October 10, 2025 • 48 mins
What happens when you line up eight American Oktoberfests—NA to 6.1% ABV—and go searching for that rich, toasty, German-style soul? We found drinkable lagers, a few surprises, and a lot of restrained flavor that made us ask why so many U.S. takes feel cautious. From Athletic’s better-than-expected NA Fest Brew to Surly’s subtly sweeter finish, we walk through each pour with clear notes, simple language, and honest scores. Point and Leinenkugel’s hint at malt but don’t carry it through; Central Waters stays crisp and clean; Bell’s introduces a light bitterness that divides; Capital leans malty without momentum; and Shiner—yes, Shiner—delivers a rare initial pop that made us do a double-take.
Between sips, we share a farm story that involves a tractor, a snapping cherry tree, and a hard-earned reminder that even familiar routines can surprise you. That theme runs through the tasting: great Oktoberfest lagers aren’t about flash; they’re about generosity—bread-crust aroma, light caramel, a firm but clean finish—and the confidence to let malt lead. When those notes are muted, the result is pleasant but forgettable. When they’re present, you get the stein-worthy character that made us fall for German Märzen in the first place.
If you’re sampling along, this guide helps you pick based on your goals: NA pacing (Athletic), approachable malt (Point, Leinenkugel’s), crisp drinkability (Central Waters), a firmer edge (Bell’s), malt-leaning finish (Capital), a surprising kick from a familiar name (Shiner), or the closest fit in the pack (Surly). We’re still chasing a U.S. Märzen that nails the classic profile—so help us out. Subscribe, share this with a beer-loving friend, and tell us which American Oktoberfest has real depth. Got a local favorite we should hunt down next? Prost!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen, andwelcome back to the Northwoods
Beer Guy Podcast.
This is Mike, the NorthwoodsBeer Guy.
And as always, I am joined byJim.
Hey, buddy, how you doing?
Doing alright, how aboutyourself?
Enjoying this nice warm weather.
Yeah.
Last couple weeks have been uhunseasonably warm in this area.
SPEAKER_00 (00:47):
And it's actually technically fall, isn't it?
I think it is.
SPEAKER_01 (00:51):
I'm not exactly sure.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
By the weatherman by the calendar.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
I was gonna say, I don't remember when those days
are, but I think we are.
But we've been like talkingclose to record temperatures a
few days, and kind of sucksbecause it brings the bugs back
out.
SPEAKER_00 (01:04):
Yeah, it sure does.
But I think I'll enjoy this warmweather a lot better than we
will the ice and the snow herein a couple months.
SPEAKER_01 (01:10):
I was gonna say, in not that long a time, we'll be
wishing for record warmth, I'mguessing.
SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
But I think we've been doing good so far with
tasting some good Oktoberfestbeers.
I I can't remember offhand howmany we did last year, but we
gotta be sneaking right up therein about the same number.
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
We've got to be getting close because I think we
did three or four episodes lastyear.
And uh, surprise, surprise, wehave another episode right now.
So this is our thirdOktoberfest.
Right now, again, remember, wedid a German Oktoberfest, which
totally ruined us, right?
And we've been trying to figureout like the American
equivalents to get that flavor,and we haven't quite found it
(01:49):
yet.
SPEAKER_00 (01:50):
No, I mean we've uh and and you and it's not for
lack of trying, right?
Right, we've been doing our bestto try to find every available
October American-madeOktoberfest beer out there.
SPEAKER_01 (02:01):
Yep, exactly.
And I see you found some more.
I'm searching high and low.
Now, I will say this two of themI'm a little hesitant on.
Uh-oh.
How come?
Well, the listeners will findout because I know for one, I'm
gonna catch heat on.
Uh-oh.
And the other one, well, becausethe last time we did an episode
on this kind of beer, it uh theydidn't do very well.
(02:24):
But I brought them just for you,just so you could redeem
yourself.
I know you did.
I don't know if that's possiblethough.
So we'll see.
So I don't know.
Uh should we we might as wellbreak into it and uh this is one
of them that I'm honestly kindof a little eerie of because if
you remember, we did anon-alcoholic episode a while
(02:46):
back, and it fell flat, and kindof like all the beers, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:49):
They just really didn't have a whole lot of
flavor to them.
No, uh surprisingly, because Imean if you're not gonna have
any alcohol, you'd think you'dhave more flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (02:58):
You would think, because then what you could have
juice if you were but apparentlyalcohol adds flavor, so is what
I'm guessing, because they theywere just like they were missing
something, and it was thegoodness, I guess.
So so who do you have there?
So the first one we have is byAthletic Brewing Company, and
we've had I think we had acouple of them from them in that
(03:18):
episode, and this is theirOktoberfest, and it's a fest
brew.
Oh, and it is well, 0.5% ABV.
So you're saying there's achance we could get drunk.
If you drank like two cases ofit, you might get drunk, you
probably could get a buzz.
Okay.
Well, I'm thinking you're gonnahave to visit the bathroom a lot
(03:39):
more.
So you're saying there's achance, there's a chance.
So, like I said, uh 20 IBUs, andthey're right up.
Uh, a traditional golden festbrew crafted for celebration,
crisp and malty with breadyaromas and a delicate sweetness.
With no alcohol, with noalcohol, or very, very little.
(03:59):
And it's in a can, 12-ounce can.
Yep.
So you could drink a number ofthem, not in a plastic
container.
No, no.
We'll see if a non-alcoholic hasany more aroma than what the
American ones did last week, andit looks kind of like very
light, and very light in color.
A lot of little bubbles, a lotof little bubbles.
(04:21):
That's kind of freaky.
Yeah, again, the aroma's kind ofnot really there.
SPEAKER_00 (04:25):
There is a little there's a little head, though.
A little bit.
So it it it resembles a beer.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
It resembles a beer, it looks like a beer.
Yes, it doesn't really it kindof smells like a beer, I guess,
but wow, that's not it'sdifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (04:38):
I mean, definitely has more flavor than some of the
other ones.
SPEAKER_01 (04:42):
Right.
I was gonna say that that's thesurprising part, right?
It almost has more of a a littlehoppier flavor, yeah.
You know, I mean maybe that's itsays fest brew, so maybe it's
supposedly like a you know, afest beer beer.
But it's actually not it's notbad, no, surprisingly.
It seems like it has more flavorthan the other uh non-alcoholic
(05:04):
ones that we've ever had before.
Not that we've had a hugeamount, but it uh it's
definitely different.
SPEAKER_00 (05:10):
And I think it's actually, I would have to
probably say one of the betternon-alcoholic beers that I've
had.
SPEAKER_01 (05:16):
Yeah.
Again, we haven't had that many,but I again I don't know, you
know, when they're talking abouta bready aroma, I really don't
get that.
No, you know, but I it does havea little bit more of a uh, like
I said, a hop taste, you know,to me anyway.
SPEAKER_00 (05:31):
Right.
I mean, it's I mean, if you'regonna drink the non-alcoholic
beer, you know it's gonna belacking in a little bit, but I
mean, surprisingly, that doeshave some some flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (05:40):
It has, yeah, it actually has some, which is
surprising.
I was going into it expecting itto be just going, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (05:47):
Yeah, you know, so you redeemed yourself from
non-alcoholic.
SPEAKER_01 (05:50):
Well, you brought it, but I that one's not as bad
as the other ones we've had.
So, what do you think?
Score-wise, uh okay, again, howdo we rate non-alcoholic beers?
Um, I'm gonna go.
I'm glad you're going first.
I'm gonna go 2.0, just becauseif I go a 2.5, I'm gonna put
myself in that corner that Ialways put myself in, and then
(06:12):
it's gonna be terrible at theend.
So I'll say a 2.0, not thegreatest flavor, but it does
have compared to othernon-alcoholic beers, it does
have some flavor.
So I'm a little bit impressedthat way, right?
SPEAKER_00 (06:22):
And I think echo the same exact thing, and I think it
actually does taste distantlylike an Oktoberfest beer, like a
Marzon.
I mean, they're trying, so I'mkudos for them for getting it to
that point.
Is are you gonna be faked out byany of these other ones?
No, this is not.
I mean, if you're if you likenon-alcoholic ones, this would
be something I'd definitely giveyou a try.
(06:42):
I'd say the same score of 2.0.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
Yeah, you know, I do give them credit because you
know, back in the day when whenyou had like a non-alcoholic
beer, it was just you know apilsner, right?
And that was it.
So I'm it is kind of cool thatthese companies are trying
different styles.
Yes, and I'm sure it's gottait's gotta be kind of hard to
make so you know some of thosewithout alcohol in them.
And I so I give them credit, youknow, an A for effort.
(07:07):
Mostly they get like C's and D'sfor execution, but you know, it
it's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (07:13):
Yeah, this is not definitely not bad.
SPEAKER_01 (07:15):
No, we've had worse, right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:18):
I guess.
I get and the hard part is youknow, if you're gonna be on that
track, you gotta be ready to goto the bathroom because you're
gonna that's you're you're notgetting much else out of it.
SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
No, no, it's just yeah, exactly.
You're gonna make more bathroomtrips, so yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:32):
Well, let's should we try one or has actually got
some alcohol in it?
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
Yeah, let's get into like a normal so the next one
that we have now that we we gotwhat four are in cans and four
are in bottles, so that's kindof a nice little thing.
Uh, this is from Stevens PointBrewing.
Nice, and this is theirOktoberfest, Mars on.
Okay, and this one is 4.9% andsix uh 15 IBUs.
(07:56):
Sweet.
So it it you know that's a bigjump for me.
Zero to 4.9.
SPEAKER_00 (08:01):
We went way up there, way up there, but we got
less IBUs, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I don't know if that's atrade-off, yeah.
I don't know if I'd tasted 20IBUs in that not on.
SPEAKER_01 (08:11):
No, like I said, I did get a little bit of a hop
flavor, but I mean again, veryminor, very minor.
Yeah.
So the uh the description nowyou got the descriptions from
Untapped, so that's good becauseI know a couple times when we've
been reading them, it's likethey're cut off and all that,
and and untapped does have a fewmore, it seems like so.
(08:32):
Uh this one, it says PointOktoberfest is an authentic
Marzon style lager beer, a stylereminiscent of the beers
originally brewed for the firstOktoberfest celebration in
Germany during the early 1800s.
Nice craft brewed usingHallertow hops and sweet Vienna
roasted malts results in afull-flavored, finely balanced
(08:54):
beer brewed in celebration ofthe upcoming season.
SPEAKER_00 (08:58):
All right, well, there's a lot of talk there, a
lot of talk.
SPEAKER_01 (09:01):
So whoopsies.
I better uh hit the floor, hitthe floor, the the bottle cap
hit the floor.
Now, the first one, remember, Isaid was in a can, and that was
really didn't have any look ofan Oktoberfest theme to it.
No, nothing you know maybe thecolors yeah, is what?
(09:21):
Brown and some orange and such,but it was just pretty plain.
I mean, it looks like they'reother cans for athletic.
Right, it does not look likeOktoberfest.
No.
Now, point, they went back tothey got the blue and white
diamonds and all that goodstuff.
SPEAKER_00 (09:36):
They're all into it.
SPEAKER_01 (09:37):
Oh, yeah, they're going all out.
It's a little bit of aroma, nothuge, but yeah, I was hoping for
some little bit darker than thatfirst one, which is good.
It's getting a little closer tothat color that I'm used to.
Right.
I mean, it's it's got a little,it's got more flavor than the
non-alcoholic one.
Not a lot, not a lot, but it'sgot more.
It has some.
That is just it's still thecraziest thing.
(09:58):
There's not a lot there, is it?
This one is is maltier.
I think I can taste more malt.
Not a bunch, but no, no, no, nota huge amount, but again, it
it's that's I think kind of thepredominant flavor, is more of
that malty kind of thing.
Again, I'm sure we have drank itand we will drink it, and you
know that's not bad.
(10:18):
I mean, it's now again.
We should say that you know,we've had a number of these
before, but these are the 2025editions.
So, yeah.
What do you think on this one?
If you uh are gonna let thepeople know, what would you kind
of score this and such?
SPEAKER_00 (10:33):
So, again, I revert back to my older self of doing
the German Marzans.
Is it that quality?
No, is it taste bad?
No, is it just there?
It just kind of seems like it'sit's there.
It doesn't like, ooh, I want tohave another drink, I want to
have another sip.
It's just like it touches yourtongue, it kind of thinks it's a
Marzan, and then poof, it'sgone.
(10:53):
So my score is gonna be a littlelower, not because it's bad, but
just because it's not, I don'tthink it's up there to that
level where those good Marzanswere.
I'm gonna say a 2.1.
Okay, yeah, not bad, but justright.
Uh I'm just like uh I just can'tdescribe it good enough.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (11:10):
Yeah, unfortunately, I'm gonna agree with you and do
the same score.
It is better than the uhnon-alcoholic.
