Mike Loves Beer

Name – Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Country – Germany
Type – Marzen

I love the marzens during the fall.  You can have your pumpkin beers but just give me a nice sweet, malty Oktoberfest beer and I will enjoy my fall months just fine.

A couple years ago I found my favorite, and typical go to, marzen in Spaten Oktoberfest.  Hell I have the remnants of a 12 pack in my fridge right now.  So I was excited to try another one of the big named German brewer’s marzens.  For today’s review I drink Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen.

I poured the bottle into my Spaten Oktoberfest glass to find a clear orangish/amber colored liquid.  A big bubbly white head formed on top and decided to stick around for a good while.  It even left some lacing on the glass as a reminder that it was there.

The nose is greeted with sweet malts as you would expect.  There is a grainy backing in the smell as well to round it out nicely.

First sip is very nice.  Sweet malts and caramel.  A bready character adds to the body.  It then has some traces of spices on the back.  It finishes clean and crisp.

So what is there to say about Ayinger’s version?  I freaking love it!  I still love you Spaten but Ayinger is now my favorite marzen.  This beer is just so smooth and full of flavor.  I wish the Oktoberfest in Lake Worth had this on tap instead of the *cringe* Beck’s Oktoberfest.

So this should from what I understand be a pretty easy to find beer for most, especially the folks in South Florida.  So go out and buy this and enjoy it with some schnitzel, potato pancakes and a person you love.  Because this beer is one you should love as well.

Grade – A

Name – Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Country – Germany
Type – Doppelbock

Appearance – Poured a very dark brown with a big tan head that left some lacing on the glass.

Smell – Sweet and roasted malts with a cherry like smell as well.

Taste – Sweet malts, roasted malts, bready malts.  Did I mention malts?  A sweet cherry flavor in there and some caramel to boot.  A hint of chocolate in there as well.

Ayinger is probably the biggest German brewer I haven’t had, until this one.  I don’t know why it took me so long to pick anything of theirs up but I’m glad I did.  Celebrator is a very good, if not great, doppelbock.  So malty and tasty.  Very glad I finally got this but disappointed in myself that it took so long to finally have it.

Overall Grade – A