Shiner Oktoberfest

Finally getting back to the blog after some vacation, football watching, and moderate drinking over Labor Day.

Shiner Oktoberfest

Picked this up from the store maybe a month ago at Specs Downtown. Has a big head that has that malty caramelness of an okto. Just the right gentleness. So after a month, this beer tastes kinda sour already. Has it's malt and rather ale-like smoothness. But not getting it for me. High 2 stars. But I like that Shiner is getting in there with some new beers. Let's keep it coming.

The wife has the word "straw". The malt is so thin, not bitter. Trying to like it but feeling it's a little boring. She's of course a big fan of Okto (Widmer) and Ourtoberfest.

Ourtoberfest in BN Glass

Beer Log: Right now

State: Relaxed

Magic Hat Hex Ourtoberfest

Drinking this copper colored beer in my new Brewing Network Imperial Pint glass. Nose is a rustic somewhat earthy caramel malt. Lord only knows what the mad Hatters put in this beer. A rather malty beer that somehow exploded with flavor then went down so smooth (no homo) it was like the beer imploded, but in a good way. I think there is something like a sour fruit that actually caused my mouth to pucker a good 3/4 of the way on my tongue. Malt is tasting more white sugary as I get used to the whole thing, maybe some brown sugar with it. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some random fruit in this thing like Ms. Pac-Man. After visiting the website you see it right there: Cherry Wood Smoked Malt. Boo-yah. The malted rye gives it some pepper as well, which comes through in the aftertaste. Low to moderate hops. I can dig it, but wish I had a cigar with this one. High 3 Stars for the beer that oddly works for me as an Oktoberfest.

Shiner Oktoberfest and Red Steel 2

So the baby is finally asleep and the wife is out painting the town red. I copped the game Red Steel 2 for Nintendo Wii last week and it is the BALLZ. I'm loving the sword fighting and then the gunplay. You really have to wind up and swing to get a strong sword swing. I'm over there sweating up a storm while playing the game, as I play to win.

Anyway the wife and I hit the Spec's Downtown to hunt down Abita SOS and whatever else is new. It's over 100 degrees outside, I'm changing shirts after being outside for 30 minutes, my lawn is cooking like plantain grease, and I'm all over Wal-Mart looking for testicle deodorant. That must mean IT'S OKTOBERFEST TIME IN HOUSTON!!!

Beer Log: Right the hell now
State: Starting to crash a little bit as I was up late shooting the sh1t and hitting the high gravity stuff at the Saucer last night.

Shiner Oktoberfest
Nose has a toasty biscuit thing going on, didn't see that coming. Maybe some veggie and caramel malt as it warms up. Perfect white head and clear copper color of the Oktoberfest style. The beer has a light sweet malt flavor with moderate hops. Kinda bleh to me with the bitter finish, not sure how noble that is. I'm getting some copper metal flavor about 3/4 of the way back. Dammit man. Upon slamming a big bit of it down, there's nothing to get fired up about with the lighter flavor. If they told me this was an amber lager, I'd believe it. I'll give it some time while I fire up the Red Steel 2.

An hour after slicing and dicing cats on RS2. Beer is more refreshing, but and with the warmup there's a little more of that malt showing through. Rating High 2 Stars.

Beering in Bavaria: Oktoberfest Day 1

I'm sitting here with a glass of the new Shiner Holiday Cheer, enjoying the peaches and maltiness of it all, while remembering Oktoberfest. Combined with Amsterdam, this trip actually made me open a book to consult with my mentor whose word I had not read in a few years, "Lord Henry Wotton". If you don't know who this character is or the book to which I am referring: DON'T TRY TO FIND OUT.

The madness and frivolity and lust of it all is something you just don't get in America, EVER! And we totally let it rip. No hinges whatsoever. I just have to shake my head at how crazy it was. And then to flip the script and go the foot of the German Alps, tasting some local beer and meeting random backpackers. It doesn't get much better than that.

So the first night we get to the festival it's already night time. People are very social with us and my friend (also black) noticed that we are getting some serious eyeing from the ladies, like as soon as the plane landed in Munich. Strange people these Bavarians. Usually when I travel to a place where I'm the only brotha within a 50 mile radius (Egypt, Northern Ontario, Boston) there's maybe some slight curiosity from the kids or people look at me like I'm a thug, so a noticeable rise in estrogen level on the trains and tents was a welcome change. But I digress.