Uh, we should say, you know,point brewings out of Stevens
Point, Wisconsin.
Uh, but again, it's uh I justthink it could use a little
more, you know, and it it's kindof fallen in line a little bit
with some of these other onesthat we've had for the 2025
(11:33):
versions, and it's kind offreaking me out a little bit
because it seems likehistorically we had more flavor,
but maybe not.
Maybe I'm just you know, again,my mind's going back to the the
German one, right?
But uh it's all right.
I mean, I if you have never hadone, you could try it.
Oh, for sure.
You know, it does have a littlebit of a malty taste to it,
which I don't mind, but it justkind of leaves you wanting more,
(11:56):
yes.
So little like you're right onthe edge.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
Is it gonna be a beer?
Uh no.
SPEAKER_01 (12:01):
And then you're like, well, deflated.
Well, I guess we'll have it'syou know it's like ho home,
yeah.
So I don't know.
Well, kind of crazy.
So well, should we try anotherone to see if we can get some
find some flavor?
Well, we sure can.
So the next one we have is fromLina Hoogles.
Well, what was that?
(12:23):
Oh, I was just trying to mimicyou there for a minute.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, so this is of course fromJacob Linen Kugels.
Nice.
This is their Oktoberfest.
Sweet.
So this one is 5.15% ABV.
They get hundreds.
Yes.
Hundreds of a percent and 20IBUs.
Yes.
And what this one says isOktoberfest is arguably the
(12:46):
world's greatest festival.
And our Linenkugels Oktoberfestis the perfect beer for anyone
who wants to join in thefestival spirit.
A traditional Marzon style beer,Linen Kugels Oktoberfest has a
toasted malt flavor and subtle,spicy hot notes that make it
perfect for celebrating fall intrue German fashion.
(13:08):
And of course, the perfect foodto pair with it is traditional
German fare like brats,spatzels, and salty pretzels
with mustard.
And unfortunately, I don't haveany of those.
Oh, Mike.
I may have brats, but they'refrozen.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Spicy hops.
We'll find out.
I don't know if we've had aOktoberfest of spicy hops.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yeah, we'll see.
So this one kind it has the blueand white color, but it doesn't
have the diamonds, and it's gotkind of like two people kayaking
on the Yeah, it doesn't looklike an Oktoberfest scene.
No, no, exactly.
It's not what I would expect onan Oktoberfest bottle.
I'm guessing they make all theirlabels, and they're all because
they are all kind of tied intothat Northwoods kind of theme.
(13:53):
Yep.
And the colors are the blue andwhite, but it's a little darker
blue.
Not that that matters.
So all right.
Again, it's kind of that darker,kind of closer to like an
amberish kind of color.
It's getting there.
Yeah.
Does have some aroma.
Again, not very little, huge,but a little bit more, I think,
than the point.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Yep.
Is that a little more malty,maybe?
SPEAKER_01 (14:12):
Maybe a little bit more malty.
I don't know if I get like aspiciness at all.
So now Line and Cool's, theywere headquartered in Chippewa
Falls for a long time.
No, they still do have a brewerythere, but I think they do more
like small batch type stuff orspecialty, yeah.
Experimental, maybe.
Um because they moved toMilwaukee, right?
(14:33):
Most of it, and then I think so.
Cause yeah, I I was gonna say Ican't remember if they went to
Milwaukee or where it was, but Ithink you're right.
And I don't know, it was notreceived well from especially
from Chippewa Falls people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:45):
So because now there's I mean that was a big
staple there in that community.
SPEAKER_01 (14:49):
So well, yeah, it had been there for what 150
years or something crazy.
Now they still do have the theLiney Lodge, yes, so you can go
there, and it that is a coolplace.
Yes, it is, you know, they andthey have all sorts of beers on
tap.
You can mix beers and they'vegot like recipes, yep, and
they've got of course merch likecrazy, any kind of merch you can
(15:10):
think of.
So if you're ever in that area,I would still stop.
Right, but I don't know.
They probably still do brewerytours, maybe, but it wouldn't be
quite the same, right?
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
You know, again, this is not overly flavorful.
SPEAKER_01 (15:22):
I mean no, I'm sensing a pattern.
Yeah, it's we must have forgotthat from last year or
something, I guess.
SPEAKER_00 (15:27):
Yeah, I was hoping, and it's been the consistent for
all the October fest beers thatwe've tried, up to including
these three.
SPEAKER_01 (15:35):
Yeah, other than the German ones, it's it's been kind
of I don't know why you want tosay it for the flavor if it's
just almost like it's washedout.
You know what I mean?
I mean, I wonder if they'reafraid.
unknown (15:45):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
If any guys are listening, don't be afraid.
Yeah, flavor is your friend.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Let it I mean, put something in there, or we can
even try it.
Because I mean, now that we havenow that we're subject matter
experts on German, I don't wantto speak.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:59):
We're experts, so you expertly know they taste
better.
So now it's up to you again too.
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Oh, it's up to me.
Well, I'm gonna go 2.2 one, justone above, because it did have a
little bit more flavor.
Yeah, uh, I I didn't really getthat spicy, whatever they were.
Spawning hot notes.
Yeah, I didn't really get that.
And I like you had said before,I think the I thought it was
more malty than hoppy.
Right.
So I don't know.
I guess 2.2 again.
(16:24):
I think anybody could try it,you know.
And I don't know.
Again, we're still trying tofind uh an American Octoberfest
that we can say, there we go,that's the one.
Right.
You know, we've we've definitelygot some more here to try, and
hopefully, knock on wood, thatwe'll find it.
But find at least one, at leastone if we don't.
SPEAKER_00 (16:40):
Well, we'll keep going, but we'll keep there's
gotta be more out there.
There's got to be somebodythat's coming close.
SPEAKER_01 (16:44):
So I hope.
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
What do you think?
I yeah, I think you're spot onwith a score.
I'm gonna say a 2.2 as well.
I was hoping again to have alittle bit more.
I mean, it looks like a Marzan.
The initial taste kind of leadsyou like it's gonna be a Marzan,
and then there's nothing there,it just doesn't continue on
through the whole thing.
There's not much for a finish,so yeah, I agree.
(17:07):
It's just kind of disappointedagain.
SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
So we're I'm striking out.
Well, I'm 0 for three.
Well, yeah, it's just weirdbecause our our pumpkin shows,
we've had some really solid onesin there, yep, other than the
German one, our Oktoberfest oneso far, are not providing the
greatest options, right?
SPEAKER_00 (17:26):
And what's weird is you know, usually we're putting
a lower score because the flavorisn't kind of aligning with our
palate.
These we're getting a lowerscore just because there is no
flavor, right?
So that's unfortunate too.
Yeah, it's I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (17:41):
What a bummer.
All right.
Well, should we keep pluggingaway?
We can keep going, I guess.
We're back to a can, back to acan halfway through.
Now, this one we this couldhave.
Now we've had beers from herebefore.
Okay, uh, and this is CentralWaters, which is in Amherst.
Uh, it does not say anything onhere about barrel age, though.
(18:03):
Correct.
So this is their Oktoberfestlager, lager, and yeah, it's uh
it'll be interesting becauselike I said, I know they know
what they're doing with barrelaging, so we'll see what they do
with uh Oktoberfest.
There you go.
So this one is uh 5.1% ABV and10 IBUs.
Nice.
(18:24):
And theirs said uh with anenticing bready maltiness
characteristic of traditionalMarzon style lagers, Oktoberfest
is a radiant amber-colored brewthat finishes crisp and clean.
Enjoy this fall seasonal assummer turns to autumn and the
colors of the Northwoods areablaze.
(18:44):
All right, well now this onedoesn't have blue on it either.
Well, it does, but it's darkblue.
Yeah, it has a leaf.
Orange.
There's yeah, an orange oakleaf.
Uh, and then of course they'rethey're crane or crane or
whatever that whatever that birdis, hereon, or whatever it is.
Not sure.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:03):
So all right, so we're hoping we're hoping
against hope that it's gonnahave some flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (19:09):
So we'll find out here.
Well, this one is lighter incolor, isn't it?
I was gonna say this is lighterthan the last one for sure in
color.
I mean, it's still kind of thatit's darker than the first
couple, yeah, but it's stillfairly light amber.
Yeah, you can I can see myfingers through the glass.
Again, aroma is very mutedminimal.
Yeah, that one it is crisp andclean.
(19:29):
I mean, you know, right.
It's I'm not sure if I get ahuge amount of Oktoberfest
thinking uh flavor out of it,but it's it's not bad.
SPEAKER_00 (19:40):
No, it's definitely I mean, these all these first
four have not tasted bad at all.
It's just in our I think, in ouropinions, yeah, it's not up to
the level of what nor a Marizanshould be.
SPEAKER_01 (19:50):
Right.
I would agree with you there.
Well, Jim, uh, you get to gofirst on this one.
What do you think of thesecentral waters?
Oktoberfest lager.
SPEAKER_00 (19:59):
Well, it is incrementally a little bit
better than a limey's.
Like you said, I don't is thatthe malt that's maybe in the
fish?
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
Yeah, it's more malty.
This one is malty, I think.
More malty than the first three,right?
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
Is it like the German style?
No.
Is it there?
I mean, I think we're liketaking like we're our our steps
are like the size of a hair,right?
We're not making big stepstowards getting a marzan, but
we're slowly working our waythere.
Is it bad?
No, not by any stretch.
If you've never had anOktoberfest, you could drink it,
not get scared away.
But is it what the true Marzanstaste like?
(20:32):
No.
Well, I'm gonna have to say it.
Can I go 2.25?
SPEAKER_01 (20:36):
Sure.
I think we're gonna have tostart doing something like that
because it's yeah, I'm I don'tknow.
Yeah, um, I agree with you.
I mean, it is moving in theright direction, but again, it
needs some something.
I'm gonna go to a 2.3.
I think I must like it a slightbit better than what you did.
(20:57):
But again, uh I you could drinkit, I wouldn't turn it down,
right?
You know, it's not anything likethat, but it's just kind of I
wish it had more flavor again.
SPEAKER_00 (21:07):
Right.
I mean, I I don't I don't evenknow if this is a good statement
or not, but these almost tastelike the big box beers.
Kind of, you know, like if theylose.
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
If they made an Oktoberfest, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:17):
It kind of does.
Because it's like they're almostbrewing for the masses rather
than the way that it should bemade.
Yeah, I don't know if that's agood statement or not.
SPEAKER_01 (21:25):
I agree with you.
That's a I think that's aperfect way to say it.
It just seems like they're Idon't want to say watered down,
but they're not they're notproviding everything they could,
right?
For sure.
And it's I don't know why.
I'm not sure why.
So oh man.
Well, we're halfway through thisdebacle, and uh you said to me
that you have an interestingstory.
(21:46):
I didn't know if it wasinteresting or funny or oh or
what, but uh well, hang on.
SPEAKER_00 (21:52):
Let's let me pour a little bit more beer because
this might take me a littlewhile.
Okay, do you want a little bit?
Oh bees, yeah, I might as well.
All right, okay.
So you know, working on thefarm.
Yep, and um, one of the greatinvestments that I had to make
recently was a pole saw.
Have you ever seen one of those?
Oh, yeah, I have one.
And the reason that I had to getone is because my wonderful
(22:14):
bride said she wasn't gonnadrive me around in the bucket of
the tractor cutting off treelimbs anymore.
SPEAKER_01 (22:20):
Well, now, in her defense, I have driven you
around in the bucket of thetractor as well, and it does get
a wee bit nerve-wracking for thedriver.
Does it?
Yeah, I don't know, I've neverbeen on that end.
I know.
That's why you yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
So I did invest in a pole saw, which then I can stand
on the ground and still reachup.
Is it one that has like the likeelectric or what I mean a
gas-powered?
No, no, it's it's not just thethat kind of electric.
Okay, so I can just pull on thetrigger and it's it's brushless,
okay.
SPEAKER_01 (22:48):
So I can still reach up 20 feet.
See, the lot the one I have isyou gotta go up there, you gotta
pull and push and pull and push,and it sucks.
SPEAKER_00 (22:54):
Yeah, no, I so I figure it was either gonna be
having her my wonderful bridedrive me around some more, or
you or investing in one of theseI could do it on my own.
SPEAKER_01 (23:03):
Well, if if you let me drink like six, eight beers
before I do it, I wouldn't haveany problem with it.
Then you'll be calm.
SPEAKER_00 (23:08):
I'll be calm as it could be.
So I went to a field that Ihaven't been able to get to in a
while.
Okay, there's a lot of branches,probably sticking out 20, 30
feet into the field.
SPEAKER_01 (23:19):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (23:20):
So it's probably been 10-15 years since I've been
able to do this cutting back.
Did my cutting back with thebranches, and there was a few
trees, you know, because theywere once some of the softer
trees, they lean into the fieldtoo.
So you got not only the branchesbut the tree itself.
