REVIEW 72: HOFBRÄU OKTOBERFEST

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Germany

BREWERY:  Hofbräuhaus München

STYLE:  Märzen

ABV:  6.3%

PURCHASE:  Six-pack of 11.2-oz. bottles, $11.99

SERVING:  11.2-oz. bottle, poured into pint glass. A standard pour produced a bit more than a standard head (roughly two inches). A slow pour resulted in more or less the same. A fast pour initially produced a head comprising half the glass, but which settled into the two-inch range rather quickly. Average retention.

APPEARANCE:  Has the look of a Helles lager: Straw color, spongy white head, steady bubbling, transparent body. Decent lacing.

BOUQUET:  Has the aroma of a Helles lager: Ideal hop-malt balance, a bit of breadiness, a bit of yeast. Fairly simple.

PALATE:  Has the mouthfeel of a Helles lager: Medium body, standard carbonation, effortless drinkability. Has the taste of a Helles lager: A pilsener-like sweetness that starts humbly, but crescendos with dextrins at the finish; an almost perfect balance between malted grain and noble hop bitterness, with a soft, warming spice factor--cloves and pepper--thrown in for good measure in the aftertaste.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  This is an Oktoberfest?

If it looks like a Helles, smells like a Helles, and tastes like a Helles, well then it must be a Helles! Luckily I like Helles lagers.

Good enough brew, but points off for misleading the consumer.




GRADE:  B