The first tent we walk into is Lowenbrau. Now if you go to all the traveler websites and whatnot, they say you have to get to the fest very early to grab a seat. Well we had NO TROUBLE getting a seat outside, so we could at least get some food and our first beer. After that, you just kinda Debo your way onto a table. Those people online have no clue what's going on.

The Lowenbrau was fantastic, great maltiness and very fresh. The first beer. This probably one of the last videos I'll put up, and switch to pictures for the rest of these reviews. You'll have to pardon my voice, it gets a little weird sounding when I get fired up.

Afterward, we made our way to Hacker-Pschorr's tent. The beer was probably the lowest on my list of the four, High 2 Star. But the tent was AWESOME! We actually got into the thick of things on that one, right in the middle of the tent. I'm sure those pictures are around here somewhere. Anyway, I'm talking I had about 4 liters total. Dudes were falling off the tables, girls were just fired up, singing everywhere. Somehow we ended up hanging out with some English dudes and some random women in the traditional gear for most of that time. Oh yeah, while we were sitting on the outside of the Pschorr tent, we were talking smack with some German dudes, and at some point the N-word came out. But then again, they were complimenting me and on what they I guess thought my penis size was. We didn't know whether to punch them, but in reality we couldn't stop laughing as we were on mass #3. But it did make me think of Chris Rock (nsfw).

We still laugh about that one, and probably will for some time. At some point we left and made our way to the hotel to pass out before another full day of Oktoberfesting.

Hit me with one more Oktoberfest

Beer Log: Right Now
State: eating some boxed macaroni and leftover turkey meatballs with leftover broccoli. All served nicely in three separate cereal bowls.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest
Great big head with a nice caramelly aroma. Amber color once again. This one tastes a little sour and veggie like at first. In the middle of the experience I get a nice sweet maltiness true to style, and a not so true to style light metallic finish and bitter hops. First off, this Yo Gabba Gabba is an acid trip. Anyway this is certainly the lowest on the rung Oktoberfest I've had in this season. 2 Stars.

Luckily I have me some good ol' Ayinger, my top Oktoberfest beer from last season to finish up the night.

And later on:

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Try saying that three times fast... Drinking in a skinny mug, with a vibrant head. Nice malty nose on top of a huge head. Nose is a little fruity. Clear to hazy copper colored beer. Nice moderate sweet maltiness that is a touch of maple syrup. High 3 Star. I've got think if this one out the bottle is better than the stuff I had in Munich...

Live Blogging: A couple Oktoberfests

Sitting here feeling pretty good on the weekend overall. My undergrad got blasted by South Carolina State, but Georgia Tech showed out against Virginia Tech. Now all we need is THE U to have a bad day and Tech is in the drivers seat for a BCS bowl bid. Not to mention that the Texans beat down on the Bengals, Carolina got the win, and now Randy Moss just got a third touchdown and he's on my fantasy team. My fantasy team last week got about 11 points, today we are over 100 and Isabella FC is right back in the drivers seat for a playoff bid.

Anyway, I'm been slacking just a bit on my Oktoberfest posts b/c my friend has all the good pictures on his camera, and he's studying for the PE exam, so I don't think we'll be seeing him until October 24 at Dontoberfest, my annual beer party.

Last night we went to an EXCELLENT beer dinner hosted by Pappas Steakhouse. This steakhouse is constantly rated as the top steakhouse in Houston. And in a city that has cows and ranches inside the city limits, that's really saying something. Post about that one coming soon.

So today I think I'll kick back and have myself a few Oktoberfest beers, get ready for the long work week.

State: Eating some spaghetti with Shiner 100 turkey meatballs

Bob 47 Oktoberfest

Boulevard Brewing is back on the um... boulevard, with another seasonal. I still can't get over how great their beers had been, as I just did not like the first couple Bully's that I had. Anyways...big poofy head in my Tar Heels 2005 Championship Mug. Clear amber color with some maltiness on the nose. It's pretty toasty for an oktoberfest, and has a nice caramel finish. Moderate to high carbo. I actually get something akin to chocolate on my tongue 60 seconds after drinking it. Very lightly hopped. With the spagh it doesn't quite hold up as a foil or a compliment. However pleasant slightly weaker Oktoberfest, but still true to style. 3 Stars.

And while we're at it...

Left Hand Oktoberfest

Rather light caramel malty nose despite the mondo tan head. Clear amber beer.

