I’m in Boulder, Colorado for a couple of days for work, and I’m hoping to make the most of it by trying a few new brews. My hotel was on the north side of Boulder and I was excited to see that Upslope Brewing was right around the corner. I walked down to the brewery, but unfortunately, it wasn’t open. So I walked down the street and found this little pizza place that had a few local brews available.
Location: Enjoyed this bar-side, poured into this pilsner glass, at Proto’s Pizza in Boulder, CO.
Numbers: 6.6% ABV, 24 IBU’s, 16° Plato, 21 SRM, ~ 135 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Munich and Pilsner. Hops: Magnum and Spalter Select.
Appearance & Aroma: It was slightly hazy and caramel brown in color. There was a thin, bright white head on top. The aroma was a light sweet caramel malt with some bready notes.
Taste & Feel: The mouthfeel was light and crisp, and it had a light-medium body. There was a sweet caramel and bready maltiness up front and through the middle, but it was a lighter flavor than other Marzens. Surprisingly, there was a little bit of an earthy, slightly spicy hop bitterness that slightly crept in during the crisp, somewhat dry finish. The caramel flavor stuck out a little during the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: The light bready and caramel flavors would probably have gone nicely with the pizzas there at Proto’s. I think it might also go nicely, adding some complexity to, a light chicken dish, such as a grilled chicken sandwich, salad, or pasta.
Overall Impression: This was my first Oktoberfest beer of the season, and it was a good transition to the fall season. It provided some nice, sweet, caramel flavors, but they were fairly light – making it a very crisp, drinkable beer. I enjoyed sitting there at the bar, enjoying the cool Boulder breeze, along with this brew made just up the road in Longmont. Overall, I thought this was a fairly good, somewhat light, drinkable Oktoberfest.
My Rating: 
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