OOM-PAH: WV Oktoberfest beers arrive

While we don’t have the physical Oktoberfests at which to drink beer this year, we can still celebrate with Oktoberfest-style beers wherever we are. West Virginia brewers are rolling out excellent examples of the traditional, malty Märzen style fest brews this month.

West Virginia Beer Roads podcasters sampled five different West Virginia-made versions, along with a few more regional beers for reference. The result: There are some great Oktoberfest beer experiences awaiting anyone who tries these brews. Across the board, the quality of the WV-made beer was extremely good. To hear all the WV beer discussion, check out the podcast at this link.

Since its introduction in the 1970s, the less-malty, golden Festbier style has grown in popularity and now totally dominates the Munich Oktoberfest. The older German, traditional Märzen lagers are now pretty much nowhere to be found. That’s a shame because this amber-colored, medium light bodied, malty, highly drinkable style is a beauty to behold in the glass and in the mouth. Thankfully, we have a bunch of American brewers who still appreciate the Märzen style.

Märzen-style beers are traditionally brewed with a blend of the deeply kilned Munich malt and lighter pale malts. This combination gives them their signature bright amber color and toasty caramel flavors. They tend to be more fully attenuated with only a kiss of sweetness giving them great drinkability. These are malt-forward brews where hops take a back seat.

If you want the newer Festbier style, you’ll have to look to other regional brewers, such as Sierra Nevada, Devils Backbone, or Country Boy to find it. We enjoyed them all.

Roll out the barrel

Here are five West Virginia riffs on Märzen-style brews you’ll want to look for this year.

Oktoberfest • The Peddler

The beer turned out a medium amber color with pleasant, delicate caramel flavors. Mostly dry with a medium body. Nice balancing bitterness. A little spicy aroma and taste. Finished very clean. Pretty straightforward brew process. Pilsner, Munich and Vienna malts make up grain bill. Contains all U.S. Liberty hops. With COVID messing up the brewing schedule this year, the beer was lagered for 8 weeks instead of the normal 12.  Just the slightest haze was present in the beer, but it did not detract from the taste. 5.6% ABV; 25 IBU. Draft only. Available at the brewery and in limited distribution.

Oktoberfest • Bridge Brew Works

The brewery didn’t brew an Oktoberfest beer last year, but they sure haven’t lost their touch. Honestly, they killed it with this year’s release.  A traditional old-German-style Oktoberfest Märzen. Rich medium amber color with white head. Brilliant clarity. Aroma: clean with light caramel malt and hint of herbal spicy hops. Lighter mouthfeel. Great drinking with complex malt notes of biscuit, warm bread, and caramel balanced with hop flavor. Super clean finish. 5.7% ABV. Draft only. Available at brewery and expected to be in limited distribution.

AJ’s Festbier • Weathered Ground Brewery

Slightly tweaked from last year’s version. A unique feature of this beer is its use of “German-style” malt from Riverbend Malt House in Asheville. Used both Riverbend Pilsner and Munich malts, with slightly more Munich in the grain bill. All German Magnum hops for bittering. Fermented with authentic Weihenstephan Bavarian lager yeast. They captured the carbon dioxide produced by the fermentation and used it to carbonate the beer. Color is a darker medium amber with a reddish tint from the Munich malt. Nice toasty, nutty flavor with medium body and just a hint of sweetness. Pretty crisp drinking with clean finish. Mild bitterness. 6.1% ABV. Available in draft and 16-oz. cans at the brewery and in distribution at craft beer outlets (Release date is 9/12/20).

Prost • Bad Shepherd Beer Company

This Märzen-style beer is similar to last year’s beer in most parameters except for the use of some New Zealand Pacifica hops and American 2-row pale malt this year. Primary base malts were true Bohemian pilsner, Vienna and Munich. Primary hop was traditional German Hallertau. Pours a beautiful full amber color and with nice head retention. Though with very light bitterness, the Pacifica hop along with the Hallertau gives this beer a little different and stronger hop aroma and flavor than the other sampled beers. Toasty, bready flavors presented with good balance and nuance. 5.6% ABV. In draft only. Available at the Charleston brewery, other company restaurants, and in limited distribution.

ForestFest • Big Timber Brewing Company

ForestFest is the darkest colored of these WV Oktoberfest beers by a slight margin. The brewery says it is not lagered for a “significant” amount of time, but that does not damage its drinkability in the least. It has a luscious, big toasty smooth flavor.  Soft, medium-light body. Very clean and clear. Just enough bitterness to balance the malt. Get a big mug of it.  5.6% abv; 24 IBU. Released in 16-oz. cans and kegs. Widely available now at many WV beer retailers, bars and restaurants. 

Two more to look for

While we didn’t get to taste these two, the reputation of the brewers tells us that they are definitely worth seeking out.

Oktoberfest • Brew Keepers

They follow the German Purity Law of 1516 in making this beer. It’s a traditional Märzen style made with all German malts from BestMaltz and balanced with German Hersbrucker hops. In draft only at brewery and in local distribution.

Famous Monster • High Ground Brewing

Famous Monster – Märzen – 5.9%, 22 IBU. Clean, crisp, caramel, toast. In 16 oz. cans and draft. Available at the brewery and in limited distribution.

From nearby states

The West Virginia Beer Roads crew also tasted and recommends several other beers from breweries in others states in our region. Listen to the audio to hear all the discussion by the West Virginia Beer Roads podcast crew.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest was made in the contemporary Festbier style. Beautiful rich golden color and super drinkability. Really nice.

Country Body Oktoberfest is also made in the modern lighter Festbier style. Medium body. Very low bitterness. Easy drinking.

Devils Backbone O’fest, made in the contemporary Festbier Style, with a sophisticated flavor and well-balanced drinkability.

Bells Oktoberfest was another very drinkable beer made sort of in-between the traditional Märzen and the lighter Festbier style, though its color was tilted toward a light amber.

Victory Festbier is an extremely well made beer in the more traditional Marzen style. Lovely hopping.