(Sidebar: I used to hate on Brett Favre for coming back and toying with teams' emotions. But now, you know what, if you still want to your thing, whatever it is, and there is an organization willing to give you that opportunity...why not. What are you going to do when you retire? Travel and play golf. Okay that covers 2 months, so what about the other 20 years?)

I get a chewier okto compared to the Bully's. A thicker body with a nice sweet Munich malt (basically caramel) and light hops. No real aftertaste. On second slug I'm getting some sourness lingering under the bread and malt. Aw man. Low 3 Stars

Live Blogging: Blue Point and Widmer

Getting back into the game...

Blue Point Brewing Company (Long Island) Toasted Lager
Has a touch lemony smell. Basic amber color. The beer has a decent lemon taste to it with healthy dose of hops. I maybe can get a hint of toast, but not much. High 2 Star. I think it would be a little better but it's one we had in our collection since May. Happens sometime.

Widmer Octo
Amber color and whatnot. Fantastic caramel-malty nose. Taste is the same, but also has hints of toast and cinnamon. This one is hitting the nail on the head with a fall oktoberfest beer. I still think Paulaner (in Munich) is going to take the cake this season, however this beer is fantastico. Low 4 Star. The wife was tearing this one up while I was out of the country.

Happy New Year from the Don

Good to be back in Houston, hanging out with the wife and child, drinking some good beer we got over the holidays. I don't know if I'll ever try all these Christmas beers. I imagine this particular category will keep going. But before I regale you with tales of San Antonio for New Years, we made our way to BJ's Brewhouse a couple days after Christmas.

Beer Log: December 27, 2008

State: Chillin, eating a cheese pizza.

Got to love the Cheese Pizza, pizza the way the good Lord intended. We have not had all the beers at BJ's yet, but I was hoping they would have a Winter Seasonal by now. But what they did have was their fall seasonal.

BJs Oktoberfest

Had this one in a 5 oz taster. Bready oktoberfest and rather malty. As with most tasters, I don't get much of a head and thus scent. Low carbonation and low hops. It's almost syrupy on the flavor but not quite, 3 Star.

Tatonka Stout

This was a full portion of this one. Black with a creamy nitro all offwhite head. For those that are not aware, they put nitrous mixed with the carbon dioxide for a lot of stout and porters on tap. It makes the head very creamy and long lasting, and it looks cool as all get out when you pour it in a glass. The head kind of folds on top of itself like that Guinness commercial. Smells like caramel, roasted malts, and coffee. The first draught reveals a smoothness with a strong malt of the Imperial style. Rich flavors of coffee and toffee. Low hops and uber drinkable. It's not very bitter but there is a hint of citrus on the aftertaste. The head coast the inside of the glass. Very full bodied. 4 Stars.

Live Blogging: Ayinger Oktoberfest

It's 9:26PM, do you know where your beer is?

So I'm sitting here still recovering from my trip back to Charlotte (posts coming later), and I notice that there are a couple Marzens or Oktoberfests I have not tried that are at the house. I tried this one yesterday...

Michelob Marzen
Bottle to Beer Mug
Copper colored, white low head. light caramel smell with vegetal. Some breadiness and sourness. A little more bitter than I would like.It has moderate drinkability and slightly high carbo. The bitter aftertaste lasts on the back 2/3 of my tongue for a good 60 seconds.Maybe it's b/c I'm near the end of my oktoberfesting, but this one is angling for a 2 star. A couple more swigs and the munich malt is coming through. And the bitterness is not as pronounced. Not bad,but not all that great either. High 2 star b/c it's of the more boring oktoberfests I've had.

One time for Michelob at least putting out a Marzen. Again, they are digging their own graves with these light versions of craft beer. But moving on...

Trying this one right now...

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
It's in a 500 ml bottle that I'm pouring into my 2005 North Carolina NCAA Basketball champion beer mug (go Heels). Mmm, cloudy copper color with an off-white strong head. Smells good and malty. There is even a small slight citrus sourness in the smell as well. The head is very sustaining, and I will pour a little more in there. Tasting, now that's more like it. Malty, medium bodied, slight roastiness and a slight sourness on the aftertaste, all in that order. It could be that I just ran 4 miles in 40 minutes in that park about an hour ago, or that I've been having some disappointments in Oktoberfests, but this one is very tasty. The aftertaste is now more roasty. This baby moves instantly to the TOP of my Oktoberfest lists, which I will stop messing with come Halloween. I f8cks with this Oktoberfest. 4 Stars for sure.