Yep.
So after I got all the branchescleaned out of the way, then I
started using the tractor in thebucket to push everything back.
(23:40):
Okay, and this has neverhappened to me in all the times
I've been using the bucket topush brush.
So I was pushing like abouthalfway up on a cherry tree,
it's probably six to eightinches, and there's a softer
tree.
Okay, almost like a birch tree.
So it's it's not like a hard,hardwood, like an oak, right?
It's softer.
So I was pushing on it abouthalfway up, and at some point,
(24:01):
I'm not sure if I hit anothertree or what, but the tree
snapped, and it the whole thingfell on top of the me and the
tractor.
Okay, the top half, the wholetop half of the tree.
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Is it it's your tractor with the bucket on it?
Yes, which the last time Ilooked doesn't have a cab on it.
SPEAKER_00 (24:17):
Correct.
So that fell right on top of myhead without my and plus I
didn't have a safety helmet, Ijust had my bill cap.
So I have a little bit of did itknock you out.
No, I think I was I think I waspretty much like pissed off
because I'm like, what the heckjust happened?
Because it happened so quickbecause I was pushed all of a
sudden it snapped and flippedright onto me probably within
two seconds.
(24:38):
Wow, so there was no reactiontime, but now the whole tree top
is laying on top of me, on topof all the controls, on top of
the the manifold you know, themuffler, yep, the bucket, all
the hoses.
So, what'd you do?
So then I tried to pick up thebucket to see what happened.
That didn't that was not workingvery good.
So I just put it in reverse andslowly backed out.
(24:58):
How how tall was this tree?
Probably 40 feet.
In the top, how much of it?
Probably the top 20 feet.
Come because it was it wasprobably another five feet
behind me.
Behind you, yeah.
I was like inside all thebranches, it completely I mean,
and Julie even saw the shirt hadI had rips through my shirt
where the branches were comingthrough my shirt, and I got a
(25:19):
little scar now.
I I I can see that on top of mymelodic.
SPEAKER_01 (25:23):
I can see that.
So, well, the good thing is itdidn't hit you in any place
important, right?
It just hit me in the head.
So you're so you're good there,right?
But it ripped up a goodperfectly good shirt.
SPEAKER_00 (25:33):
Yes, now the wonderful my wonderful brides
even have to do some mending.
SPEAKER_01 (25:37):
Some mending, well, you lucky she didn't have to
mend your head.
SPEAKER_00 (25:40):
Well, what was bad is I think it actually hit you
ever seen on a bill cap whereit's got that little button on
the I think it hit that becausethat is like the spot where I
was like, hurts the work.
It's right where that littlebutton is at.
So I'm like, wow, but I've neverhad that in all the years I've
been pushing, you know, with thetractor, I've never had it where
the the tree snapped right inhalf and come usually.
(26:02):
I can just push them right overwhen I get them up that high,
and they'll just go right overand lay right down.
SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
So this tree though, that it was leaning out over the
field, so you were just tryingto push up and into the okay
into the wood so it was out ofthe way.
SPEAKER_00 (26:13):
Wow, but you hadn't cut it yet, right?
I didn't cut it because Ithought I could because I knew
it was a cherry tree.
Yeah, and it would just kind ofjust lay right over on its own
because they don't have big rootballs or anything.
Wow.
So that got my attention.
SPEAKER_01 (26:25):
So did you you learn something?
SPEAKER_00 (26:27):
Yes, bring the bride out so that she can help cut
down the trees more.
SPEAKER_01 (26:31):
Invite Mike over with a bunch of beers, and then
we're gonna go out and so thatwas on the CRP ground, you know,
up on that that one open fieldup there.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (26:39):
It's and it's hard to get to because once you plant
all the fields, it's a waysaway, right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
I mean, you know it's probably half mile from the
vehicle.
So if yeah, you it would havetaken you a while to write.
Especially if I would have bentsomething on the tractor and
right, because yeah, that'sthat's a long way to walk up
there.
We've done it, but not right.
We don't have to, it's better.
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
Maybe in our younger years it was easier, but not
now.
Exactly.
Wow.
So yeah, so that was myfunny-ish story for the funny ha
ha.
Not at the time, yeah, but mymelon still hurts.
It still hurts.
SPEAKER_01 (27:10):
So don't slap me on top of the head.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
No, I'm gonna have to have Julie give me a massage
on my head.
SPEAKER_01 (27:15):
There you go.
I think she she probably would.
I think she said something abouta cast iron skillet.
SPEAKER_00 (27:19):
So I didn't mean that head.
Oh.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:24):
Well, on that note, should we try it?
We're gonna try another bear uhbeer here.
We gotta we gotta find one.
SPEAKER_01 (27:30):
We gotta find one.
There's gotta be one out there,isn't there?
I'm hoping.
Otherwise, it's like, oh so weare uh well, this is another
brewery that we've had a lot ofbeers from.
Okay, and this is Bell's.
Is it Hell's Bells?
Like could be could be now.
Where is it that Bell's is outof?
And they put this sticker onthere where I can't right over
(27:50):
that.
Well, how about this?
I have some technology.
Yeah, you look it up and I'lltalk about it here.
Yeah, you do that.
So this is their OktoberfestMars on.
It is 5.5% ABV.
They didn't give IBUs, so that'sfine.
It says crafted as a flavorfulsession beer.
Bell's Oktoberfest beer isperfect for a week-long wedding
celebration in Germany or thestart of the Michigan Autumn.
(28:13):
I guess starting out ofMichigan.
SPEAKER_00 (28:15):
I was just gonna say Comstock and Kalamazoo machine.
SPEAKER_01 (28:18):
Okay, I say they answered themselves.
Yes.
Well, now it makes sense becausethey have that kalamazoo stout.
SPEAKER_00 (28:24):
Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (28:25):
Yeah, okay.
As with Bell's lager beer,Oktoberfest spends a full six
weeks maturing in thefermentation vessels.
Unlike its cousin, Oktoberfesttrades in the assertive hot
presents for a focus on a lightcaramel malt note, lending body
without too much sweetness.
(28:47):
So they're the first ones thathaven't, you know, they're not
talking bready and spicy and allthis stuff.
So that's not really anOktoberfest.
Maybe they're gonna be closer totelling us the truth.
SPEAKER_00 (29:00):
Well, it's got a good color.
The the head is actually alittle bit tan.
SPEAKER_01 (29:05):
Yeah, a little bit, and again, it's not as dark as
like the was it the point or notthe point, the well, the the
central waters or the lineyswere darker, but well, let's
see.
Again, very light aroma.
SPEAKER_00 (29:17):
Yeah, not much for aroma.
I don't know.
Light caramel malt note.
Well, it's light, it's light,all right.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
This one is it's not bad, it doesn't taste bad.
It's just yeah.
Again, it's kind of one of thoseyou're just like, huh.
Oh, it was in a uh can, by theway.
SPEAKER_00 (29:32):
Right, and it's pointing, you know, it's like on
the scale, it's pointing towardsOktoberfest, but that's all it's
doing, it's pointing.
It's not really there.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
I I am gonna say we're not gonna go to a
thousandth of a point now.
I guess it's man.
Again, it's not offensive atall.
And you know, you you could ifyou haven't had an Oktoberfest,
you could definitely try it.
But to me, it's it's almost gota little bit of a bitter thing.
SPEAKER_00 (29:57):
This one for me so far is not.
I think it's down lower thanthat and whatever I don't know.
I can't is making it bitter.
I don't know if 'cause it saysthey're not they're not using
hops as much.
Right.
So I don't get it.
Right.
And it's not caramel.
You would think the caramelwould make it a little bit
sweet.
I mean, not too much sweet, butI mean you would think that's
what they were trying to do, butright.
(30:17):
That did not come through.
No, not at all.
And you get to be first.
SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
I think you might have to use your tenth of the
same or a hundredth now, Ithink.
Cheapers.
Uh I'm gonna say because of thatbitterness and such, I'm gonna
go a 2.05.
Oh, because again, I have togive them credit because it has
alcohol in it.
You know, but again, I just it'sI don't know that bitterness
(30:43):
hasn't been in the other ones,right?
You know, and I don'tnecessarily think that it
belongs in an Oktoberfest.
No, you know, not what we thinkof an Oktoberfest, you know.
So spot on.
That's that's where I'm going.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
Yeah, I mean, that's that was the exact score.
I was gonna say two the 2.05.
It's these other three weremuch, I think, much better.
This was definitely, I think, astep down in flavor.
That bitterness just caught melike, mmm.
Yeah, that's that's the thingthat really kind of stood out.
And I mean, is it unique fromthe other ones?
Yes, it has a different flavor,but is it a better flavor?
(31:18):
I don't I pre me personally, Idon't think it makes it better.
SPEAKER_01 (31:22):
I would agree with you.
I think that they could if theytook that out, it it would have
been right in there with theother ones, but I think that
separated it and not in a goodway.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (31:31):
All right, all right.
We're gonna keep trying.
We're gonna keep going herebecause I'm swinging out like
this strikeouts.
Not so much you, but it's justwell, the next one I know is
gonna taste good after this.
SPEAKER_01 (31:42):
Yeah, yeah.
This is gonna get that thatbonus because of what came
before it.
Yeah.
So uh this one is by CapitalBrewing, all right, and they're
out of Madison.
Mad City, right?
What's that?
Mad City, Mad City, Madison.
Exactly.
And this is the uh CapitalBrewery Oktoberfest Marzon.
Okay, five and a half percent.
Oh, it must have been BAV.
(32:03):
I'm not exactly sure what thatis.
That must have bad finger to itcould have been the the acronym
there.
So, what their description saidis the mother of all seasonal
beers has a fiery amber hue andrich multi-overtones that
dominate the flavor, dominate,dominate, and this is in a
bottle model.
Now, you know what's funny isthis really is I I think they're
(32:26):
right as far as saying that anOktoberfest is the mother of all
seasonal beers.
I think they're right.
SPEAKER_00 (32:32):
Well, I mean, I guess from our perspective, I
mean, this is probably one ofthe few worldwide festivals that
focuses on beer.
SPEAKER_01 (32:38):
Yeah, you know what's funny.
So early on, one of the uh oneof the beers had a description
where it was talking about thatOktoberfest is the let me look
back.
I just I don't want to misquoteit.
It said uh did it the originaluh Brune for the first
Octoberfest.
What did it say?
Um, I'm sorry, I'm trying tobecause it was talking about how
Oktoberfest is like the you knowlike the the big festival.
(32:58):
If you've ever seen the movieBeerfest, okay, and it's a
comedy and it it's hilarious.
If you ever get a chance towatch it, watch it.
It's beer fest.
But there, when the maincharacters go to Germany, they
go to Beerfest instead ofOktoberfest, and it goes on at
the same time.
And the pe the the people thatwere there from Germany when
they were talking to them, theysaid, Oh, Oktoberfest is for
(33:19):
tourists, beer fest is for thereal drinkers.
Oh and it just gets funnier fromthere.
But yeah, you ever have to watchit.
So when I was reading that, uhthe first thing that popped in
my head was Beer Fest, and thatmight be something in not us
going to beerfest, but in afuture episode, I might have to
uh print off some like a list ofsome of the beer movies that are
out there.
(33:39):
There you go.
Um, because I think that wouldbe interesting as well to talk
about.
Yes.
All right, so let's get back toCapital.
Capital.
SPEAKER_00 (33:46):
It's kind of looks like a little lighter than some,
but it kind of that it it itmight actually look like a
Marzon.
It could, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:54):
Again, it has a little bit of aroma, but not
much.
It's better than the glass one.
It's not bitter, it's a lotbitter.
No, there's not a lot of flavorthere.
No, you know, we're maybe we setour next year.
We gotta do the German one last.
SPEAKER_00 (34:08):
If we do another German Oktoberfest, yeah,
because I mean these are justnot even come close to any of
the flavor from a GermanOktoberfest.
SPEAKER_01 (34:16):
Yeah, this one is definitely maltier, uh, you
know, especially on the finish.
I I get a lot more of a strongermalt flavor than anything.
Um, again, I would drink it.
I don't know if it would be myfirst choice, right?
You know what I mean?
It's it's okay, but it does havea little bit of a different
flavor.
SPEAKER_00 (34:31):
Yes, you know.
I'm I'm with you there.
I don't gosh, it it's just sohard to describe because it's
not it doesn't nothing reallystands out, right?
It's just all flat level.
Yep, it's it's hard next year.
SPEAKER_01 (34:44):
We may have to do just one October festival.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
I mean, we're trying, we're trying, ladies and
gentlemen.
SPEAKER_01 (34:49):
We are trying.
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
If I'm gonna have to say it 2.15.
SPEAKER_01 (34:54):
Oh, geez, I'm sensing a pattern on your uh on
your scores.
Yeah, I'm um, I'll do the samescore.
