Ayinger is our 2010 Oktoberfest Grand Champion
By Tim Rodgers, Charlie Pavlov, Howard Goldstein & Matt Goldstein
If Oktoberfest means drinking over 40 different beers in a 36 hour period, than yes, it’s a festival. Germans like to watch Fussball and Americans prefer Football, so in honor of the upcoming season, we did both. We started our Oktoberfest in fine European style down at PPL Park in Chester PA awaiting Sebastian LeToux and the Union going against the Chicago Fire. We continued the debauchery a mere 15 hours later in the parking lot of Lincoln Financial field awaiting the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles home opener. All the time, working tirelessly, sampling beer after, beer, after beer. We cleansed our palates between courses of Vietnam prawns, stone crab claws, filet mignon, and 3 pound whole lobsters. Sorry, no wienerschnitzel.
Why go through all of that trouble? Well, it’s the 200th anniversary of the German Tradition of Oktoberfest started in Munich Germany in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of some prince. But as Far as the German beer crafters are concerned, the Marzenbier (March) beers are brewed in March but drank in the fall as the craft of making such fine brews require the spring and summer to prepare. They are primarily full bodied, higher in gravity and alcohol as a result of having to be stored for those months.
The change of seasons from summer to fall is a beautiful thing, and so is the harvest of fine foods, but more importantly fine beers. So we found it necessary to sample all of the Oktoberfest Marzen beers that were available to us, and give you this year’s rankings:
1. Ayinger Oktoberfest, 5.8%, Germany:
Superb flavored malts, hints of coffee, well balanced, and excellent Oktoberfest.
2. Beck’s Oktoberfest, 5.0%, Germany:
Great orange color, caramel, toffee, and coffee notes, very complex flavors yet smooth. We know. We’re as surprised as you are.
3. Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest
5.8%, Germany. Smoothly carbonated, great flavor.
4. Flying Fish Oktoberfish
5.5%, Cherry Hill, NJ. Balances the hops with autumn malts and caramel of the Oktoberfest style.
5. HofBrau Oktoberfestbier
6.3%, Germany. Interesting pumpkin and spice notes.
6. Stoudt’s Oktoberfest
5.0%, Adamstown, PA. Very good balance of bitters, hops and malts.
7. Lefthand Marzen Oktoberfest
6.0%, Logmont, Colorado. Great flavors of coffee and caramel.
8. Magic Hat Hex Ourtoberfest
5.4%, South Burlington, VT. Pine and cherry notes, good, interesting.
9. Spaten Oktoberfestbier
5.9%, Germany.
10. Weyerbacher Autumn Fest
5.4%, Easton, PA
11. Slyfox Oktoberfest
5.8% ABV, Phoenixville PA.
12. Dundee Oktoberfest
5.5%, Rochester, NY.
13. Lakefront Oktoberfest Lager Beer
5.7%, Milwaukee, WI.
14. Sam Adams Oktoberfest
5.3%, Boston, MA.
15. Heavy Seas Marzen
5.4%, Baltimore, MD.
16. Saranac Oktoberfest
5.4%, Utica, NY.
17. Victory Fest Bier
5.6%, Downingtown, PA.
18. Leinenkugels Oktoberfest
5.1%, Chippewa Falls, WI.
19. Paulaner Oktoberfest
5.8%, Germany.
20. Sierra Nevada Tumbler
5.5%, Chico, CA.
21. Southern Tier Harvest Ale
6.4%, Lakewood, NY. (Too Hoppy for an Oktoberfest)
..