Oktoberfest at Dontoberfest

Hanging out here at my house party, Dontoberfest. Basically this is a little something to help drink up my homebrew beer, my pale ale and IPA. Everyone at least told me they liked them. At first the pale ale and the IPA tasted very harsh and bitter. After a good few weeks of aging in the kegerator, and they are doing very well. Everyone brought along some craft beer, and we laughed it up until late in the evening. Everyone claimed my beer was very good. The beauty of so much beer on tap is that you don't feel bad cooking with it. We used the IPA to boil the brats, then put them on the grill. The Pale Ale went into the queso.

I look forward to doing it again in March.

I kegged my Belgian Wit Beer during the party, but did not carbonate it enough. I was too tipsy to keep filling it with CO2 and shaking it up. I'll let it wait the week to carbonate slowly. Awesome stuff. I even ran a good 4 miles that morning to store up some weightwatcher points. One of my boys messed around and threw a party later on that same night, so I didn't get the turnout I wanted, and we ended up with lots of extra beer and food. Oh well. I'm sure I'll find it a good home. We've got a good 100 bottles or so of craft beer now. I don't know where I'm going to put it all.

While at the party, I had the chance to try another oktoberfest.


Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest

Amber color, strong light tan head. Light malt and vegetalness of a lager. Not bad. Light malt, like Hofbrau. Low carbo. A slight sourness. It's very very smooth and drinkable. Very nice. 3 Star.

Didn't get in much of a description, as again, we were getting a little tipsy. There are several more craft beers at the house, and I look forward to trying them over time.

Oktoberfest/Maerzen

Heiner Brau Maerzen

Another beer from Marcellos

Smells good and malty and maerzeny. low head. Kinda lager smell as well. Good and sweet. Maybe a little honey in there. Nice breadiness, and low on the body. Ok Heiner Brau. Just a good sweet slightly different interpretation of a Marzen than I've had before. This is purity law beer, and I know they did not actually put honey in there, or sugar, or even carbonation. They did a great job brewing the beer for the Zea Restaurant in Lafayette, and they did a good job here. It has excellent drinkability and very low carbonation, right up my alley. One of the best Marzen/Oktoberfests I've had in a while. 4 stars. I'm even getting a little roasted malt in there as well as it warms up. I get the feeling that as I rank the Oktoberfests once the season is out, this one will be in the top three.

Oktoberfest and FAMU Football

Sitting here watching my alma mater Florida A&M whoop up on Howard U. We got a 41-0 lead and we just intercepted the ball and ran it back to the 4 yard line.

We found PLENTY more Oktoberfests at a different SPECS out here in the 'burbs, so I'm going to have to beer it up. Hold up. FAMU TOUCHDOWN. Fade pass.

I'm getting an Oktoberfest.

Sept 20, 2008

Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest

Nice brown color and opaque. Tan head. Light cinnamon and malt on a decent head. Nice full body and roastiness. Not much malt in first taste, kinda like a harsh feel on the back sides of my mouth, can't put my finger on it. Light nutmeg on the finish. A little gritty. Not really all that good with SOMETHING they put in there that is out of the ordinary. Nevermind, that's just metallic. I haven't tasted that one in a while out of a bottle. Very high metal feel. Not cool at all. Firmly a 2 star beer if not a 1 star with that metallicness. My glass may not be clean enough. I'll give it a go with one more later on. I have a 6 pack and it's a local beer (Fort Worth, TX), so I kinda have to give 'em another shot. This is my first R&S, and this specs has enough beer and local beer to rival Central Market. But I can't finish this beer. At least I'll have points to try another one today. The wife thinks it's okay. We both now agree that there is a lot of coriander in there. That must be it. The guys on Beeradvocate that gave it a low rating agree with me with the sour metal thing going on.

FAMU got another two scores while I was typing this, we are destroying these chumps. Mecca of Black colleges my arse.

Found another Oktoberfest... Yes

And I thought I had found all I could down this way without resorting to beer trading. We braved the roads of downtown to go to The Sauce, as that and a couple of Chinese and Mexican joints are the only ones that are open. Broken glass everywhere.

The waitress brings out my Oktoberfest and the wife's beer, whatever she ordered.

