Upland's Oktoberfest

Indiana is pretty far from Munich but it doesn't mean we can't celebrate Oktoberfest in style. Upland brews one of the better Oktoberfest beers in town and they have a hell of a party to kick off the season.

Oktoberfest is all about the beer and the food, and Upland has kept to the tradition. They had all their flagship beers available in normal plastic cups or you could splurge and buy a beautiful 32 oz dimpled glass stein. Once you got the stein you could fill it for the same price as the "puny" 16 oz plastic cups. The only problem with the stein was that when it was full it was really heavy! I now understand why Germans have such huge forearms.

Upland didn't just bring the beer, they also brought the food. There were more than a half dozen of Indy's best food trucks. In honor of the holiday I went to the most German thing available, Der Pretzel Wagon. As always my sandwich was outstanding. Not quite traditional German sausages and kraut but still helped get me in the mood.

Tables and tents were lined up throughout Military Park. Thank God for the tables, I needed something to set my stein down on! It really gave the festival an authentic lager house sort of a feel. It also made it easy to hang out with all of your friends and even make a few new ones. In front of all the tables there was a stage with a few bands that were a lot of fun and a horse drawn trolley that went into downtown. Brie and I didn't take the trolley but everyone on it looked like they were having fun.

I reviewed the Upland Oktoberfest two years ago, but I wasn't as well versed in the style as I should have been. At the time I made a mistake a lot of newbie craft drinkers do and associated Oktoberfest beers with pumpkin / spiced beers. I knew they weren't the same thing, but I thought they should be closer than they really are. They aren't sweet beers, but are lighter easy drinking beers that would be great to have during the harvest.

Upland's version pours out a beautiful caramel color with a nice thick white head. It smells like toasted malts and toffee sweetness. The flavor is a bit like Cheerios (not the honey nut kind) with just a bit of that toffee sweetness that we got on the nose. Hints of nuts add an earthy flavor to the otherwise grainy base beer. The sweetness is balanced well with a nice hit of grassy hops which pair well with the nuttiness of the malt. There is just enough bitterness to round out the brew in a really pleasant way. The beer is rich without being too heavy. The carbonation is solid without being too effervescent. All in it's well balanced and a tasty American version of the traditional German style.

I gave this beer a 2.5 last time, and I really don't think that was fair to the brew. This is a really well executed beer. I think its should get at least a 3.5/5. It's a great beer that has become my standard Oktoberfest. 

Seasonal Creeps

Ahhhh the leaves are changing colors, there's a chill in the air, football is in full-swing, and Halloween plans are afoot... Wait what? None of this is going on, yet here we are in early August and pumpkin beers have been sitting on the shelf for weeks, not to mention Oktoberfest beers... OKTOBERfest (yes I know the traditional German event starts in late September, but at least that's 6ish weeks away).

Look I'm a fan of pumpkin beers and some Oktoberfest beers, but jumping the gun by 3 months is a bit much for me, to the point where I'm blogging about it- BLOGGING!! Is this really hurting anyone? Probably not. Do I want to drink a cloying, heavily spiced beer, while the heat index is still in the 80s and 90s? Certainly not. This is about the sanctity of the seasons and what's appropriate. 

I understand why this seasonal creep keeps shifting farther and farther away from calendar appropriate dates- money. First to market  gives you a perceived advantage and the "limited edition seasonal" buzz drives a lot of sales; Sam Adam's Oktoberfest is their best selling beer after all. The earlier you can get it out, the earlier you're raking in that seasonal money. 

My biggest beef is with the holiday seasonals, I'm looking at you Christmas and pumpkin beers, because they have a distinctive profile (spiced and/or fruits/vegetables added) and are directly tied to calendar holidays. Summer, Spring, and to a certain degree Winter beers get a pass, because they don't always meet the criteria mentioned above. There's something that feels cheery about having a Christmas or pumpkin beer in the couple weeks leading up to those holidays... not couple months. Most of you have probably walked into your favorite one-stop-big-box-shop and seen holiday decorations up for sale months in advance and sighed "already??" This is how I feel about the inappropriatly early seasonal beers. 

There has to be a cutoff though, right? When is early too early? I personally will not buy or drink a fall beer until October. I have grown weary of the creep, and I know I'm not alone, but there's still enough people out there that will grab a seasonal at initial release for the creep to continue. Will fatigue set in as creep keeps creeping and more seasonal options show up every year? Breweries bank on that "Oh! [insert favorite seasonal] is out! I have to get me some of that" reaction, but at some point early is going to be too early and that "Already??" reaction is going to become more common. The one thing that will combat that is...