It it's I don't know, it's justnormally I like really malty
beers, but this one's just kindof got a different flavor to it.
SPEAKER_00 (35:08):
I mean, you know, I throw this out to you too.
Is if I had these covered, shecouldn't tell what style this
was.
I don't know if I could evendifferentiate if this was a Mars
on any of these.
I don't know if you're the sameway.
SPEAKER_01 (35:19):
I mean, oh yeah, I but the blind taste test would
really screw me up.
I agree with you.
And honestly, even with theGerman ones, you know, I think
we mentioned that before that Ithere's no way I could that we
especially you know that wecould blind taste test these and
try and pick out oh, right, youknow, but like if you had a
German one and one of these, oh,I could definitely tell you for
the most part.
(35:39):
I think we could tell thedifference between that, but
these, even if we knew here'sthe list, these are the ones we
have, and you we blind tastetested it.
I don't I don't think we coulddo it.
You know, that that might be aninteresting thing for an episode
sometime to do that because I'llguarantee we fail.
We might get one right justbecause we lucked out, but so
(36:00):
that reminds me.
SPEAKER_00 (36:01):
I don't know if you've watched some of the
latest Alabama boss YouTubevideos.
He's had actually had to do someblind, he's tasted them all, and
then they put it like in ashoebox with a straw, and
they've had him like trying toand he hasn't done very good on
it.
He's even tasted them first andknew what they all were, and
then blind tainted them.
And then the blind taintingstill couldn't get them.
SPEAKER_01 (36:20):
So wow, yeah, these are just so close.
So close.
I think depending on when we didit of this group, right?
If the if the non-alcoholic onewas later, I think we might be
able to get that one, right?
But if it was right off the batand then we went from there, I
don't know.
It's just kind of oh okay.
So the next the next one, whatthe next one I was really
(36:42):
dreading because I know what'sgonna be brought up, but I am
going to laugh like crazy ifthis one actually has flavor.
So what are you talking about,buddy?
So we have uh another uhOktoberfest Marzon style beer.
All right, this one is from uhthe Texas area.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
(37:02):
Haven't we had some beers?
I not that I can recall, onesingle brewery in particular
there.
SPEAKER_00 (37:08):
Um, yeah, yeah.
That was different though.
Oh, is it that was a holidayone?
That was a holiday one, yeah.
What and we got an Oktoberfestone.
Is it a yeah?
SPEAKER_01 (37:16):
This is an Oktoberfest from uh a brewery in
Texas.
Nice, yes, it's from Shiner.
Uh-oh.
So and again, so I'm guessingthe orange and blue is must be
the other because we've had likethis is the fourth one now,
fifth one that has orange, yes,which I get because of the fall
colors, but again, when youlooked at the German ones, they
(37:38):
all had the blue and whitediamonds and all that.
All right, so this is theOktoberfest Marzon from Shiner
5.7 percent.
So it's the highest ABV so far.
Yep, so that's it's goingforward, yep, and 18 IBUs.
Their write-up says, here inShiner, Texas, we're suckers for
tradition.
We're suckers for buying theirbeer, yeah.
(38:00):
It could be.
I was for Christmas.
Uh, that's why we make ourOktoberfest brew with the
highest quality two-row barley,Munich, and caramel malts, along
with German-grown HallertoTradition and Hirschbruckbrucker
hops.
Wow, I can't say as I've heardof Hirschbrucker.
SPEAKER_00 (38:19):
Well, I hope they put all that stuff in there,
yeah, and in adequatequantities.
SPEAKER_01 (38:23):
Yes, because we need something.
SPEAKER_00 (38:25):
Because if it's like their other shiner beers, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (38:28):
Again, if you haven't listened to our we did
two episodes on it too.
Because you had a case becauseit was it was 12 12?
Was it 244, wasn't it?
One or the other, 12 or 24.
We did it might have been 12.
SPEAKER_00 (38:40):
Oh, is that all?
SPEAKER_01 (38:41):
Yeah, and they remember they brought back
blasts from the past and allthat, and it did they probably
should have stayed in the pastbecause it just didn't work
again.
Not light, light aroma.
Yeah, and the it's looks verysimilar to a lot of them.
SPEAKER_00 (38:56):
Yep, it's not very, I mean, it's you could I can see
my fingers to the glass.
SPEAKER_01 (39:01):
There is a little there's a little flavor on the
initial swallow.
It almost has a I'm not gonnasay bitter, but it's almost like
a tart.
Is that the barley?
I don't know.
Wouldn't you say almost like atartness to it?
Like you're going, whoa, youknow, it's so out of character
for a shiner.
Yeah, we always thought theydidn't like flavor, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (39:20):
I mean, so this is probably the most flavorful
shiner beer we've had.
I would agree, and that's prettycrazy.
And this is our 25th one or13th.
SPEAKER_01 (39:28):
13th one for sure.
I think it's 13.
Well, yeah, because I can'tremember if that one had an
advent C wasn't a 24.
No, it was like a 12 beers ofChristmas thing or something
like that.
But I'm trying to remember, Idon't did it have Shiner Bach in
it.
I don't remember because we'vehad Shiner Bach as well, right?
You know, and that one stilldoesn't have a huge amount of
flavor, but this does have someflavor, not a lot.
(39:51):
I would agree with you, some,and you get to go first.
Oh my word.
See, now this is where it's likeyou might have to break into
hundreds, thousands.
No, um, I'm gonna do my 2.25 onthis one.
So, yes, this is to me thesecond best one, I guess.
Wow, that's saying a lot.
(40:12):
It does have some flavor.
Uh, again, I if it didn't havelike that, and I say tartness,
but it's got kind of a differentthing when on the initial
swallow.
Yeah, but again, it's it's okay,I guess.
Falls right in line.
Yeah, what we were noticing now.
SPEAKER_00 (40:27):
So I'm gonna have to do a a redo or reset.
Uh-oh.
So I'm gonna say that my Liniesis a 2.3.
Okay, and I'm gonna make theshiner a 2.2.
Okay.
So very close, similar.
In I'm trying to give it thebenefit of the doubt because
we've tried a lot of shinerbeers that have not had any
flavor, they've just beencolored water.
(40:49):
This one actually has flavor, itis actually a little bit closer
to the Marzon that we're lookingfor.
SPEAKER_01 (40:55):
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (40:55):
So that's why I wanted to get that up there.
Give it the benefit of thedoubt.
SPEAKER_01 (40:59):
Yep, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_00 (41:00):
This was in a bottle, by the way.
SPEAKER_01 (41:02):
Yeah, it's I don't know.
We got one to go.
One to go.
All right, what do we so thelast one that we have today is
from Surle.
That's in the Twin Cities area.
All right, and this is theirOktoberfest, and I believe is it
their fest beer or is it uhOctober?
(41:22):
It just says Oktoberfest,Octoberfest, Oktoberfest beer.
Okay, uh it's a 6.1 percent.
So this is the highest ABV foruh this this episode.
Yep.
So you think about it, we had apretty good span again from zero
to six point one.
Well, actually zero point fiveto six point one.
We stepped it up, we stepped itup, and this one is back to like
(41:43):
that traditional German stylecoloring, which is cool.
It's got like a big old stein onthere.
There you go.
Yep, and it says Oktoberfestlagers are the ultimate party
beer.
Well, yeah, if you're atOktoberfest, right up front,
they're rich, sweet, and malty,but they finish dry and clean
with an ever-so slight touch ofhops.
(42:06):
Prost.
And that's the first comfort, Ithink, that said prost.
Right.
And this is in a can, as you canhear.
All right, our last one.
Our last one.
Boy, that's light, just lighterin color than most of them.
That is yeah, that is reallyalmost getting back to like the
first couple.
Yeah, that is really lightcolor.
(42:28):
Not much aroma again.
Very little sensing a pattern.
Yep, that's got a little betterflavor, I think.
My opinion.
SPEAKER_00 (42:34):
Yeah, I mean, but again, it it when you're we're
building off of none to notmuch, it's you know.
Yeah, I'm trying todifferentiate.
There's not it said it was gonnahave a little more upfront
sweetness.
Maybe, maybe that's what thatis.
Yeah, is that caramel?
SPEAKER_01 (42:48):
Maybe it could be.
Like I said, it's definitely gotit has a little more flavor, but
on the second taste, it's kindof well, it's gone, but it's
kind of like, was it a goodflavor?
Right.
You know, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (42:59):
I guess you get to go first on this one.
It's not a bad beer, it's nothorrendous.
If you've never had anOktoberfest, you could try it.
Yeah, but it's still not, it'sstill not where it should be for
Marzan.
And I'm kind of so I think whatI'm gonna do is I'm gonna make
Linies my 2.35.
Okay, and I'll make this a 2.3.
Okay, none of these have reallylike knocked my socks off in any
(43:22):
way.
I'm just they're all really,really, really closely grouped
together.
Yeah, I just can't reallyseparate them out by much.
SPEAKER_01 (43:29):
I agree.
I'm gonna go 2.35.
I think this is probably I guessyou can say my top one for
today.
Uh, but again, it's just kind ofI could drink it, you could
drink it.
But we've had two episodes now,dude, that American American IPA
or IPAs, American Oktoberfestare just kind of fell flat,
(43:50):
yeah, a little bit, and it'sreally kind of a bummer.
SPEAKER_00 (43:53):
And I mean, they're all like so relatively close in
our scoring, too.
I mean, it's I mean, granted, wedid break it in the hundreds,
yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (44:00):
But but I don't think if we didn't, there's
nothing that was gonna be a 2.7.
All right, and for sure, really,there's nothing that would have
been a one-point, right?
You know, whatever.
So they're very, very similar toeach other, and maybe that's the
thing is they're this works, andlet's just try and keep it in
that range.
SPEAKER_00 (44:18):
Because I know it's only seasonal, they only do it
for a short period of time.
So I'm sure all right, hey, thisis our we're doing a running a
batch, you know.
We don't want to put a wholebunch of extra stuff into it
because it's not like it's ayear-round thing, so but the
Germans do have it dump at it,yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (44:31):
They they got it again.
Two episodes of AmericanOktoberfest, and the Germans
still have us all beat in theOktoberfest realm.
Hands down, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (44:41):
Now, I mean, this isn't even this grouping wasn't
even sniffing in even in theirdust.
Yep, they were so far above.
SPEAKER_01 (44:49):
I I guess for a wrap-up on these beers, you
could try any of them.
Yes, I guess the only thing isif you don't want alcohol, get
the athletic.
If you want alcohol, you couldtry any of them.
They're so close together.
Yep.
Uh, I don't really think, again,personally, that anything stood
out so much above the rest thatoh, that was the winner.
Right.
They're all so close.
(45:09):
So that's my my opinion, anyway.
SPEAKER_00 (45:12):
Yep, I echo exactly.
I mean, and I'm sure that a lotof these aren't distributed
wherever you're everybody's at.
So I wouldn't be afraid torecommend trying one of them
just to see what it's like, seeif your palate likes it.
Because they're not, they're notbad.
It's just we we're looking for alittle bit more.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Yep.
And ladies and gentlemen, if youknow if there's something in
your area that you know of thatis good, let us know.
I mean, we'd love to see if wecan find it.
See if we can find it and andtry it.
Because all the ones that wehave access to at this point
have been ho-hum, kind of thesame, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (45:42):
So I'm gonna allude to our maybe a possible another
episode.
I think I have found some otherpossibilities.
Okay.
I mean, I didn't do very goodhere, but maybe well, again,
it's not your fault.
You're we're playing with whatwe're dealt, so to speak.
So I do have some moreopportunities, and one of them,
like I think we've alreadymentioned before, is the barrel
(46:03):
aged Marzon.
Okay, which we have hadpreviously that was really good.
And I think it'll be good tosee.
Hopefully, our taste buds can uhremember back to the veneration,
yeah, to see you know which onebetween those two that you know,
pumpkin barrel, pumpkin beeraged, and uh was that that was
rye barrel, right?
SPEAKER_01 (46:24):
Yes, that was a rye barrel, and this and that was
really good, and this Marzanwill be bourbon barrel.
SPEAKER_00 (46:28):
Okay, so yeah, so we'll check that out.
So maybe hopefully that has someflavor.
Yeah, so hopefully, I mean wekind of struck out here, we
didn't really hit where Ithought we would, but we did
try.
We tried.
We're trying to let thelisteners know what we found,
which wasn't much, but right.
SPEAKER_01 (46:45):
We tried, we found some stuff, but we tried as hard
as we could.
And when you know thatShinerBach was number two, or
Shiner Oktoberfest, I shouldsay, was number two on my list.
SPEAKER_00 (46:55):
That's telling you something.
SPEAKER_01 (46:56):
It's telling you something.
So awesome.
Well, cool.
Hey Jim, thanks for bringingthese.
And again, like I said, we'rejust hoping that some of these
2025 something would stand out.
And we're two episodes into the2025 versions, and they're
they're pretty similar.
