Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. / Mahrs Bräu – Oktoberfest (2016)

sierran nevada oktoberfest 2016

Oktoberfests seem to be brewed in July so they can be shipped to every liquor store and supermarket shelf in the western world by October. Most American Oktoberfest beers are simply caramel-flavored American lagers unpleasantly bumped up in flavor and alcohol. By making everything extremely loud, nothing truly stands out and what results is usually some tomato-tasting malt flavor with either too much or too little hops and and a warming alcohol finish rather than anything resembling the traditional märzen style. Sierra Nevada avoids this by partnering with a different traditional German brewery every year to brew what is annually one of the best American examples. For 2016’s version, Sierra Nevada teamed up with Mahrs Bräu to produce a simple, well-hopped pale lager. As the beer hits the tongue, the spiciness of the Germanic hops take hold and lead into a doughy, slightly chewy body of toasted white bread that finishes with a spicy hop finish and a slight note of warming alcohol. The warming finish and palette fatigue prevent the subsequent consumption of multiple bottles but Sierra Nevada’s 2016 brew thankfully avoids the grapefruit and mango IPAs for women trend to produce a decent, inoffensive drinking beer with well-developed simple flavors that can be savored while still letting you think about whatever else it is that you’re doing without having to pander to Panera Bread “crafted” bullshit such as pineapple phenol scented specialty Okinawan hops mixed with smoked habanero peppers in a stout that tastes like the fruity candy you leave for the annoying relatives you despise in a box of chocolates.

Quality: ***/*****
Purchase: ***/*****

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10 thoughts on “Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. / Mahrs Bräu – Oktoberfest (2016)”

  1. pompous midget says:

    “…for women trend…”?

    1. Ggallin1776 says:

      Found the sjw.

      1. pompous midget says:

        Ah I thought it was a grammatical error but apparently I’m just dumb.

      2. C.M. says:

        Maybe he’s just a grammar Nazi.

        1. pompous midget says:

          Actually I thought the sentence was incoherent with the quoted part but apparently I need to up my reading comprehension skills or stop posting when I’m really drunk.

        2. pompous midget says:

          I also see way more guys drinking the fruity beers/ciders than chicks. Women are less inclined to be beer fags than guys though, for some reason.

          1. C.M. says:

            No you are right, the sentence could have used some dashes to glue together the subjects and their descriptors.

            I think probably this recent trend in very sweet, fruity beers is an attempt to rope more women into buying them because men are the majority of beer consumers and brewers are looking to expand their market. It stands to reason then that more men would still consume more of the fruity beers, so you’re probably right about that too. Most women I know would prefer something much less outrageous, like Blue Moon.

            1. pompous midget says:

              Yeah, most women I know prefer mixed drinks, but the ones that actually like beer have no interest in the fruity stuff.

              1. OliveFox says:

                I know my wife and her goofy friends love Leinenkugels and Aprihop types of stuff. But my sister and her culinary school gal pals are all about Stouts and Porters.

                Women are just less likely to sit at a bar and smash buds for 6 hrs and watch a bunch of ball games, so maybe that is where the “beer for the fellas” and “white wine for the lasses,” idea in casual drinking circles comes from.

  2. Anthony says:

    Their Otra Vez is good too if you like sours. Never really liked their flagship product though.

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