Hacker-Pschorr - Oktoberfest Marzen Review
It’s always a delight to try a beer from one of the coveted breweries allowed to serve at the Oktoberfest gathering in Munich. I mean, what an honor to be one of the six breweries slinging liters at the biggest beer festival in the world. But it’s not for no reason that these companies are selected.
Our beer this week comes from Hacker-Pschorr, a brewery out of Munich, Germany, with a history that started in 1417. Hacker-Pschorr’s Oktoberfest Marzen follows the tradition of making a high gravity and malty beer brewed before summer and drunk by the barrel at the historical festival. And if you ever get a chance to go visit the Hacker-Pschorr tent in Munich, the banner overhead that greets you reads “Himmel der Bayern,” or “Heaven in Bavaria.” And with such a rich history, we can see why it is called so. But what’s in it?
Hacker-Pschorr brews their Oktoberfest Marzen with Marthe, Grace, and Catamaran barley varieties (popular German varieties), and Hallertauer Tradition and Hallertauer Herkules hops. As expected, this brew is very German, and it sticks to tradition not only by brewing according to the German Beer Purity Law, but it follows the tradition of the Marzen lager being served at the Oktoberfest as well.
It comes in at a pleasant 5.8% ABV, and we are excited as can be to try this piece of history and tradition. Here are our first impressions.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Deep golden color, almost like a dark honey, and clear as can be. Topped with an off-white-colored head that diminished moderately.
On the Nose--Crisp and malty, with the promise of a toasty delight. A bit of Noble hop character. It makes the mouth water thinking about the balance and dry finish ahead.
On the Palate--Immediately smooth and full-bodied, it has a pleasant and deep toasty malt character. The hop aroma comes through in a floral spiciness that balances nicely with the malt. It is lighter than many American interpretations of Marzen lagers in the sense that it is well-balanced and not as malt forward. The finish is dry and mildly bitter, but the bitterness doesn’t linger, making it a clean chug every time.
Food Pairings: Hacker-Pschorr suggests pairing their Oktoberfest Marzen with Bavarian sausage salad, roast chicken, sausages or suckling pig cooked in Wiesn (Oktoberfest) beer.
Final Thoughts:
There’s not much I can say about a beer with such deep tradition that has not already been said. This seasonal offering is crisp, clean, refreshing, and amazingly smooth. All attributes we expect from a well-crafted Marzen. It has exceptional balance between the heavier toasty malt and the Noble hop character—a balance that is easily missed by many Marzen lager interpretations. It has a wonderful dry finish and is perfect for the cooling weather of Autumn. But honestly, the tradition and history of Hacker-Pschorr speaks for itself. Find some for yourself to give a Prost! and a chug in homage to tradition.
Prost!
Mr. Brew