So we'll see what happens in thefuture.
Yep.
Uh hopefully we'll uh stumbleacross something or someone that
(47:17):
decides flavor is good.
Yes.
And uh we'll kind of go fromthere.
Awesome.
Sounds good.
Awesome.
Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen,thanks for listening to this
episode.
And like we always say, we hopeyour campfire is always warm and
your beers are always cold.
See ya! See ya.
Thank you for listening to theNorthwoods Beer Guy Podcast.
If you have a question, acomment, or a beer you'd like us
to review, please feel free tosend us a message at
(47:39):
Northwoodsbeerguy at gmail.com.
You can also find us onFacebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
If you're on Untapped, look upNorthwoods Beer Guy and send a
friend request.
Until next week, I hope all yourcampfires are warm and all your
beers cold.
Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen, andwelcome back to the Northwoods
Beer Guy Podcast.
This is Mike, the NorthwoodsBeer Guy.
And as always, I am joined byJim.
Hey, buddy, how you doing?
Doing alright, how aboutyourself?
Enjoying this nice warm weather.
Yeah.
Last couple weeks have been uhunseasonably warm in this area.
SPEAKER_00 (00:47):
And it's actually technically fall, isn't it?
I think it is.
SPEAKER_01 (00:51):
I'm not exactly sure.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
By the weatherman by the calendar.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
I was gonna say, I don't remember when those days
are, but I think we are.
But we've been like talkingclose to record temperatures a
few days, and kind of sucksbecause it brings the bugs back
out.
SPEAKER_00 (01:04):
Yeah, it sure does.
But I think I'll enjoy this warmweather a lot better than we
will the ice and the snow herein a couple months.
SPEAKER_01 (01:10):
I was gonna say, in not that long a time, we'll be
wishing for record warmth, I'mguessing.
SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
But I think we've been doing good so far with
tasting some good Oktoberfestbeers.
I I can't remember offhand howmany we did last year, but we
gotta be sneaking right up therein about the same number.
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
We've got to be getting close because I think we
did three or four episodes lastyear.
And uh, surprise, surprise, wehave another episode right now.
So this is our thirdOktoberfest.
Right now, again, remember, wedid a German Oktoberfest, which
totally ruined us, right?
And we've been trying to figureout like the American
equivalents to get that flavor,and we haven't quite found it
(01:49):
yet.
SPEAKER_00 (01:50):
No, I mean we've uh and and you and it's not for
lack of trying, right?
Right, we've been doing our bestto try to find every available
October American-madeOktoberfest beer out there.
SPEAKER_01 (02:01):
Yep, exactly.
And I see you found some more.
I'm searching high and low.
Now, I will say this two of themI'm a little hesitant on.
Uh-oh.
How come?
Well, the listeners will findout because I know for one, I'm
gonna catch heat on.
Uh-oh.
And the other one, well, becausethe last time we did an episode
on this kind of beer, it uh theydidn't do very well.
(02:24):
But I brought them just for you,just so you could redeem
yourself.
I know you did.
I don't know if that's possiblethough.
So we'll see.
So I don't know.
Uh should we we might as wellbreak into it and uh this is one
of them that I'm honestly kindof a little eerie of because if
you remember, we did anon-alcoholic episode a while
(02:46):
back, and it fell flat, and kindof like all the beers, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:49):
They just really didn't have a whole lot of
flavor to them.
No, uh surprisingly, because Imean if you're not gonna have
any alcohol, you'd think you'dhave more flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (02:58):
You would think, because then what you could have
juice if you were but apparentlyalcohol adds flavor, so is what
I'm guessing, because they theywere just like they were missing
something, and it was thegoodness, I guess.
So so who do you have there?
So the first one we have is byAthletic Brewing Company, and
we've had I think we had acouple of them from them in that
(03:18):
episode, and this is theirOktoberfest, and it's a fest
brew.
Oh, and it is well, 0.5% ABV.
So you're saying there's achance we could get drunk.
If you drank like two cases ofit, you might get drunk, you
probably could get a buzz.
Okay.
Well, I'm thinking you're gonnahave to visit the bathroom a lot
(03:39):
more.
So you're saying there's achance, there's a chance.
So, like I said, uh 20 IBUs, andthey're right up.
Uh, a traditional golden festbrew crafted for celebration,
crisp and malty with breadyaromas and a delicate sweetness.
With no alcohol, with noalcohol, or very, very little.
(03:59):
And it's in a can, 12-ounce can.
Yep.
So you could drink a number ofthem, not in a plastic
container.
No, no.
We'll see if a non-alcoholic hasany more aroma than what the
American ones did last week, andit looks kind of like very
light, and very light in color.
A lot of little bubbles, a lotof little bubbles.
(04:21):
That's kind of freaky.
Yeah, again, the aroma's kind ofnot really there.
SPEAKER_00 (04:25):
There is a little there's a little head, though.
A little bit.
So it it it resembles a beer.
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
It resembles a beer, it looks like a beer.
Yes, it doesn't really it kindof smells like a beer, I guess,
but wow, that's not it'sdifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (04:38):
I mean, definitely has more flavor than some of the
other ones.
SPEAKER_01 (04:42):
Right.
I was gonna say that that's thesurprising part, right?
It almost has more of a a littlehoppier flavor, yeah.
You know, I mean maybe that's itsays fest brew, so maybe it's
supposedly like a you know, afest beer beer.
But it's actually not it's notbad, no, surprisingly.
It seems like it has more flavorthan the other uh non-alcoholic
(05:04):
ones that we've ever had before.
Not that we've had a hugeamount, but it uh it's
definitely different.
SPEAKER_00 (05:10):
And I think it's actually, I would have to
probably say one of the betternon-alcoholic beers that I've
had.
SPEAKER_01 (05:16):
Yeah.
Again, we haven't had that many,but I again I don't know, you
know, when they're talking abouta bready aroma, I really don't
get that.
No, you know, but I it does havea little bit more of a uh, like
I said, a hop taste, you know,to me anyway.
SPEAKER_00 (05:31):
Right.
I mean, it's I mean, if you'regonna drink the non-alcoholic
beer, you know it's gonna belacking in a little bit, but I
mean, surprisingly, that doeshave some some flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (05:40):
It has, yeah, it actually has some, which is
surprising.
I was going into it expecting itto be just going, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (05:47):
Yeah, you know, so you redeemed yourself from
non-alcoholic.
SPEAKER_01 (05:50):
Well, you brought it, but I that one's not as bad
as the other ones we've had.
So, what do you think?
Score-wise, uh okay, again, howdo we rate non-alcoholic beers?
Um, I'm gonna go.
I'm glad you're going first.
I'm gonna go 2.0, just becauseif I go a 2.5, I'm gonna put
myself in that corner that Ialways put myself in, and then
(06:12):
it's gonna be terrible at theend.
So I'll say a 2.0, not thegreatest flavor, but it does
have compared to othernon-alcoholic beers, it does
have some flavor.
So I'm a little bit impressedthat way, right?
SPEAKER_00 (06:22):
And I think echo the same exact thing, and I think it
actually does taste distantlylike an Oktoberfest beer, like a
Marzon.
I mean, they're trying, so I'mkudos for them for getting it to
that point.
Is are you gonna be faked out byany of these other ones?
No, this is not.
I mean, if you're if you likenon-alcoholic ones, this would
be something I'd definitely giveyou a try.
(06:42):
I'd say the same score of 2.0.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
Yeah, you know, I do give them credit because you
know, back in the day when whenyou had like a non-alcoholic
beer, it was just you know apilsner, right?
And that was it.
So I'm it is kind of cool thatthese companies are trying
different styles.
Yes, and I'm sure it's gottait's gotta be kind of hard to
make so you know some of thosewithout alcohol in them.
And I so I give them credit, youknow, an A for effort.
(07:07):
Mostly they get like C's and D'sfor execution, but you know, it
it's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (07:13):
Yeah, this is not definitely not bad.
SPEAKER_01 (07:15):
No, we've had worse, right?
SPEAKER_00 (07:18):
I guess.
I get and the hard part is youknow, if you're gonna be on that
track, you gotta be ready to goto the bathroom because you're
gonna that's you're you're notgetting much else out of it.
SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
No, no, it's just yeah, exactly.
You're gonna make more bathroomtrips, so yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:32):
Well, let's should we try one or has actually got
some alcohol in it?
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
Yeah, let's get into like a normal so the next one
that we have now that we we gotwhat four are in cans and four
are in bottles, so that's kindof a nice little thing.
Uh, this is from Stevens PointBrewing.
Nice, and this is theirOktoberfest, Mars on.
Okay, and this one is 4.9% andsix uh 15 IBUs.
(07:56):
Sweet.
So it it you know that's a bigjump for me.
Zero to 4.9.
SPEAKER_00 (08:01):
We went way up there, way up there, but we got
less IBUs, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I don't know if that's atrade-off, yeah.
I don't know if I'd tasted 20IBUs in that not on.
SPEAKER_01 (08:11):
No, like I said, I did get a little bit of a hop
flavor, but I mean again, veryminor, very minor.
Yeah.
So the uh the description nowyou got the descriptions from
Untapped, so that's good becauseI know a couple times when we've
been reading them, it's likethey're cut off and all that,
and and untapped does have a fewmore, it seems like so.
(08:32):
Uh this one, it says PointOktoberfest is an authentic
Marzon style lager beer, a stylereminiscent of the beers
originally brewed for the firstOktoberfest celebration in
Germany during the early 1800s.
Nice craft brewed usingHallertow hops and sweet Vienna
roasted malts results in afull-flavored, finely balanced
(08:54):
beer brewed in celebration ofthe upcoming season.
SPEAKER_00 (08:58):
All right, well, there's a lot of talk there, a
lot of talk.
SPEAKER_01 (09:01):
So whoopsies.
I better uh hit the floor, hitthe floor, the the bottle cap
hit the floor.
Now, the first one, remember, Isaid was in a can, and that was
really didn't have any look ofan Oktoberfest theme to it.
No, nothing you know maybe thecolors yeah, is what?
(09:21):
Brown and some orange and such,but it was just pretty plain.
I mean, it looks like they'reother cans for athletic.
Right, it does not look likeOktoberfest.
No.
Now, point, they went back tothey got the blue and white
diamonds and all that goodstuff.
SPEAKER_00 (09:36):
They're all into it.
SPEAKER_01 (09:37):
Oh, yeah, they're going all out.
It's a little bit of aroma, nothuge, but yeah, I was hoping for
some little bit darker than thatfirst one, which is good.
It's getting a little closer tothat color that I'm used to.
Right.
I mean, it's it's got a little,it's got more flavor than the
non-alcoholic one.
Not a lot, not a lot, but it'sgot more.
It has some.
That is just it's still thecraziest thing.
(09:58):
There's not a lot there, is it?
This one is is maltier.
I think I can taste more malt.
Not a bunch, but no, no, no, nota huge amount, but again, it
it's that's I think kind of thepredominant flavor, is more of
that malty kind of thing.
Again, I'm sure we have drank itand we will drink it, and you
know that's not bad.
(10:18):
I mean, it's now again.
We should say that you know,we've had a number of these
before, but these are the 2025editions.
So, yeah.
What do you think on this one?
If you uh are gonna let thepeople know, what would you kind
of score this and such?
SPEAKER_00 (10:33):
So, again, I revert back to my older self of doing
the German Marzans.
Is it that quality?
No, is it taste bad?
No, is it just there?
It just kind of seems like it'sit's there.
It doesn't like, ooh, I want tohave another drink, I want to
have another sip.
It's just like it touches yourtongue, it kind of thinks it's a
Marzan, and then poof, it'sgone.
(10:53):
So my score is gonna be a littlelower, not because it's bad, but
just because it's not, I don'tthink it's up there to that
level where those good Marzanswere.
I'm gonna say a 2.1.
Okay, yeah, not bad, but justright.
Uh I'm just like uh I just can'tdescribe it good enough.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (11:10):
Yeah, unfortunately, I'm gonna agree with you and do
the same score.
It is better than the uhnon-alcoholic.
Uh, we should say, you know,point brewings out of Stevens
Point, Wisconsin.
Uh, but again, it's uh I justthink it could use a little
more, you know, and it it's kindof fallen in line a little bit
with some of these other onesthat we've had for the 2025
(11:33):
versions, and it's kind offreaking me out a little bit
because it seems likehistorically we had more flavor,
but maybe not.
Maybe I'm just you know, again,my mind's going back to the the
German one, right?
But uh it's all right.
I mean, I if you have never hadone, you could try it.
Oh, for sure.
You know, it does have a littlebit of a malty taste to it,
which I don't mind, but it justkind of leaves you wanting more,
(11:56):
yes.
So little like you're right onthe edge.
SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
Is it gonna be a beer?
Uh no.
SPEAKER_01 (12:01):
And then you're like, well, deflated.