Availability or perceived availability... that phrase "limited edition" has a lot of power. When people (meaning me) do want to drink seasonals in-season, will they be able to find their beer of choice? In some cases the more popular seasonals arrive early and in actual limited supply, so you're left buying into the creep and sitting on the beers until you want to drink them (or drinking them early) or missing them altogether. Personally I'm gambling this year; there's enough options, I don't really care that much (just ask my 2013 imperial pumpkin beers in my cellar), and I have principles dammit. 

I'm never going to demand someone stop drinking pumpkin beers 3 months early, but just think about what feels better. Would you rather be drinking a pumpkin beer poolside with NFL training camp going on or while carving a pumpkin and football in full swing? Right now is the time to enjoy the wheats, IPAs, or whatever reminds you of summer... you know, the "limited edition" beers that hit the shelf in February. 

Fat Head's Oktoberfest

Right now, just about everyone has an Oktoberfest out. Our friends at Sun King do a great Oktoberfest, that they've just started canning. I reviewed it last year and gave it a mediocre review, but that was based more on inexperience with the style.

Oktoberfest beers, or Marzens, are a beer that I've been working to gain an appreciation for. Marzens are traditionally a Bavarian lager that's brewed in the late stages of winter to spring and tapped in October. The BJCP describes the Oktoberfest beer as having "initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low to none. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet." When I reviewed the Sun King Oktoberfest I was looking for more sweetness, and I was wrong. My bad! Based on Sun King's batch canned this year, it's totally spot on.

Fat Head's is a relatively new brewery to Indiana, that comes from our neighbor to the East, Ohio. I fell in love with their Head Hunter IPA earlier this summer, and when I saw them put out an Oktoberfest, I had to give it a try. The beer pours out a crystal clear amber color with a nice off-white head that lasts until the last drop. The aroma is cereal and caramel with just a hint of sweetness. It tastes like caramel and toffee, but with a crisp clean finish. There is a buttery flavor that goes throughout the beer.

In my last Beer MBA class with Ron Smith we talked about how a lot of German breweries do this on purpose. In the states we consider it a mistake (at least the BJCP does). The buttery flavor comes from the yeast of the beer. Normally it's allowed to be reabsorbed, but to get that buttery flavor you have to stop the brewing early. It's really common in Chardonnay wine. In beer, this also adds to a slippery mouth feel that almost gives it a syrup like feel.

I am really getting on board with this style, at least I'm trying to. I love the cleanness of the beer, and the flavors really do scream fall. Of the four or five that I tried this month, Fat Head's was my favorite. I liked what Sun King put together and Schlaflly's was fine, but a little bit boring. Victory's was pretty mediocre, but was very true to the style. This one by Fat Head's really seemed to hit all the notes that I was looking for. I give it a solid four.

BREWniversity: In Germany, Oktoberfest drinks you!

Leave it to the Germans to have a party so epic, they have been celebrating it for 180 years now.

In America, Oktoberfest has become an excuse for people (and by people I mean me) to get black out drunk off liters of beer and loudly yell lewdly inappropriate things in Deutsch.  Oktoberfest has become to the average consumer what Easter and Christmas are to church goers; it's the one day of  the year they indulge in their favored, yet infrequent activity.

Our bastardization of the Bavarian holiday has been digested, marketed, and truncated by America and our Bar-not-a-Pub culture.   Thanks to our heavy German brewing past, the event has persisted, but if you asked the average too drunk forty year old at the local Oktoberfest celebration, they will usually have no idea that it started in Bavaria because of  an 1810 wedding between King Ludwig I and Princess Therese who invited everyone.  Literally everyone.  And it was a reception that lasted 16 days and ended with horse races.  Did you have horse races at your wedding?  Yeah, didn't think so.

Everyone had so much fun with the parade, and races they said, "Fuck, lässt es wieder tun! (lets do it again!)"  And so they did, and there was much rejoicing.

The agricultural festival that was added and the parade are the few things that have lasted from the first events until now.  It has evolved over the years and the things we see as iconic were picked up as the years went by.  Beer wasn't served in the glass mugs we associate with the festival til 1892, the horse races were dropped in 1960, and the food has changed with the German palate.

Oktoberfest, or "die Weisen," in so entrenched in German culture that even the bigger socio-political environment impacts the fest.  Days were changed so that October 3rd, German unification day, could be celebrated.  There have been 24 cancellations of the fest due to cholera and war.

The American celebration of Oktoberfest has become the German St. Patty's day.  We get drunk, we eat sausage and sauerkraut, and wear unfortunate liederhosen.  What has become a casual drinking holiday for us, is a 17 day marathon of fun to Europeans and an event that is steeped in the historical evolution of its host country.

