Hacker Pschorr: Oktoberfest Bier (German: Oktoberfest Marzen: 6% ABV)
Visual: Pale yellow gold. Large mounded white bubbly head. Moderate amounts of small bubbled carbonation.
Nose: Gentle hop oils. Gentle popcorn. Vanilla. Gentle toffee. Wheat flecks.
Body: Moderate oily bitterness. Light soft apricot. Prickly bitterness Slight crushed rocks. Oily, slightly thick mouthfeel.
Finish: Oily bitterness. Shredded wheat. Good hop bitterness. Mild dried apricot and fruit sugars.
Conclusion: This feels like it is on the more bitter end of the Oktoberfest style, I would have to compare to fresher memories to be sure, but this definitely feels more bitter while still having the slightly bigger, oilier, mouthfeel that I associate with the style that gives a nice extra grip.
Some of the notes I have used here, such as popcorn, or especially crushed rocks, may sound like bad things to have, but it is mainly my way to try and sum up and communicate how the bitterness comes across. It feels very solid, robust, while still easy drinking from the lager style. Well easy drinking as long as the bitterness doesn’t put you off.
Don’t be worried, a few prickling moments aside this is not on the IPL style of bitter hoppiness, more a use of hop oils that are smooth but still solid and punishing.
There is a slight undertone of a dried apricot note, not as sweet as that sound, but definitely a slight fruit sugar style that hovers subtly below the bitterness.
Definitely in the top half of the big six of Oktoberfest beers for me, not number one, maybe number two, will have to think on it. Or enjoy them all side by side to make a definitive judgment.
Any which way, while not complex, the robust bitterness and clean sheen over a thicker mouthfeel really appeals to me. Very enjoyable.
Background: Last of the Oktoberfest big six beers for me to do notes on, and my first time doing Hacker Pschorr notes. Which reminds me I need to google how to pronounce that. I’ve had the beer a bunch of times, but have been pacing out my Oktoberfest notes over the years. It is finally this beers time to shine. Oddly most most places online list this as 5.8% abv, I double checked, bottle definitely says 6%. Maybe they recently changed it? No idea. Googling told me nothing. If anyone knows, let me know please. I really have got a taste for Oktoberfest beers over the years, I meant to do the festival many a year back but it fell through, these days I don’t know if my liver could survive such a fest! Ah well, at least I get to try the beers. I grabbed this from Independent Spirit who have all the big six in at the mo, which I am very much enjoying. Music wise I went with Fugazi: The Argument, still on a Fugazi kick as I finally examine their albums and darn they are good.