Well, I guess we'll have it'syou know it's like ho home,
yeah.
So I don't know.
Well, kind of crazy.
So well, should we try anotherone to see if we can get some
find some flavor?
Well, we sure can.
So the next one we have is fromLina Hoogles.
Well, what was that?
(12:23):
Oh, I was just trying to mimicyou there for a minute.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, so this is of course fromJacob Linen Kugels.
Nice.
This is their Oktoberfest.
Sweet.
So this one is 5.15% ABV.
They get hundreds.
Yes.
Hundreds of a percent and 20IBUs.
Yes.
And what this one says isOktoberfest is arguably the
(12:46):
world's greatest festival.
And our Linenkugels Oktoberfestis the perfect beer for anyone
who wants to join in thefestival spirit.
A traditional Marzon style beer,Linen Kugels Oktoberfest has a
toasted malt flavor and subtle,spicy hot notes that make it
perfect for celebrating fall intrue German fashion.
(13:08):
And of course, the perfect foodto pair with it is traditional
German fare like brats,spatzels, and salty pretzels
with mustard.
And unfortunately, I don't haveany of those.
Oh, Mike.
I may have brats, but they'refrozen.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Spicy hops.
We'll find out.
I don't know if we've had aOktoberfest of spicy hops.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yeah, we'll see.
So this one kind it has the blueand white color, but it doesn't
have the diamonds, and it's gotkind of like two people kayaking
on the Yeah, it doesn't looklike an Oktoberfest scene.
No, no, exactly.
It's not what I would expect onan Oktoberfest bottle.
I'm guessing they make all theirlabels, and they're all because
they are all kind of tied intothat Northwoods kind of theme.
(13:53):
Yep.
And the colors are the blue andwhite, but it's a little darker
blue.
Not that that matters.
So all right.
Again, it's kind of that darker,kind of closer to like an
amberish kind of color.
It's getting there.
Yeah.
Does have some aroma.
Again, not very little, huge,but a little bit more, I think,
than the point.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Yep.
Is that a little more malty,maybe?
SPEAKER_01 (14:12):
Maybe a little bit more malty.
I don't know if I get like aspiciness at all.
So now Line and Cool's, theywere headquartered in Chippewa
Falls for a long time.
No, they still do have a brewerythere, but I think they do more
like small batch type stuff orspecialty, yeah.
Experimental, maybe.
Um because they moved toMilwaukee, right?
(14:33):
Most of it, and then I think so.
Cause yeah, I I was gonna say Ican't remember if they went to
Milwaukee or where it was, but Ithink you're right.
And I don't know, it was notreceived well from especially
from Chippewa Falls people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:45):
So because now there's I mean that was a big
staple there in that community.
SPEAKER_01 (14:49):
So well, yeah, it had been there for what 150
years or something crazy.
Now they still do have the theLiney Lodge, yes, so you can go
there, and it that is a coolplace.
Yes, it is, you know, they andthey have all sorts of beers on
tap.
You can mix beers and they'vegot like recipes, yep, and
they've got of course merch likecrazy, any kind of merch you can
(15:10):
think of.
So if you're ever in that area,I would still stop.
Right, but I don't know.
They probably still do brewerytours, maybe, but it wouldn't be
quite the same, right?
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
You know, again, this is not overly flavorful.
SPEAKER_01 (15:22):
I mean no, I'm sensing a pattern.
Yeah, it's we must have forgotthat from last year or
something, I guess.
SPEAKER_00 (15:27):
Yeah, I was hoping, and it's been the consistent for
all the October fest beers thatwe've tried, up to including
these three.
SPEAKER_01 (15:35):
Yeah, other than the German ones, it's it's been kind
of I don't know why you want tosay it for the flavor if it's
just almost like it's washedout.
You know what I mean?
I mean, I wonder if they'reafraid.
unknown (15:45):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
If any guys are listening, don't be afraid.
Yeah, flavor is your friend.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Let it I mean, put something in there, or we can
even try it.
Because I mean, now that we havenow that we're subject matter
experts on German, I don't wantto speak.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:59):
We're experts, so you expertly know they taste
better.
So now it's up to you again too.
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Oh, it's up to me.
Well, I'm gonna go 2.2 one, justone above, because it did have a
little bit more flavor.
Yeah, uh, I I didn't really getthat spicy, whatever they were.
Spawning hot notes.
Yeah, I didn't really get that.
And I like you had said before,I think the I thought it was
more malty than hoppy.
Right.
So I don't know.
I guess 2.2 again.
(16:24):
I think anybody could try it,you know.
And I don't know.
Again, we're still trying tofind uh an American Octoberfest
that we can say, there we go,that's the one.
Right.
You know, we've we've definitelygot some more here to try, and
hopefully, knock on wood, thatwe'll find it.
But find at least one, at leastone if we don't.
SPEAKER_00 (16:40):
Well, we'll keep going, but we'll keep there's
gotta be more out there.
There's got to be somebodythat's coming close.
SPEAKER_01 (16:44):
So I hope.
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
What do you think?
I yeah, I think you're spot onwith a score.
I'm gonna say a 2.2 as well.
I was hoping again to have alittle bit more.
I mean, it looks like a Marzan.
The initial taste kind of leadsyou like it's gonna be a Marzan,
and then there's nothing there,it just doesn't continue on
through the whole thing.
There's not much for a finish,so yeah, I agree.
(17:07):
It's just kind of disappointedagain.
SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
So we're I'm striking out.
Well, I'm 0 for three.
Well, yeah, it's just weirdbecause our our pumpkin shows,
we've had some really solid onesin there, yep, other than the
German one, our Oktoberfest oneso far, are not providing the
greatest options, right?
SPEAKER_00 (17:26):
And what's weird is you know, usually we're putting
a lower score because the flavorisn't kind of aligning with our
palate.
These we're getting a lowerscore just because there is no
flavor, right?
So that's unfortunate too.
Yeah, it's I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (17:41):
What a bummer.
All right.
Well, should we keep pluggingaway?
We can keep going, I guess.
We're back to a can, back to acan halfway through.
Now, this one we this couldhave.
Now we've had beers from herebefore.
Okay, uh, and this is CentralWaters, which is in Amherst.
Uh, it does not say anything onhere about barrel age, though.
(18:03):
Correct.
So this is their Oktoberfestlager, lager, and yeah, it's uh
it'll be interesting becauselike I said, I know they know
what they're doing with barrelaging, so we'll see what they do
with uh Oktoberfest.
There you go.
So this one is uh 5.1% ABV and10 IBUs.
Nice.
(18:24):
And theirs said uh with anenticing bready maltiness
characteristic of traditionalMarzon style lagers, Oktoberfest
is a radiant amber-colored brewthat finishes crisp and clean.
Enjoy this fall seasonal assummer turns to autumn and the
colors of the Northwoods areablaze.
(18:44):
All right, well now this onedoesn't have blue on it either.
Well, it does, but it's darkblue.
Yeah, it has a leaf.
Orange.
There's yeah, an orange oakleaf.
Uh, and then of course they'rethey're crane or crane or
whatever that whatever that birdis, hereon, or whatever it is.
Not sure.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (19:03):
So all right, so we're hoping we're hoping
against hope that it's gonnahave some flavor.
SPEAKER_01 (19:09):
So we'll find out here.
Well, this one is lighter incolor, isn't it?
I was gonna say this is lighterthan the last one for sure in
color.
I mean, it's still kind of thatit's darker than the first
couple, yeah, but it's stillfairly light amber.
Yeah, you can I can see myfingers through the glass.
Again, aroma is very mutedminimal.
Yeah, that one it is crisp andclean.
(19:29):
I mean, you know, right.
It's I'm not sure if I get ahuge amount of Oktoberfest
thinking uh flavor out of it,but it's it's not bad.
SPEAKER_00 (19:40):
No, it's definitely I mean, these all these first
four have not tasted bad at all.
It's just in our I think, in ouropinions, yeah, it's not up to
the level of what nor a Marizanshould be.
SPEAKER_01 (19:50):
Right.
I would agree with you there.
Well, Jim, uh, you get to gofirst on this one.
What do you think of thesecentral waters?
Oktoberfest lager.
SPEAKER_00 (19:59):
Well, it is incrementally a little bit
better than a limey's.
Like you said, I don't is thatthe malt that's maybe in the
fish?
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
Yeah, it's more malty.
This one is malty, I think.
More malty than the first three,right?
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
Is it like the German style?
No.
Is it there?
I mean, I think we're liketaking like we're our our steps
are like the size of a hair,right?
We're not making big stepstowards getting a marzan, but
we're slowly working our waythere.
Is it bad?
No, not by any stretch.
If you've never had anOktoberfest, you could drink it,
not get scared away.
But is it what the true Marzanstaste like?
(20:32):
No.
Well, I'm gonna have to say it.
Can I go 2.25?
SPEAKER_01 (20:36):
Sure.
I think we're gonna have tostart doing something like that
because it's yeah, I'm I don'tknow.
Yeah, um, I agree with you.
I mean, it is moving in theright direction, but again, it
needs some something.
I'm gonna go to a 2.3.
I think I must like it a slightbit better than what you did.
(20:57):
But again, uh I you could drinkit, I wouldn't turn it down,
right?
You know, it's not anything likethat, but it's just kind of I
wish it had more flavor again.
SPEAKER_00 (21:07):
Right.
I mean, I I don't I don't evenknow if this is a good statement
or not, but these almost tastelike the big box beers.
Kind of, you know, like if theylose.
SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
If they made an Oktoberfest, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:17):
It kind of does.
Because it's like they're almostbrewing for the masses rather
than the way that it should bemade.
Yeah, I don't know if that's agood statement or not.
SPEAKER_01 (21:25):
I agree with you.
That's a I think that's aperfect way to say it.
It just seems like they're Idon't want to say watered down,
but they're not they're notproviding everything they could,
right?
For sure.
And it's I don't know why.
I'm not sure why.
So oh man.
Well, we're halfway through thisdebacle, and uh you said to me
that you have an interestingstory.
(21:46):
I didn't know if it wasinteresting or funny or oh or
what, but uh well, hang on.
SPEAKER_00 (21:52):
Let's let me pour a little bit more beer because
this might take me a littlewhile.
Okay, do you want a little bit?
Oh bees, yeah, I might as well.
All right, okay.
So you know, working on thefarm.
Yep, and um, one of the greatinvestments that I had to make
recently was a pole saw.
Have you ever seen one of those?
Oh, yeah, I have one.
And the reason that I had to getone is because my wonderful
(22:14):
bride said she wasn't gonnadrive me around in the bucket of
the tractor cutting off treelimbs anymore.
SPEAKER_01 (22:20):
Well, now, in her defense, I have driven you
around in the bucket of thetractor as well, and it does get
a wee bit nerve-wracking for thedriver.
Does it?
Yeah, I don't know, I've neverbeen on that end.
I know.
That's why you yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
So I did invest in a pole saw, which then I can stand
on the ground and still reachup.
Is it one that has like the likeelectric or what I mean a
gas-powered?
No, no, it's it's not just thethat kind of electric.
Okay, so I can just pull on thetrigger and it's it's brushless,
okay.
SPEAKER_01 (22:48):
So I can still reach up 20 feet.
See, the lot the one I have isyou gotta go up there, you gotta
pull and push and pull and push,and it sucks.
SPEAKER_00 (22:54):
Yeah, no, I so I figure it was either gonna be
having her my wonderful bridedrive me around some more, or
you or investing in one of theseI could do it on my own.
SPEAKER_01 (23:03):
Well, if if you let me drink like six, eight beers
before I do it, I wouldn't haveany problem with it.
Then you'll be calm.
SPEAKER_00 (23:08):
I'll be calm as it could be.
So I went to a field that Ihaven't been able to get to in a
while.
Okay, there's a lot of branches,probably sticking out 20, 30
feet into the field.
SPEAKER_01 (23:19):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (23:20):
So it's probably been 10-15 years since I've been
able to do this cutting back.
Did my cutting back with thebranches, and there was a few
trees, you know, because theywere once some of the softer
trees, they lean into the fieldtoo.
So you got not only the branchesbut the tree itself.
Yep.
So after I got all the branchescleaned out of the way, then I
started using the tractor in thebucket to push everything back.
(23:40):
Okay, and this has neverhappened to me in all the times
I've been using the bucket topush brush.
So I was pushing like abouthalfway up on a cherry tree,
it's probably six to eightinches, and there's a softer
tree.
Okay, almost like a birch tree.
So it's it's not like a hard,hardwood, like an oak, right?
It's softer.
So I was pushing on it abouthalfway up, and at some point,
(24:01):
I'm not sure if I hit anothertree or what, but the tree
snapped, and it the whole thingfell on top of the me and the
tractor.
Okay, the top half, the wholetop half of the tree.
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Is it it's your tractor with the bucket on it?
Yes, which the last time Ilooked doesn't have a cab on it.
