Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier & Marzen Review
Mass Krug is German for big ass beer receptacle, and we are glad to put some originals in ours this year, starting with Paulaner’s Oktoberfest bier and Oktoberfest Marzen. To be honest, I didn’t know there was a difference until I poured and tasted… and did a little more research.
Both of these expertly-crafted brews have foundational roots in Munich, and they also have the same ingredients. Both take their malty character from Pilsner and Munich Malt, and their hop flavors from Herkules and Hallertauer Tradition (Paulaner.com). But in the end the Oktoberfest bier is much lighter (closer to Dortmunder style) than the Marzen, and the Paulaner brewers call it their ‘liquid gold’, and that gold must sell like crazy because it is Germany’s number one Oktoberfest bier. What an honor!
Which brings me to the Marzen beer. It has a slightly lower ABV (5.8% compared to 6.0%) than the Oktoberfest bier, and it pours a deep amber color with a bit of a darker head. Both look beautiful in a stein, and luckily for us Americans, the Marzen is available in the US year-round. This may seem a little strange, but when we think of the Oktoberfest beers that our favorite craft brewers put out every year, Paulaner’s Marzen is most similar to those, and the demand for that deep color and deep malt flavor in America is high enough for them to export that amber goodness to us all year long.
What I like about both of these beers is the use of the same ingredients for a different outcome. Munich malt is used more heavily in the Marzen beer to give it that beautiful amber color and some more bready, sweet, and malty depth. And the pilsner is used more heavily in the Oktoberfest bier to make it lighter, giving more room for the hop flavor to come through. Both beers are medium- to full-bodied, and they are really fun to drink, especially out of a frosty Mass Krug. And I am pleased to find that Paulaner’s Marzen is available all year in the US because it is refreshing, complex, and quaffable all at the same time.
Give Paulaner a try and have a taste of what Germans enjoy. Test out the Oktoberfest bier if you like things a little lighter, or the Marzen if you like that sweet malt finish and amber color. My suggestion: Try them both, and with lots of pretzels and bratwurst.
Prost!
Mr. Brew