Oktoberfest Ur Märzen - Spaten Review
Spaten Brewery has been cranking out beers in Munich, Germany, since 1397 (not a typo), and in 1872 they created and labeled the first Oktoberfest beer. Today we can still get our hands on this piece of history that has been lifted in steins for a very long time.
This beer has 5.9% ABV and 23 IBUs, and it is no mystery why it is one of the six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich’s Oktoberfest. It is iconic, and a staple for all in Munich. The history is deep, and a tippler like myself will do it no justice to recount it, so let's see if we can taste it in our firsts.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--It is crystal clear and an absolutely beautiful deep golden color. It forms a cream-colored head that diminishes pretty quickly but hangs around enough to add some nice lacing.
On the Nose--The first notes remind me of crisp and clean Pilsner malt and less of the deep caramel aromas that often come with the Märzen style. It smells inviting, so let’s see how it tastes.
On the Palate--Medium-body and smooth right off the bat. To me it does lean a little more toward the Pilsner malt than the Munich malt, but this adds to the overall balance and complexity. It finishes with some comforting caramel malt sweetness and just a touch of dry roastiness to round it all out.
Good things never go out of style, and we can see why with not only this classic beer, but all beers that reach hard-fought maturity. Between the crisp start, the caramel notes, the dry finish, and the history, this Marzen beer from Spaten is a festival in a bottle. It is about as simple and complex as a beer can get, and I love, love, love the balance of it. Now, I’ll have to venture to Munich to try it right out of the tap.
Prost!
Mr. Brew