Live Oak HefeWeizen

The reviewers @ BeerAdvocate love HefeWeizen. I do not.

Brewer's notes: Modeled after the classic wheat beers of Bavaria, Hefeweizen is cloudy and straw-colored with a meringue-like head that lingers to the bottom of the glass. Brewed with an ample volume of wheat malt and few hops, this beer features a unique yeast strain that produces harmonious notes of clove, banana, and vanilla throughout this effervescent brew. A traditional interpretation of a classic style, this idiosyncratic Bavarian beer is perfectly at home here in Texas.

Tasting notes
14 October 2023: The aroma of the beer offers great promise - nice clove and banana smells. But the taste fails to deliver on the promise. The beer is a rather bland hefe with an odd lemon flavor and a titch of zest and the head dissipates quickly. Some of the reviews in BeerAdvocate express similar reactions. I was disappointed after discovering what I thought was a whale. 

Rating = 1 glass. I'll finish the six-pack I purchased.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier (2023)

Brewer's Notes: This collab with Kehrwieder is 20 years in the making, back when our brewmasters were classmates in Berlin. Today, Kehrwieder is turning German-style craft beer on its head - just like we did stateside - and out mutual passion is fused in this Festbier that's bright like polished copper, rich with biscuity malts, and balanced with a punchy blend of German and American hops.

BeerAdvocate

Festbier v. Märzen

Tasting Notes
Oct 2023: I am liking the beer more and more. I titch malty for a festbier but still quite quaffable.

Rating = 5 glasses

August 2023: I was surprised to see Oktoberfest beers on the shelved of Total Wine at the end of July. I figured I should buy some immediately to get stuff that is fresh. I picked up a six-pack of Weihenstepaner Festbier and the 2023 release from Sierra Nevada. This year's version from SN is bold and hoppy for a Festbier IMO. I think it is more a Märzen. I was not impressed by my first can but enjoyed the second (different night). The second can was flavorful and easy to drink.

Rating: 4 glasses. The rating may climb as I drink more of the six-pack and other Oktoberfests.

Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Great Lakes Oktoberfest is a delightful Märzen-style oktoberfest. 

Brewer's notes: Prost! Our take on this classic German style is a celebration of maltiness— packed with rustic, autumnal flavors to put a little more oomph into your oom-pah-pah.

Über smooth with vibrant malt flavors and a festive flourish of noble hops (lederhosen not included).

World Beer Championships
4-Time Medal Winner (Gold, Silver

Beeradvocate

Tasting Notes

Oct 2023: Liking it better and upgraded the rating. A tiche malty but not overbearing.

Rating = 5 glasses

Sept 2023: I am liking this beer less - too malty - and think Hacker-Pschorr's version is better.

Rating = 4.5

Aug 27, 2023

I had the first of a six pack last night. My preference for Oktoberfest beers is increasing and this one is my current favorite of the Märzen style. The flavor combines toasty malts with some spicy hops. The beer has flavor and is made to drink in quantity.

Rating = 5.5 glasses. (Downgraded to 6 in 2022, to 5.5 in 2023)

Aug 25, 2019

Last night I drank a Great Lakes Oktoberfest. It is delightful. Extremely quaffable with a nice toasty malt flavor. The first one calls for a second. Maybe the perfect beer when you want to drink beer. It fits perfectly the line from an old ad for Schaefer, "The one beer to have when you're having more than one."

Duvel Tripel Hop Citra

Tripel Hop Citra is a Belgian IPA.

Brewer's Notes: Duvel Tripel Hop Citra is an intensely hoppy Belgian IPA with refreshing taste notes of agrum, thanks to the addition of a third hop Citra from Yakima Valley in Washington, USA.

Beer Advocate: "Discover Citra, voted by our fans as the best hop variety for our special Duvel Tripel Hop. Citra enriches the already unique taste of Duvel with fresh notes of grapefruit and tropical fruit."

Tasting Notes: Duvel with hops! Belgian IPA is still not a favorite style for me but this beer is pretty tasty.

Rating = 2.5 glasses. Though about 3 glasses but then remembered I would rather buy Duvel.

New Belgium Trippel, Voodoo Ranger IPA, and Mountain Time

New Belgium sponsored the Mountains to Coast Bike Tour I took last week. Free beer when the camping sites allowed!! Here are notes on three beers I sampled. 

Trippel
Brewer's notes: Our Trippel has always been a big, beautiful Belgian-style ale, but in 2015, we tweaked the recipe to include a new yeast variety and even more complex malt profile. This golden beer opens with a bold blast of spicy Noble hops, courtesy of Saaz and Hallertau Mittlefruh, and gives way to the fruity aromas offered by our traditional Belgian yeast. Brewed with Pilsner and Munich malts, Trippel is classically smooth and complex, and sings with a high-note of sweet citrus before a pleasantly dry finish delivers a warm, strong boozy bite. Give Trippel a sip to get you smiling.

Tasting notes: I liked it the best of all the beers I sampled. Nice clove flavor without being overbearing. 

Rating = 3.5 glasses. MIght merit 4.

Voodoo Ranger IPA
Brewer's notes: Bursting with tropical aromas and juicy fruit flavors from Mosaic and Amarillo hops, this golden IPA is perfectly bitter with a refreshing, sublime finish.

Tasting notes: Eh. Ok but lacked the hop bite I seek.

Rating = 1.5 glasses

Mountain Time
Brewer's notes: Crisp and clean as snowmelt in spring, Mountain Time Premium Lager is brewed with only the finest ingredients by the employee-owners at New Belgium Brewing. This refreshing lager will take you to another time & place. Live life on Mountain Time.

Tasting notes: The surprise of the tastings. It is a decent lager and went well with fried fish and shrimp. Not good enough to savor - I did not finish a second can when the time to leave arrived.

Rating = 2 glasses