Live Oak Oaktoberfest
And its local. Light malty and cascade hoppy smell. Clear amber color. Light malt in the taste but medium to strong hops. WTF man? Lacy head. What's going on here. I'll have to try this one again at maybe Alamo Drafthouse or something. If someone told me this was a Pale Ale if not an IPA with that maltiness, I would believe them. I mention to the waitress that this is kinda hoppy for an oktoberfest, but she must be new as she didn't seem sure what I was getting at. Oh well, I'm already halfway through the pint. I even go to the kiosk to see what the "answer" is on the receipt. I has German hops on there, which could mean it has those musty hop aromas like the Hofbrau I have in the fridge. I taste the wife's beer and realize that she has a soapy oktoberfest while I have her Flying Dog Doggy Style Pale Ale. Isn't that just great. At least I got the style right, and even the hops. 3 Stars for the Doggy Style. It's so funny b/c I was thinking medium malt the entire time, but still got that pale ale flavor going on.

Live Oak Oaktoberfest, the real one this time.
Wow. Lighter amber than the Doggy Style, low head. Light malt and sweetness. Lops hops. True oktoberfest but has some bubblegum mintyness to it. Turns out the wife's lipstick is on the glass and that's what I'm smelling and tasting. Oh behave. Medium carbonation and kind of light in the body. 3 Stars. Goes great with the Guiness Au Jus sauce and roast beef sandwich we're having. Here's to hoping I can find a few more Oktoberfests before the season wraps up.

But the oktoberfest was what I thought it was. And we let 'em off the hook.

Oktoberfesting in a Green Bottle

I have this aversion to green and clear bottles, as it oxidizes the beer faster than an amber bottle. I'm even more wary of imports in green bottles, as it I know it probably got a lot of light on the trip overseas. I'm even MORE wary of imports in a green bottle from a corner liquor store which means that after its trip overseas, it has probably sat in the lit cooler for weeks if not months. But I need something new as I got the kegerator working finally, and I'm trying to get as many Oktoberfests as I can find.

September 16, 2007

Hofbrau Oktoberfest


Clear in a pilsner glass, I wanted more scent than what comes out of a beer mug. Clear straw color, strong poofy white head. Kinda skunk smell right off the bat. Dammit man. As the head goes down slowly, I'm getting more sweet smell off of it. Kinda like a lager sweetness. Tastes a little bready and lager vegetally. Bad bitter AT (aftertaste) man, very nasty on the back of the tongue. Kinda gritty and whatnot. Low carbonation, which is good. Medium bodied. The more I drink it the more I get a little of that sweetness. Typically the Oktoberfests I've had are dark and malty. If someone told me this was a budweiser or even a malt liquor, I would believe you. I'm not even getting that much Munich malt. Got to give this one a 2 Star. They say the German hops have the mustiness to it, so I'll roll with it. In a better situation, like on tap in Munich, this is probably a 3-4 star.

Oktober in August

It's still busting 100 degrees feel in Houston, but the boys at St. Arnolds have put out their Oktoberfest. I think they actually have their Christmas Ale out as well. I'll hit that one later on when the weather dips below 80. But I grabbed the Harvest Moon as well, one of the Blue Moons I really enjoy.


August 18, 2008
Harvest Moon
Yes I found my beer log book, it was in my laptop case. Smells of cinnamon, light caramel, light pumpkin. It's coppergold color with a strong tinged white head. Tastes of pumpkin but a little watery/metallic near the back that went away after the first sip. Light caramel and medium carbonation come through on the next slug. Lightly hopped. If someone told me it had honey in there, I would not be surprised. There's a kind of nutmeginess lingering on my tongue as well. It could be b/c this is the first Fall beer I've had this season and I was really feenin for some fall beer, but I'm giving this one 4 stars baby!

St. Arnold's Oktoberfest
Ah the local ish. Copper color with a fizzy head. It's got a malty and bubble gum like smell. A touch of cinnamon. It has a malty taste with a velvety finish. Med-light body with low carbonation. Remind me of a dopplebock. Very good stuff. 3 Stars

FYI, I have had a few more of the Harvest Moons since this review and I'm moving it down to 3 Stars. It was just the shock of a new style of brew I hadn't had in ages. I'm thinking about maybe having maybe getting a Coors Light or something before I review a new beer. Sometimes I'll find myself just fired up to have a beer at all, especially if its been a while.