When you're chugging your liter of beer, just remember to pour one our for good ol Ludwig.  If he hadn't had the most epic party ever, you wouldn't be a "Beirleichen" or beer corpse these next two weekends.

#OktoBEERfest Baron's Style

First things first, I didn't #Volunteer for this one. There I've said it... I was Press this time around, which was awesome!

If you recall in a previous post when I WAS volunteering, I ran into Blaine Stuckey with Mad Anthony Brewing.  His enthusiasm and attention to detail had him finished with his beer booth before anyone else had shown up to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival.  Guess what?  Hard work and attention to detail is what he does best because it showed at the organization and planning for SayOKtoBEERfest.  In my opinion, this event went off without a hitch.

On Saturday September 7th, 2013, thirty Indiana breweries showed up to this intimate event at the west side of Headwaters Park, just off S. Calhoun St.  The location was great.  Not only was forethought put into the location for rain (all the breweries were under a picnic pagoda area), but it was fenced in as well.  No muss, no fuss for security.  Two brick and mortar bathrooms were located in the pagoda area and were supplemented with a handful of port-a-potties at the entrance.  If I was still in Urban Planning I would have given myself a pat on the back for finding this gem to host the event.

I thought it was amazing that the first brewery to be seen at the event was our buddies from Union Brewing Company.  Tony met us with a grin, a tasting of Cannonball Doyle and a thumbs up.  Say "Hi" Tony!

The Big Guy and I got there about as early as most of the breweries and it was neat to see everyone setting up for the event.  Pro Tip: Always check your Jockey Box the day before you head to an event.  

It was great to see Tin Man Brewing Co. up from Evansville, IN bust out their Beer Gear!  See below for the diagram of shenanigans that is Bag Beer!  If you haven't tried their Over Lord DIPA I suggest you do. The latest batch is great!  Fred Hillenbrand talked me into trying it a second time.  I was underwhelmed the first time I had it at Indiana Microbrewers Festival, but it tastes as if they got the kinks out of the recipe! Thanks again Fred!

Speaking of Beer Gear!  You guys remember back in June I did that article on the Beer Pouch?  Cutters Brewing Co. had a few on hand they were serving out of and promoting/selling for their version of Growlers!  If you haven't had their beer please get out to Avon, IN and grab a pint of Floyd's Folly! \

Rock 104 was there to pump up the tunes to keep the party rocking all day long!  I think Joe pouring for Flat 12 was in seventh heaven when the second van pulled up.  All I heard was "THERE'S TWO VANS!?" the rest of the event.

O-Dawg's Best of the Fest:
Triple Smoked 12 Penny - Scotch Ale - Flat 12 Bierwerks
Great oaky/vanilla nose.  Real light.  Crisp malt and roast on the fin.  Hops closes it out.  GREAT!


John the One Eyed - Belgian Dubbel - Evil Czech Brewery
It's like a Tripel running around in Dubbels clothing!  Smooth as hell with spicy malt.  Loved it!

Black IPA - BIPA/Cascadian Dark Ale/American-Style Black Ale - Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Sweet malt nose.  Not roasty like you would think with this style.  Finishes with a bitter sweet chocolate.  Really good!

To close it all out...  A big thanks to all the Volunteers! OktoBEERfest would not have been an event with out all your selfless hard work in putting together and running the event!  I hope you all had as much fun as The Big Guy and I did!  Thanks again to Blaine and Brandi.  The Baron's can't wait for next years OktoBEERfest!  We'll see you then!

The Big Guy: This was an awesome festival and I can't wait to check it out again next year. It was well worth the two hour drive up north. The park that it was held in was beautiful. If my GPS hadn't had it out for me it would have been perfect. There were somewhere between twenty and thirty professional breweries. What really impressed me was the awesome contingent of homebrews by the MASH group out of Fort Wayne. They were showcasing some great homebrewed concoctions. Everything tasted professional. I had the BBQ from Shigs in Pit. The hot BBQ was totally legit. It was hot and smoky and mostly hot in a great way. The music was solid, and we were able to bring cigars for a grand finale before driving home. All in this was an excellent place to ring in Oktoberfest. 

My favorite beers were:

Triple Smoked 12 Penny by Flat 12 Bierwerks. It was a barrel aged session beer. That's right, low alcohol beer that was barrel aged. It had a great complex flavor. There were layers and layers of awesome that you never get from low ABV beer. I gave it a 4.5 because it was a session ale and it tasted so good. If you want to just go for overall flavor, its probably a solid 4.