SPEAKER_00 (24:17):
Correct.
So that fell right on top of myhead without my and plus I
didn't have a safety helmet, Ijust had my bill cap.
So I have a little bit of did itknock you out.
No, I think I was I think I waspretty much like pissed off
because I'm like, what the heckjust happened?
Because it happened so quickbecause I was pushed all of a
sudden it snapped and flippedright onto me probably within
two seconds.
(24:38):
Wow, so there was no reactiontime, but now the whole tree top
is laying on top of me, on topof all the controls, on top of
the the manifold you know, themuffler, yep, the bucket, all
the hoses.
So, what'd you do?
So then I tried to pick up thebucket to see what happened.
That didn't that was not workingvery good.
So I just put it in reverse andslowly backed out.
(24:58):
How how tall was this tree?
Probably 40 feet.
In the top, how much of it?
Probably the top 20 feet.
Come because it was it wasprobably another five feet
behind me.
Behind you, yeah.
I was like inside all thebranches, it completely I mean,
and Julie even saw the shirt hadI had rips through my shirt
where the branches were comingthrough my shirt, and I got a
(25:19):
little scar now.
I I I can see that on top of mymelodic.
SPEAKER_01 (25:23):
I can see that.
So, well, the good thing is itdidn't hit you in any place
important, right?
It just hit me in the head.
So you're so you're good there,right?
But it ripped up a goodperfectly good shirt.
SPEAKER_00 (25:33):
Yes, now the wonderful my wonderful brides
even have to do some mending.
SPEAKER_01 (25:37):
Some mending, well, you lucky she didn't have to
mend your head.
SPEAKER_00 (25:40):
Well, what was bad is I think it actually hit you
ever seen on a bill cap whereit's got that little button on
the I think it hit that becausethat is like the spot where I
was like, hurts the work.
It's right where that littlebutton is at.
So I'm like, wow, but I've neverhad that in all the years I've
been pushing, you know, with thetractor, I've never had it where
the the tree snapped right inhalf and come usually.
(26:02):
I can just push them right overwhen I get them up that high,
and they'll just go right overand lay right down.
SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
So this tree though, that it was leaning out over the
field, so you were just tryingto push up and into the okay
into the wood so it was out ofthe way.
SPEAKER_00 (26:13):
Wow, but you hadn't cut it yet, right?
I didn't cut it because Ithought I could because I knew
it was a cherry tree.
Yeah, and it would just kind ofjust lay right over on its own
because they don't have big rootballs or anything.
Wow.
So that got my attention.
SPEAKER_01 (26:25):
So did you you learn something?
SPEAKER_00 (26:27):
Yes, bring the bride out so that she can help cut
down the trees more.
SPEAKER_01 (26:31):
Invite Mike over with a bunch of beers, and then
we're gonna go out and so thatwas on the CRP ground, you know,
up on that that one open fieldup there.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (26:39):
It's and it's hard to get to because once you plant
all the fields, it's a waysaway, right?
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
I mean, you know it's probably half mile from the
vehicle.
So if yeah, you it would havetaken you a while to write.
Especially if I would have bentsomething on the tractor and
right, because yeah, that'sthat's a long way to walk up
there.
We've done it, but not right.
We don't have to, it's better.
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
Maybe in our younger years it was easier, but not
now.
Exactly.
Wow.
So yeah, so that was myfunny-ish story for the funny ha
ha.
Not at the time, yeah, but mymelon still hurts.
It still hurts.
SPEAKER_01 (27:10):
So don't slap me on top of the head.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
No, I'm gonna have to have Julie give me a massage
on my head.
SPEAKER_01 (27:15):
There you go.
I think she she probably would.
I think she said something abouta cast iron skillet.
SPEAKER_00 (27:19):
So I didn't mean that head.
Oh.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:24):
Well, on that note, should we try it?
We're gonna try another bear uhbeer here.
We gotta we gotta find one.
SPEAKER_01 (27:30):
We gotta find one.
There's gotta be one out there,isn't there?
I'm hoping.
Otherwise, it's like, oh so weare uh well, this is another
brewery that we've had a lot ofbeers from.
Okay, and this is Bell's.
Is it Hell's Bells?
Like could be could be now.
Where is it that Bell's is outof?
And they put this sticker onthere where I can't right over
(27:50):
that.
Well, how about this?
I have some technology.
Yeah, you look it up and I'lltalk about it here.
Yeah, you do that.
So this is their OktoberfestMars on.
It is 5.5% ABV.
They didn't give IBUs, so that'sfine.
It says crafted as a flavorfulsession beer.
Bell's Oktoberfest beer isperfect for a week-long wedding
celebration in Germany or thestart of the Michigan Autumn.
(28:13):
I guess starting out ofMichigan.
SPEAKER_00 (28:15):
I was just gonna say Comstock and Kalamazoo machine.
SPEAKER_01 (28:18):
Okay, I say they answered themselves.
Yes.
Well, now it makes sense becausethey have that kalamazoo stout.
SPEAKER_00 (28:24):
Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (28:25):
Yeah, okay.
As with Bell's lager beer,Oktoberfest spends a full six
weeks maturing in thefermentation vessels.
Unlike its cousin, Oktoberfesttrades in the assertive hot
presents for a focus on a lightcaramel malt note, lending body
without too much sweetness.
(28:47):
So they're the first ones thathaven't, you know, they're not
talking bready and spicy and allthis stuff.
So that's not really anOktoberfest.
Maybe they're gonna be closer totelling us the truth.
SPEAKER_00 (29:00):
Well, it's got a good color.
The the head is actually alittle bit tan.
SPEAKER_01 (29:05):
Yeah, a little bit, and again, it's not as dark as
like the was it the point or notthe point, the well, the the
central waters or the lineyswere darker, but well, let's
see.
Again, very light aroma.
SPEAKER_00 (29:17):
Yeah, not much for aroma.
I don't know.
Light caramel malt note.
Well, it's light, it's light,all right.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
This one is it's not bad, it doesn't taste bad.
It's just yeah.
Again, it's kind of one of thoseyou're just like, huh.
Oh, it was in a uh can, by theway.
SPEAKER_00 (29:32):
Right, and it's pointing, you know, it's like on
the scale, it's pointing towardsOktoberfest, but that's all it's
doing, it's pointing.
It's not really there.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
I I am gonna say we're not gonna go to a
thousandth of a point now.
I guess it's man.
Again, it's not offensive atall.
And you know, you you could ifyou haven't had an Oktoberfest,
you could definitely try it.
But to me, it's it's almost gota little bit of a bitter thing.
SPEAKER_00 (29:57):
This one for me so far is not.
I think it's down lower thanthat and whatever I don't know.
I can't is making it bitter.
I don't know if 'cause it saysthey're not they're not using
hops as much.
Right.
So I don't get it.
Right.
And it's not caramel.
You would think the caramelwould make it a little bit
sweet.
I mean, not too much sweet, butI mean you would think that's
what they were trying to do, butright.
(30:17):
That did not come through.
No, not at all.
And you get to be first.
SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
I think you might have to use your tenth of the
same or a hundredth now, Ithink.
Cheapers.
Uh I'm gonna say because of thatbitterness and such, I'm gonna
go a 2.05.
Oh, because again, I have togive them credit because it has
alcohol in it.
You know, but again, I just it'sI don't know that bitterness
(30:43):
hasn't been in the other ones,right?
You know, and I don'tnecessarily think that it
belongs in an Oktoberfest.
No, you know, not what we thinkof an Oktoberfest, you know.
So spot on.
That's that's where I'm going.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
Yeah, I mean, that's that was the exact score.
I was gonna say two the 2.05.
It's these other three weremuch, I think, much better.
This was definitely, I think, astep down in flavor.
That bitterness just caught melike, mmm.
Yeah, that's that's the thingthat really kind of stood out.
And I mean, is it unique fromthe other ones?
Yes, it has a different flavor,but is it a better flavor?
(31:18):
I don't I pre me personally, Idon't think it makes it better.
SPEAKER_01 (31:22):
I would agree with you.
I think that they could if theytook that out, it it would have
been right in there with theother ones, but I think that
separated it and not in a goodway.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (31:31):
All right, all right.
We're gonna keep trying.
We're gonna keep going herebecause I'm swinging out like
this strikeouts.
Not so much you, but it's justwell, the next one I know is
gonna taste good after this.
SPEAKER_01 (31:42):
Yeah, yeah.
This is gonna get that thatbonus because of what came
before it.
Yeah.
So uh this one is by CapitalBrewing, all right, and they're
out of Madison.
Mad City, right?
What's that?
Mad City, Mad City, Madison.
Exactly.
And this is the uh CapitalBrewery Oktoberfest Marzon.
Okay, five and a half percent.
Oh, it must have been BAV.
(32:03):
I'm not exactly sure what thatis.
That must have bad finger to itcould have been the the acronym
there.
So, what their description saidis the mother of all seasonal
beers has a fiery amber hue andrich multi-overtones that
dominate the flavor, dominate,dominate, and this is in a
bottle model.
Now, you know what's funny isthis really is I I think they're
(32:26):
right as far as saying that anOktoberfest is the mother of all
seasonal beers.
I think they're right.
SPEAKER_00 (32:32):
Well, I mean, I guess from our perspective, I
mean, this is probably one ofthe few worldwide festivals that
focuses on beer.
SPEAKER_01 (32:38):
Yeah, you know what's funny.
So early on, one of the uh oneof the beers had a description
where it was talking about thatOktoberfest is the let me look
back.
I just I don't want to misquoteit.
It said uh did it the originaluh Brune for the first
Octoberfest.
What did it say?
Um, I'm sorry, I'm trying tobecause it was talking about how
Oktoberfest is like the you knowlike the the big festival.
(32:58):
If you've ever seen the movieBeerfest, okay, and it's a
comedy and it it's hilarious.
If you ever get a chance towatch it, watch it.
It's beer fest.
But there, when the maincharacters go to Germany, they
go to Beerfest instead ofOktoberfest, and it goes on at
the same time.
And the pe the the people thatwere there from Germany when
they were talking to them, theysaid, Oh, Oktoberfest is for
(33:19):
tourists, beer fest is for thereal drinkers.
Oh and it just gets funnier fromthere.
But yeah, you ever have to watchit.
So when I was reading that, uhthe first thing that popped in
my head was Beer Fest, and thatmight be something in not us
going to beerfest, but in afuture episode, I might have to
uh print off some like a list ofsome of the beer movies that are
out there.
(33:39):
There you go.
Um, because I think that wouldbe interesting as well to talk
about.
Yes.
All right, so let's get back toCapital.
Capital.
SPEAKER_00 (33:46):
It's kind of looks like a little lighter than some,
but it kind of that it it itmight actually look like a
Marzon.
It could, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:54):
Again, it has a little bit of aroma, but not
much.
It's better than the glass one.
It's not bitter, it's a lotbitter.
No, there's not a lot of flavorthere.
No, you know, we're maybe we setour next year.
We gotta do the German one last.
SPEAKER_00 (34:08):
If we do another German Oktoberfest, yeah,
because I mean these are justnot even come close to any of
the flavor from a GermanOktoberfest.
SPEAKER_01 (34:16):
Yeah, this one is definitely maltier, uh, you
know, especially on the finish.
I I get a lot more of a strongermalt flavor than anything.
Um, again, I would drink it.
I don't know if it would be myfirst choice, right?
You know what I mean?
It's it's okay, but it does havea little bit of a different
flavor.
SPEAKER_00 (34:31):
Yes, you know.
I'm I'm with you there.
I don't gosh, it it's just sohard to describe because it's
not it doesn't nothing reallystands out, right?
It's just all flat level.
Yep, it's it's hard next year.
SPEAKER_01 (34:44):
We may have to do just one October festival.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
I mean, we're trying, we're trying, ladies and
gentlemen.
SPEAKER_01 (34:49):
We are trying.
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
If I'm gonna have to say it 2.15.
SPEAKER_01 (34:54):
Oh, geez, I'm sensing a pattern on your uh on
your scores.
Yeah, I'm um, I'll do the samescore.
It it's I don't know, it's justnormally I like really malty
beers, but this one's just kindof got a different flavor to it.
SPEAKER_00 (35:08):
I mean, you know, I throw this out to you too.
Is if I had these covered, shecouldn't tell what style this
was.
I don't know if I could evendifferentiate if this was a Mars
on any of these.
I don't know if you're the sameway.
SPEAKER_01 (35:19):
I mean, oh yeah, I but the blind taste test would
really screw me up.
I agree with you.
And honestly, even with theGerman ones, you know, I think
we mentioned that before that Ithere's no way I could that we
especially you know that wecould blind taste test these and
try and pick out oh, right, youknow, but like if you had a
German one and one of these, oh,I could definitely tell you for
the most part.
(35:39):
I think we could tell thedifference between that, but
these, even if we knew here'sthe list, these are the ones we
have, and you we blind tastetested it.
