonation. Admittedly, I’m not sure how much carbonation was in it, versus how much I was shaking the glass on the bus. The aroma was sweet caramel malty and a little bit grainy.

It was medium bodied and it had a smooth mouthfeel with only a slight amount of carbonation. There was a light caramel-like malty flavor up front which grew a little bit in the finish. The aftertaste was a little caramelly, but fairly smooth.

This would go well with some brats and beans on a cool football saturday. The caramel flavors would bring out the flavors in the food, yet it light and drinkable enough that it would go down easy.

I found this to be a fairly drinkable Oktoberfest with the classic caramel-like malty flavors. It was pretty much in line with the other American versions of this style, and it was a good start to a fun Oktoberfest day. Overall, it was pretty much in-line with what you’d expect from an American Oktoberfest marzen.

My Rating:

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