Oktoberfest beers arriving

Here they come again, Oh happy day

As summer winds down, a sure sign of autumn’s approach is the release of Oktoberfest-style beers at West Virginia breweries. Our breweries and communities have a busy season of beer releases and beer events planned for the upcoming fall season.

Today, we take a look at upcoming Oktoberfest beers. Tomorrow, we will update the list of fall beer festivals coming your way across West Virginia.

It started in Bavaria

Oktoberfest beers have a long history dating back to 1810 in Bavaria, when the first official Oktoberfest celebration was conducted in honor of Prince Ludwig’s marriage. Other German cities hold similar festivals, often called Herbsfests, which celebrate the fall harvest season.

Brewing special fall beers have long been an integral part of autumn events in Germany. Fortunately for us, this brewing tradition has been widely adopted by small brewers across West Virginia and the U.S. Most often in America, fall festival beers take the form of either a German-style Märzen amber lager or the lighter-styled Festbier lager. Around here, both styles are popularly called Oktoberfest beers.

WV Oktoberfest beers

We obtained advance information on a few of the West Virginia-brewed Oktoberfest beers that we love and anticipate. Do look for these beers and enjoy them while they are fresh and in season.

Big Timber ForestFest	Big Timber Festbier
Weathered Ground AJ’s Festbier	Bridge Brew Oktoberfest
Big Draft All Year Festbier	Morgantown Oktoberfest
Bad Shepherd Prost Alle	Cacapon Mountain Prost
The Peddler Oktoberfest	Brew Keepers Oktoberfest
High Ground Famous Monster	Freefolk Folktober Fest
Short Story Turn and Fall	Bavarian Bros. Zwei Brüder
Abolitionist Ale ABO Fest

ForestFest Oktoberfest by Big Timber Brewing

Style: Märzen
ABV: 5.6%
Expected Release: Out is distribution cans & kegs in late August

Notes: Its name pays homage to the Forest Festival, one of WVs largest and oldest festivals, which is held in Elkins each year. The beer is a traditional Märzen with an amber color and toasty malt nose. The smooth malty mouthfeel fades into a sweet caramel finish. It leaves the palate clean and dry with just a touch of alcohol heat.

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Festbier by Big Timber Brewing

Style: Festbier
ABV: 5.6%
Expected Release: September

Notes: Festbier is a smooth, clean traditional pale German lager. It has a moderately strong malt flavor and a light hop character, with notes of toast and biscuits. Will be out in cans and kegs as soon as the labels arrive.

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AJ’s Festbier by Weathered Ground Brewery  

Style: Märzen
ABV: 6%
Expected Release: September 1

Notes: 100% of the malt is grown and malted in North Carolina. Over half of that grain is a combination of sweeter and slightly toasty Munich and Heritage malt from Riverbend Malthouse. The rest of the malt is Riverbend’s Cumberland Pilsner malt. We use a clean bittering hop from Germany and then add a dash of noble hops for flavor and aroma. Fermented cool with our preferred lager strain and then lagered very cold for several weeks until it’s ready to serve. Unfiltered (but clear) and naturally carbonated (no added CO2). Aims for a crisp clean flavor reminiscent of fresh bread with slight caramel undertones. The aroma immediately reminds you of fall weather and every activity that comes along with that. Brewery Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 1.

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Oktoberfest Lager by Bridge Brew Works

Style: is Märzen 
ABV:  5.6%
Expected Release: Early September

Notes: The beer’s appearance is clear, rich medium amber with a white head. The aroma is clean, with light caramel malt and hint of hops. The flavor is a refreshing medium bodied lager with balanced complex malt and hop flavor.  

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All Year Festbier by Big Draft Brewing

Style: Märzen
ABV: 6.5%
Expected Release: September 16 (latest batch)

Notes: Deep golden color with tones of copper. A very light color for a Märzen (7 SRM) but on the darker side for a Festbier. It’s malt forward with toasty and doughy caramel notes. Brewed with German Pilsner, Caramunich, Vienna malts and a touch of huskless roasted barley.  It’s balanced out with a kettle flavor charge of Hallertau Mittelfruh hop providing 20 IBU’s and a slight spicy floral aroma.  Has a dry finish to help clean up all that malty richness.

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Oktoberfest Beer by Morgantown Brewing

Style: Hybrid Festbier
ABV: ??%
Expected Release: October 1

Notes: To be released at the Oktoberfest event at their brewpub on Oct. 1. The recipe is a bit of a blend of old and new. It has traditional European grains and German lager yeast with American Cascade hops. It is a touch on the lighter side. The color comes from a blend of Munich, Vienna, and Pilsen malt. This year the beer is around 7 SRM in color and about 20 IBUs in bitterness.

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Prost Alle by Bad Shepherd Beer Company

Style: Old-style Märzen Oktoberfest Lager
ABV: 5.8%
Expected release: August 25

Notes: German malts, hops, and yeast combine for their effort at producing an authentic Märzen lager. Caramel malty flavors and noble-hop aromas are balanced by crisp bitterness for an enjoyable, dark-amber brew.

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Prost by Cacapon Mountain Brewing

Style: Festbier
ABV: 5%
Expected Release: Early October

Notes: Toasty and hoppy. Light amber color. Lightly sweet malt and floral hop aroma. 26 IBU.

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Oktoberfest by The Peddler

Style: Festbier
ABV: 5.7%
Expected Release: Week of September 17

Notes: Fermented cold and lagered for a months creating a crisp, smooth beer. A darker colored version of Festbier with its lighter taste/flavor profile.

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Oktoberfest by Brew Keepers

Style: Märzen lager
ABV: 5.7%
Expected Release: 2nd week of September

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Famous Monster by High Ground Brewing

Notes: Famous Monster will be offered again this year. It is a traditional malty Märzen lager. The High Ground taproom will hold its annual Oktoberfest on October 1.

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Folktober Fest by The Freefolk Brewery

Style: Märzen
ABV: 5.5%
Expected Release: September 24

Notes: An traditional amber lager with clean, full bodied flavors of toasted bread, some nuttiness, and malt.It is a traditional malty Märzen lager. The Freefolk taproom in Fayetteville will hold its annual Folktober Fest on October 24.

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Turn and Fall by Short Story Brewing

Style: Märzen
ABV: 5.5%
Expected Release: Late August.

Notes: A rich malty lager. Slightly off-dry. Available in cans and draft. Brewery Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 7-9.

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Zwei Brüder by Bavarian Brothers Brewing

Style: Märzen
ABV: 4.7%
Expected Release: Early September

Notes: The first Oktoberfest beer from this brewery. Old German style
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ABO Fest Bier by Abolitionist Ale Works

Style: Festbier
ABV: 6.0%
Release: Early September

Notes: German Munich malts. Noble hops