Overlord by Tin Man Brewing was also outstanding. Nice big hops and sweet malt backbone. It was great, and I can't wait to start getting cans of their stuff in our market. I gave it a 4

White Reaper by Evil Czech was also great. Nice balance of hop blends on top of a very light and crisp malt backbone. It was clean and easy drinking, which made it perfect for the hot summer day. I gave it an enthusiastic 3.5

My only disappointment was the Pickled Cucumber Kolsch. I've been looking forward to this for months since Rob talked about it at the Brew Bracket. I loved the cucumber flavor from the kolsch. In general I love pickles. It seemed like it would be a match made in heaven. It wasn't... It wasn't terrible but I had hyped it up so much in my head and it just didn't live up to the dream.

A final note from O-Dawg: Just in case you are traveling up to Fort Wayne, IN to check this event out next year or any beer festival for that matter...  Don't trust your GPS, especially if it is Apple's.  Apple Maps had The Big Guy and I cruising through downtown Fort Wayne to end up at a parking garaged labeled on the map as Headwaters Park.  I was pretty sure it was the City Clerk's office...  Go Go Gadget Google MAPS!

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Oktoberfest

So I tried to get some Teddy Bear kisses and the best I could do was a sixer of their Oktoberfest. Upland is the second largest micro brewery in Indiana. Lucky for me that means that I was able to find this without a growler.

Oktoberfest has a 6.8 abv.

The beer poured a nice clear orange color. The head was white and faded away fast, leaving lacing as I drank. It had a malty bread sort of a smell. The mouth feel is very smooth and light.

Up front the beer is very sweet. It has hints of nuts and caramel mixed with a heavy bready malt flavor. There is just a little bit of bitterness at the finish of the beer, but the sweetness lingers past it with almost a nutty aftertaste.

I just got back from the Bourbon Trail in KY for my 30th birthday and they explained that you shouldn't take a sip until you can no longer taste the beverage on your tongue. Like many fest beers this one lingers with you for a while. If you wait for the flavor to completely disappear it may take you a while to finish your bottle.

All in this was a decent Oktoberfest, but not my favorite.

I give it a 2.5

Autumn Marzen

I like Oktobefest beers. I would drink them throughout the year if it were allowed or easily done, but maybe then they wouldn't be as special.

Bier has put together their Autumn Marzen, which is a mostly traditional Bavarian Oktoberfest. It has 6.6% abv and 19.4 IBUs.

The beer pours an amber color with a fine line of white head that stays around the edge of the glass throughout your drinking experience. It has a fruity smell with just a little bit of hops and breadiness. It reminds me of my mothers home made raisin nut bread. Damn, I like her raisin nut bread, now I'm hungry. There is a light mouth feel, which surprised me because of how red the beer was.

The beer starts off with a fruity sweetness. There is a hint of caramel and cinnamon flavor to the malts. It has a crisp hoppy flavor at the end that tingles the tongue just enough that you know it is there. Sweetness and spice are expertly balanced, leaving enough of the beer flavor to keep me super happy.

This is one of my favorite Oktoberfests I have had this year. I give it a 4.

Oktoberfest - Thr3e Wisemen

Thr3e Wisemen made one hell of a Oktoberfest. Sadly, I take a shitty picture when I have been drinking. My bad.

This beer came out with a nice golden brown color, darker than a lot of Oktobefests I've had this season, and a snow white head that stuck around throughout the entire pint.

This Oktoberfest was maltier than most Oktoberfests I've had this year. It had a great caramel malty flavor in the body of it with some nice fall spices. The spices were accented by the hops which gave it a robust all around good taste. With all the maltiness, I was impressed that they were able to keep the sweetness more subdued. This helped keep it from just becoming a sweet beer with nothing else. There was a great sweetness upfront with a really crisp dry backbone. I could drink this all night, in fact...

I had a couple of pitchers, and the last pint was going down just as smoothly as the first.

I give this Oktobefest a 4.

Oktoberfest

So its the end of September, guess what that means? Time for Oktoberfest. Weird how Oktoberfest isn't in October. There are tons of awesome events that go along with this most sacred of German beer related holidays.

Oktoberfest started as a Bavarian Holiday, starting in the end of September and running into the beginning of October. Back in the day, Oktoberfest Beers were brewed at the end of the previous season, and then aged until the holiday, which was basically the kickoff of the German brewing season.

I drove down to Sun King and decided to start off trying their Oktoberfest. It was a solid Oktoberfest. It started off sweet and very malt forward. It started off a bit lighter in color than I was expecting, but still a nice golden brown. It had just a little bit of head that left a soft lace around the top of the glass. It had a nice malty aroma and flavor. It had mild caramel flavors with just a little bit of nuttiness. There was nothing wrong with this beer, but all around the flavors were a touch muted. It was a solid drink, but not my favorite.

I give it a 3