I don't I don't think we coulddo it.
You know, that that might be aninteresting thing for an episode
sometime to do that because I'llguarantee we fail.
We might get one right justbecause we lucked out, but so
(36:00):
that reminds me.
SPEAKER_00 (36:01):
I don't know if you've watched some of the
latest Alabama boss YouTubevideos.
He's had actually had to do someblind, he's tasted them all, and
then they put it like in ashoebox with a straw, and
they've had him like trying toand he hasn't done very good on
it.
He's even tasted them first andknew what they all were, and
then blind tainted them.
And then the blind taintingstill couldn't get them.
SPEAKER_01 (36:20):
So wow, yeah, these are just so close.
So close.
I think depending on when we didit of this group, right?
If the if the non-alcoholic onewas later, I think we might be
able to get that one, right?
But if it was right off the batand then we went from there, I
don't know.
It's just kind of oh okay.
So the next the next one, whatthe next one I was really
(36:42):
dreading because I know what'sgonna be brought up, but I am
going to laugh like crazy ifthis one actually has flavor.
So what are you talking about,buddy?
So we have uh another uhOktoberfest Marzon style beer.
All right, this one is from uhthe Texas area.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
(37:02):
Haven't we had some beers?
I not that I can recall, onesingle brewery in particular
there.
SPEAKER_00 (37:08):
Um, yeah, yeah.
That was different though.
Oh, is it that was a holidayone?
That was a holiday one, yeah.
What and we got an Oktoberfestone.
Is it a yeah?
SPEAKER_01 (37:16):
This is an Oktoberfest from uh a brewery in
Texas.
Nice, yes, it's from Shiner.
Uh-oh.
So and again, so I'm guessingthe orange and blue is must be
the other because we've had likethis is the fourth one now,
fifth one that has orange, yes,which I get because of the fall
colors, but again, when youlooked at the German ones, they
(37:38):
all had the blue and whitediamonds and all that.
All right, so this is theOktoberfest Marzon from Shiner
5.7 percent.
So it's the highest ABV so far.
Yep, so that's it's goingforward, yep, and 18 IBUs.
Their write-up says, here inShiner, Texas, we're suckers for
tradition.
We're suckers for buying theirbeer, yeah.
(38:00):
It could be.
I was for Christmas.
Uh, that's why we make ourOktoberfest brew with the
highest quality two-row barley,Munich, and caramel malts, along
with German-grown HallertoTradition and Hirschbruckbrucker
hops.
Wow, I can't say as I've heardof Hirschbrucker.
SPEAKER_00 (38:19):
Well, I hope they put all that stuff in there,
yeah, and in adequatequantities.
SPEAKER_01 (38:23):
Yes, because we need something.
SPEAKER_00 (38:25):
Because if it's like their other shiner beers, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (38:28):
Again, if you haven't listened to our we did
two episodes on it too.
Because you had a case becauseit was it was 12 12?
Was it 244, wasn't it?
One or the other, 12 or 24.
We did it might have been 12.
SPEAKER_00 (38:40):
Oh, is that all?
SPEAKER_01 (38:41):
Yeah, and they remember they brought back
blasts from the past and allthat, and it did they probably
should have stayed in the pastbecause it just didn't work
again.
Not light, light aroma.
Yeah, and the it's looks verysimilar to a lot of them.
SPEAKER_00 (38:56):
Yep, it's not very, I mean, it's you could I can see
my fingers to the glass.
SPEAKER_01 (39:01):
There is a little there's a little flavor on the
initial swallow.
It almost has a I'm not gonnasay bitter, but it's almost like
a tart.
Is that the barley?
I don't know.
Wouldn't you say almost like atartness to it?
Like you're going, whoa, youknow, it's so out of character
for a shiner.
Yeah, we always thought theydidn't like flavor, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (39:20):
I mean, so this is probably the most flavorful
shiner beer we've had.
I would agree, and that's prettycrazy.
And this is our 25th one or13th.
SPEAKER_01 (39:28):
13th one for sure.
I think it's 13.
Well, yeah, because I can'tremember if that one had an
advent C wasn't a 24.
No, it was like a 12 beers ofChristmas thing or something
like that.
But I'm trying to remember, Idon't did it have Shiner Bach in
it.
I don't remember because we'vehad Shiner Bach as well, right?
You know, and that one stilldoesn't have a huge amount of
flavor, but this does have someflavor, not a lot.
(39:51):
I would agree with you, some,and you get to go first.
Oh my word.
See, now this is where it's likeyou might have to break into
hundreds, thousands.
No, um, I'm gonna do my 2.25 onthis one.
So, yes, this is to me thesecond best one, I guess.
Wow, that's saying a lot.
(40:12):
It does have some flavor.
Uh, again, I if it didn't havelike that, and I say tartness,
but it's got kind of a differentthing when on the initial
swallow.
Yeah, but again, it's it's okay,I guess.
Falls right in line.
Yeah, what we were noticing now.
SPEAKER_00 (40:27):
So I'm gonna have to do a a redo or reset.
Uh-oh.
So I'm gonna say that my Liniesis a 2.3.
Okay, and I'm gonna make theshiner a 2.2.
Okay.
So very close, similar.
In I'm trying to give it thebenefit of the doubt because
we've tried a lot of shinerbeers that have not had any
flavor, they've just beencolored water.
(40:49):
This one actually has flavor, itis actually a little bit closer
to the Marzon that we're lookingfor.
SPEAKER_01 (40:55):
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (40:55):
So that's why I wanted to get that up there.
Give it the benefit of thedoubt.
SPEAKER_01 (40:59):
Yep, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_00 (41:00):
This was in a bottle, by the way.
SPEAKER_01 (41:02):
Yeah, it's I don't know.
We got one to go.
One to go.
All right, what do we so thelast one that we have today is
from Surle.
That's in the Twin Cities area.
All right, and this is theirOktoberfest, and I believe is it
their fest beer or is it uhOctober?
(41:22):
It just says Oktoberfest,Octoberfest, Oktoberfest beer.
Okay, uh it's a 6.1 percent.
So this is the highest ABV foruh this this episode.
Yep.
So you think about it, we had apretty good span again from zero
to six point one.
Well, actually zero point fiveto six point one.
We stepped it up, we stepped itup, and this one is back to like
(41:43):
that traditional German stylecoloring, which is cool.
It's got like a big old stein onthere.
There you go.
Yep, and it says Oktoberfestlagers are the ultimate party
beer.
Well, yeah, if you're atOktoberfest, right up front,
they're rich, sweet, and malty,but they finish dry and clean
with an ever-so slight touch ofhops.
(42:06):
Prost.
And that's the first comfort, Ithink, that said prost.
Right.
And this is in a can, as you canhear.
All right, our last one.
Our last one.
Boy, that's light, just lighterin color than most of them.
That is yeah, that is reallyalmost getting back to like the
first couple.
Yeah, that is really lightcolor.
(42:28):
Not much aroma again.
Very little sensing a pattern.
Yep, that's got a little betterflavor, I think.
My opinion.
SPEAKER_00 (42:34):
Yeah, I mean, but again, it it when you're we're
building off of none to notmuch, it's you know.
Yeah, I'm trying todifferentiate.
There's not it said it was gonnahave a little more upfront
sweetness.
Maybe, maybe that's what thatis.
Yeah, is that caramel?
SPEAKER_01 (42:48):
Maybe it could be.
Like I said, it's definitely gotit has a little more flavor, but
on the second taste, it's kindof well, it's gone, but it's
kind of like, was it a goodflavor?
Right.
You know, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (42:59):
I guess you get to go first on this one.
It's not a bad beer, it's nothorrendous.
If you've never had anOktoberfest, you could try it.
Yeah, but it's still not, it'sstill not where it should be for
Marzan.
And I'm kind of so I think whatI'm gonna do is I'm gonna make
Linies my 2.35.
Okay, and I'll make this a 2.3.
Okay, none of these have reallylike knocked my socks off in any
(43:22):
way.
I'm just they're all really,really, really closely grouped
together.
Yeah, I just can't reallyseparate them out by much.
SPEAKER_01 (43:29):
I agree.
I'm gonna go 2.35.
I think this is probably I guessyou can say my top one for
today.
Uh, but again, it's just kind ofI could drink it, you could
drink it.
But we've had two episodes now,dude, that American American IPA
or IPAs, American Oktoberfestare just kind of fell flat,
(43:50):
yeah, a little bit, and it'sreally kind of a bummer.
SPEAKER_00 (43:53):
And I mean, they're all like so relatively close in
our scoring, too.
I mean, it's I mean, granted, wedid break it in the hundreds,
yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (44:00):
But but I don't think if we didn't, there's
nothing that was gonna be a 2.7.
All right, and for sure, really,there's nothing that would have
been a one-point, right?
You know, whatever.
So they're very, very similar toeach other, and maybe that's the
thing is they're this works, andlet's just try and keep it in
that range.
SPEAKER_00 (44:18):
Because I know it's only seasonal, they only do it
for a short period of time.
So I'm sure all right, hey, thisis our we're doing a running a
batch, you know.
We don't want to put a wholebunch of extra stuff into it
because it's not like it's ayear-round thing, so but the
Germans do have it dump at it,yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (44:31):
They they got it again.
Two episodes of AmericanOktoberfest, and the Germans
still have us all beat in theOktoberfest realm.
Hands down, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (44:41):
Now, I mean, this isn't even this grouping wasn't
even sniffing in even in theirdust.
Yep, they were so far above.
SPEAKER_01 (44:49):
I I guess for a wrap-up on these beers, you
could try any of them.
Yes, I guess the only thing isif you don't want alcohol, get
the athletic.
If you want alcohol, you couldtry any of them.
They're so close together.
Yep.
Uh, I don't really think, again,personally, that anything stood
out so much above the rest thatoh, that was the winner.
Right.
They're all so close.
(45:09):
So that's my my opinion, anyway.
SPEAKER_00 (45:12):
Yep, I echo exactly.
I mean, and I'm sure that a lotof these aren't distributed
wherever you're everybody's at.
So I wouldn't be afraid torecommend trying one of them
just to see what it's like, seeif your palate likes it.
Because they're not, they're notbad.
It's just we we're looking for alittle bit more.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Yep.
And ladies and gentlemen, if youknow if there's something in
your area that you know of thatis good, let us know.
I mean, we'd love to see if wecan find it.
See if we can find it and andtry it.
Because all the ones that wehave access to at this point
have been ho-hum, kind of thesame, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (45:42):
So I'm gonna allude to our maybe a possible another
episode.
I think I have found some otherpossibilities.
Okay.
I mean, I didn't do very goodhere, but maybe well, again,
it's not your fault.
You're we're playing with whatwe're dealt, so to speak.
So I do have some moreopportunities, and one of them,
like I think we've alreadymentioned before, is the barrel
(46:03):
aged Marzon.
Okay, which we have hadpreviously that was really good.
And I think it'll be good tosee.
Hopefully, our taste buds can uhremember back to the veneration,
yeah, to see you know which onebetween those two that you know,
pumpkin barrel, pumpkin beeraged, and uh was that that was
rye barrel, right?
SPEAKER_01 (46:24):
Yes, that was a rye barrel, and this and that was
really good, and this Marzanwill be bourbon barrel.
SPEAKER_00 (46:28):
Okay, so yeah, so we'll check that out.
So maybe hopefully that has someflavor.
Yeah, so hopefully, I mean wekind of struck out here, we
didn't really hit where Ithought we would, but we did
try.
We tried.
We're trying to let thelisteners know what we found,
which wasn't much, but right.
SPEAKER_01 (46:45):
We tried, we found some stuff, but we tried as hard
as we could.
And when you know thatShinerBach was number two, or
Shiner Oktoberfest, I shouldsay, was number two on my list.
SPEAKER_00 (46:55):
That's telling you something.
SPEAKER_01 (46:56):
It's telling you something.
So awesome.
Well, cool.
Hey Jim, thanks for bringingthese.
And again, like I said, we'rejust hoping that some of these
2025 something would stand out.
And we're two episodes into the2025 versions, and they're
they're pretty similar.
So we'll see what happens in thefuture.
Yep.
Uh hopefully we'll uh stumbleacross something or someone that
(47:17):
decides flavor is good.
Yes.
And uh we'll kind of go fromthere.
Awesome.
Sounds good.
Awesome.
Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen,thanks for listening to this
episode.
And like we always say, we hopeyour campfire is always warm and
your beers are always cold.
See ya! See ya.
Thank you for listening to theNorthwoods Beer Guy Podcast.
If you have a question, acomment, or a beer you'd like us
to review, please feel free tosend us a message at
(47:39):
Northwoodsbeerguy at gmail.com.
You can also find us onFacebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
If you're on Untapped, look upNorthwoods Beer Guy and send a
friend request.
Until next week, I hope all yourcampfires are warm and all your
beers cold.
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