Hofbrau - Oktoberfestbier Review
One of the six beers allowed to be served at the official Oktoberfest in Munich, Hofbrau labels themselves as “Independent and Authentic since 1589.” And once a year they release their Oktoberfestbier to the world for us all to delight in the history of the festival, even if we can’t be in Munich ourselves.
I have to honestly say that I love the history behind these beers. The craft beer scene in America, at its oldest, is only about 30-40 years old. But great brewers like Hofbrau have been doing it for hundreds of years with the highest quality ingredients, passion, and amazing final products that millions (if not billions) of drinkers over hundreds of years have approved of.
Hofbrau’s Oktoberfestbier starts with deep well water from the Alpine’s foothills, then they add light barley and Munich malt, Herkules, Perle, Magnum, and Select hops, and they finish it off with their own bottom-fermenting (lager) yeast. This creates a final product with 6.3% ABV and 23 IBU.
With a deep history and a dedication to ingredients and tradition, we’re expecting something great with this one.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Deep golden, clear, effervescent, and topped with a persistent cream-colored head. Looks fantastic in a Masskrug, now let’s stick our nose in.
On the Nose--Malty, crisp, and fresh flavors wafting off that beautiful head. I don’t get much hoppiness on the nose, but they might be mingling with the sweet malt. The aromas are refreshing and mouth-watering, which is all a drinker can ask for in an Oktoberfestbier.
On the Palate--Light and effervescent on the tongue with some great malt depth that gives it a softness and a full mouthfeel. The hoppiness comes through but remains light and mildly bitter. The bitterness doesn’t linger but is complemented by a dry and mildly sweet finish.
Food Pairings: Hofbrau suggests pairing their Oktoberfestbier with roast pork, light snacks, roast chicken, white radishes, and hard cheeses like Emmental.
Final Thoughts:
A lot of Oktoberfest-style beers appear much simpler than they are. There’s a lot of history in a bottle like this, and it’s truly an honor to get to try it when Autumn swoops in and things start getting cooler. That being said, Oktoberfestbier from Hofbrau is the perfect beer for the changing of the season. It is light on the tongue while maintaining a full mouthfeel, and it is malty sweet while maintaining great balance with its Hallertauer region hops. I quite enjoy the sweetness from the malt that carries through the finish, somewhat by-passing the bitterness. It has a slightly higher ABV (6.3%) compared to the traditional 6% of Oktoberfestbiers, but it’s so light that the little bit extra goes undetected.
Hofbrau’s experience and technique, built up since 1589, is tasted in this seasonal beer. It is sessionable and very fun to drink, particularly if your preference is the lighter and hoppier Oktoberfestbiers compared to the deeper, maltier Marzen-style lagers.
As one of the six breweries selected to serve beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich, you can really taste the love and knowledge in this light, crisp, historic, and fun to drink beer.
Prost!
Mr. Brew