Oktober in August

Maybe it's cooling down where you guys live, but it still was way over 100 degrees on the heat index here in Houston. We still have Hurricanes shooting the gap every week or so. But things like St. Arnolds Oktoberfest and Harvest Moon are appearing on the shelves. Those negros at St. Arn even tapped their Christmas Ale at the bars. And I'm seeing the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and I think a Winter warmer in the local HEB. WTF man. I'm still losing 7 pounds of water weight in 18 holes of golf.

But I am starting to go back to malty beers as I'm kinda of IPAing myself out. I think I've had enough of the hops, as I did an IPA tour at the Sauce recently and I've been trying beers like the Sierra Nevada Anniversary and the Southern Star (new shit). I would have reviewed those but they were out of a bottle/can. I'll get 'em later. You know its something serious when a 6 pack of Shiner Helles Lager was knocking me over with sweetness at our fantasy football draft last weekend. So we have tried a couple of pumpkin ales and Oktoberfests. Here's the first one I've been able to get into the blog.

Sam Adams Octoberfest

What's up with the "C", why not with a "K". I know these guys are patriots, but damn.

Copper color with a light tan head. Munich malt smell. Head has pretty good retention in this beer mug. (Eating spicy catfish and lemon ginger asparagus). Oh yeah. Kinda sweet like syrup, not caramely. Medium body, low hops (probably hallertau). Very well done again for Sammy. Kinda reminds me of the Shiner Helles Lager to be honest. Lower carbonation. 3 Stars. Maybe a touch of emptiness (wateriness) at the very end, which keeps it out of the 4 stars. Nice foil for this catfish. Granted, come late winter, I won't be talking much noise about Oktoberfests, as I'll need some warmers.

Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale (yesterday)

State: Eating pot roast with carrots and greens

A good friend of the family wanted to whip up some Sunday dinner and invited us along. Good stuff, as we had no plans. She knows we are a beering family, so she picks up some Pumpkin ale. Looks like apple cider. Low head that goes away fast. Very sweet smell, with remnants of cinnamon and pumpkin. I take a big sip and I notice its light body with lots of pumpkin and allspice. A little overwhelming for me. Low hops with a quick finish. Low carbonation. It's basically a pumpkin pie beer. Even has the light roasted malt near the back of the pallette, kinda like a browned pie crust. But I'm going to have to give this one a low 3 star. If they could dial the pumpkin pie back a little, I'd be in there. In this case, I'm looking for some subtly.

If I find my book, I'll go on and put in the St. Arn and Harvest Moon. Otherwise, I'm taking a 36 hour trip to Hotlanta and my grad school, Georgia Tech. It's a very quick turnaround but I'm going to try and squeeze in Sweetwater brewpub. We'll see. I'm a Ramblin, Gamblin hell of an Engineer, HEY!!!

Dude, Sweet, Dude... Sweet

Date: April 17, 2008

I'm out here at the Sauce hangin downtown like Cameo. I was at a loss as what I should try, and I figured I should go ahead and go for something sweet and malty. I'm sitting outside in the just about hot Houston heat, so I forego the stouts and porters and settle on the Brown.

State: Chillin and Full
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
The color is a dark dark brown. The new waitress brought it out in a bottle, so I could tell that it pours easy. It has a sweet caramel malt smell that is making my mouth water as I type this damn near 6 weeks later, though there was NO HEAD. Amazing. Holding it up to the light reveals a red color. It has surprisingly high carbonation, yet medium body. First taste is sweet maltiness though not roasted. It's very low in hops and leaves a lingering caramel and tingle on the pallet. It's very nice and almost a WOW beer for me. It's probably a touch too cold. The aftertaste comes in kind of filmy wetness, though that was a good thing this time. As it warms, it gets pretty durn heavy and bold with the caramel and some very very light bitter AT. Near the end, I'm tasting the alcohol a bit, but the beer is still strong. I was very surprised that those dudes at Dogfish messed around and put RAISINETTES in the beer. Awesome surprise there. Seeing as how I hate raisins and don't eat chocolate, I wouldn't know what that taste was. Neato. Raisinettes still suck though.

Spaten Oktoberfest
I ask the hot young waitress if there was something ye maltier than what I already had, but that was not a porter or stout. She was a bit worried and eventually brought me the last Spaten Oktoberfest. I feel really bad because after the Indian Brown Ale, this thing tasted like water. I wrote down that it was clear, orangish with a white head. Kind of spicy yet vegetal... and then my pen ran out of ink. It's just as well, as I couldn't really taste it anyway. Note to self, get the Oktoberfest, then the Brown Ale. I won't count this one against Spaten.