The Top 10 Best Oktoberfest Beers 2011: Spaten, Hacker Pschorr, Paulaner, Sly Fox, Ayinger Oktoberfests and more…
The Top 10 Breweries in the World: Founders, Bell’s, Ballast Point, Stone, Port/Lost Abbey
The Top 25 Beers in a Can: Oscar Blues, Sly Fox, Maui Brewing, Young’s Double Chocolate, Caldera, 21st Amendment
Pennsylvania Crushes Germany in the Top 10 Pilsners: Pilzilla, Prima Pils, Stoudt’s Pils, Pikeland Pils, Troegs Sunshine Pils
The Best Beer under $20 a Case: Yuengling Lager, Bitburger, Leinenkugels, Shiner Bock, Lionshead and more…
The Top 25 Stouts: Founders KBS, Breakfast Stout, Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the Abyss
The Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, Lefthand, Magic Hat, Spaten
The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs Witte, Victory Wirlwind, St. Brnardis Blanche, Allagash White, Blue Moon and more…
The Top 10 Mexican Beers: Bohemia, Negra Modela, Dos Equis, Corona, Carta Blanca, Tecate, Sol and more…
Top 50 Pound for Pound Beer List: Chimay, Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada, Bells’, Victory, Founders, Hacker-Pschorr, Weyerbacher and more…
.
.
..
[...] Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the Abyss The Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L… The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs [...]
[...] Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the AbyssThe Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L…The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs [...]
[...] Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the AbyssThe Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L…The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs [...]
[...] Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the AbyssThe Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L…The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs [...]
[...] Bell’s Kalamazoo, Rogue Shakespear Oatmeal, Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon, Deschutes the AbyssThe Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L…The Top Ten Belgian White Ales from a Taste Test: Blanche de Bruxelles, Hoegaarden, Ommengangs [...]
[...] The Top 10 Oktoberfest Beers: Ayinger, Beck’s, Hacker Pschorr, Flying Fish, Hofbrau, Stoudt’s, L… [...]
Me gustó leer esta nota y los comentarios de los demás. Muy buenos los comentarios
[Reply]
Tim Rodgers Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 5:42 PM
Gracias!
[Reply]
[...] website called Whiskey Goldmine ranked 21 Oktoberfest beers, and Cherry Hill’s Flying Fish Oktoberfish came in 4th – [...]
Victory Brewing is in Downingtown, PA not NY
[Reply]
Actually the best beer on here clocked in dead last. But Im partial to Ales. Matt (Capone) told you it was an Octoberfest beer because it comes out in October. He just wants to sell beer. Dammit Matt consult me before putting together these lists!!
[Reply]
Don Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 3:16 PM
Oops, not October but close to it!
[Reply]
Matt Goldstein Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 3:48 PM
It was a taste test. You weren’t there. It finished last because it wasn’t the same style, not because it wasn’t good. You recommended Cappone’s so GFY!
[Reply]
Don Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Capones is the best around and I still recommend it. Youre right I wasn’t there, you didn’t invite me, douchebag! You wanna fight??!! I will so kick your ass. I’m toughest guy on the internet.
[Reply]
Matt Goldstein Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 6:44 PM
Nobody is tougher behind a keyboard than me. I am E Ganster #1!
Tizzle Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 7:24 PM
I have a slight problem with these seasonal brews because some of them are merely means to try to sell more beer by hype. Look, all of the “Pumpkin Ales” and “Harvest” and “Autumn” beers are piggy backing off of Oktoberfest motif anyfriggin how. We knew right away it wasn’t an Oktoberfest beer and but we included on the list because we drank like 30 of them in the damn parking lot and didn’t want to leave any out. I don’t apologize for any list. They are all scientific, carefully planned, and well thought out. I needed a liver transplant after last weekend anyhow
[Reply]
gee, I wonder why Tumbler and ST Harvest scored 19th and 20th in an Oktoberfest tasting… maybe because they aren’t Oktoberfest beers…
you all are idiots and should pick a different field of work…
[Reply]
Matt goldstein Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 3:56 AM
I love E Gangsters.
[Reply]
Tim Rodgers Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 7:13 AM
nah… I think the list provides a solid guideline and reference for those inquiring about this year’s selection. Who is your #1 Bob?
[Reply]
Matt goldstein Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 4:20 AM
Seriously though, the craft beer dude at Cappone’s said that was Southern Tier’s Oktoberfest so we gave it a shot.
[Reply]
Looks like Germany may have punched Pennsylvania back in the mouth come October. Beck’s was surprisingly complex. I highly recommend it!
[Reply]