Brewview#28: Oktoberfest by Rohrbach Brewing Company

Today’s Brewview is brought to you by our friends over in Rochester, Rohrbach Brewing Company with their Oktoberfest German-style Lager. With the summer coming to a close soon and the quickly approaching Oktoberfest celebration I thought it would be a good idea to grab a few of these style beers. In the past I would wait till Oktoberfest was closer to start enjoying these delicious beers, but I wanted to provide for those who read these to find one they may like. That is my goal and I hope that it comes to fruition.

So what does Rohrbach have in store for us with their Oktoberfest tonight? I have already had one earlier in preparation and on first impressions I was impressed and did notice some differences from other beers of this style. All of this I will share with you in the upcoming paragraphs.

Brewer’s Introduction

As always before I provide my thoughts on any beers I’d like to give the brewery a moment to give us their thoughts. Right off of Rohrbach Brewing Company’s website:

“Rohrbach’s Oktoberfest is a tribute to the authentic, German-style lager served around the world during autumn. Brewed with vast amounts of Veinna and Munich malts, balanced with the bitterness of German noble hops and lagered for over a month, our Oktoberfest is full bodied and packed full of flavor.”

Sounds like Rohrbach’s Oktoberfest is a must have for this upcoming season. I am going to grab a can and glass so we can get the fun started.

The Beer: Oktoberfest by Rohrbach Brewing Company

ABV: 5.9% IBU: 17

Hop Profile: German noble hops

Malt Profile: Vienna

Munich

Can to Glass

When first popping the can open the aromas I picked up were exactly as I predicted they would be. A strong caramel aroma and if one really concentrates and give some effort I was also able to pick up on a more malt aroma. Which out of the two malts used, the Munich provided more of the malt aroma. Though overall the majority of aroma appreciated was the caramel one, provided by both malts. Not too surprised as I said; what also wasn’t surprising was the magnificent head I got when pouring the beer. I’m thinking it was a minimum three finger widths if not four and it stuck around for quite some time. After which it dwindled down to a one finger width which I am sure will linger for the short amount of time there is beer in my glass.

I’m sure anyone that has had Oktoberfest beers regardless of the brewery is able to guess the color and appearance of the beer. I’m sitting between a pale amber and dark amber, if one wants to pay that much attention to detail. But one thing is for sure this beer is crystal clear with no haze at all.  Again with this being a malty beer both malts contributed to these characteristics. Specifically, Vienna is known to provide a darker beer than the German Pilsner malt and Munich malts are known to provide that beautiful amber color. This beer is a beaut!

Down the Hatch It Goes

So, as I said before I have already had one of these beers and have noticed a few noticeably different characteristics. Compared to other Oktoberfest beers this is not a bad thing, if only make it Rohrbach’s stand out more. Now that I am half way through my current Oktoberfest it is quite easy to point out these differences. The first one I noticed was the body was very light didn’t leave any malt like after taste or creamy residue. Despite what Rohrbach stated regarding a full body, I am not getting that at all. In the past after drinking a few Oktoberfest style beers my stomach would acquire an overwhelmingly full feeling. Not with Rohrbach, a very light body which makes for easy drinking. Besides the body and mouth feel of the beer I also noticed a difference in the flavor as well. I did not pick up on much hop flavor, which isn’t surprising since Rohrbach stated they used German noble hops for bittering and it’s a German-style lager. The German noble hops were used perfectly because the slight bitterness at the end gives way for even more beer. Not overpowering but just enough to remind you of what you just enjoyed and should continue to enjoy. The overall flavor of the beer came from the malts, which is quintessential for German-style lagers. For Rohrbach they gave us a caramel flavoring with a noticeable sweet side to Oktoberfest. That may sound odd because caramel tends to be sweet in itself. But in regards to Oktoberfest beers this is a bit stronger than what I’ve have in the past. It’s not to the point of being overwhelming but there and not easily missed. My thoughts on this remain on the fence, a little added sweetness isn’t a bad thing but when does it become too much? In this instance, it’s just enough if it was more prominent I wouldn’t be fan. Truth be told Rohrbach’s Oktoberfest is a solid beer.

Final Impressions (in case I didn’t make myself clear :D)

Overall Rohrbach’s Oktoberfest is a solid German-style lager. Though this is my first of these styles of beer to Brewview, I’m thinking I’d keep this stocked in my fridge for the upcoming celebration. What makes me say that? Simply put this beer is has a lighter body than other Oktobefests I’ve had in the past and has a nicely added sweetness to accent the caramel flavor. Though if this beer was any more sweeter I would be a little hesitant on future purchases. But with that said my next beer run will consist of  Rohrbach’s Oktoberfest without a doubt in my mind!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and having the desire to enjoy good craft beer. I do have more Oktoberfest beers in mind for the upcoming weeks so stay tuned. As always keep your glass bottomless!

Prost!