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As I usually do when I write any review, I am sitting with my PowerBook, hunting and pecking my way through this copy with one hand and holding the beer of the month in the other.
This particular month… Beck’s Oktoberfest. Beck’s has a line of beers that they import to us here in the states that includes Beck’s Light, Beck’s Dark, Beck’s Oktoberfest, Original Beck’s and Haake Beck’s- a non-alcoholic brew that I will review in the future (when my liver fails).
First, some Deutch history. In 1810 some bier loving German royalty decided to get married. It was their very successful 16 day celebration starting in late September and continuing on through October that later became the annual event known as Oktoberfest.
Since drinking Americans tend to celebrate Octoberfest only when prompted by marketing & advertising by big-label bottlers, I decided to give Beck’s Oktoberfest a try.
I would place Beck’s Oktoberfest a few notches below Sam Adam’s Octoberfest. The Beck’s has a severe aftertaste that I definitely do not care for. It has a bitter taste that is just a bit stronger than I would prefer. It pours very well and has a nice amber hue, but it’s head died pretty quickly (it’s worth noting here that I maintain a clean set of pint glasses that have never been soaped).
Beck’s packages their line so that each beer has the traditional Beck’s label with a distinctive color to set it off from the others. Unfortunately, the Oktoberfest gets sky-blue accents on the label and it leads me to feel like I’m drinking a low-sodium brewski. The Oktoberfest scores a 5.0% alcohol by volume, slightly edging out Original Beck’s by 0.2% but looses to Sammy A’s Octoberfest which comes in at 5.7%.
I wasn’t at the first Oktoberfest in 1810 (if you were, send us an email), but Beck’s Oktoberfest Bier is no doubt a poor interpretation of the party in Munich all those years ago. Given a choice of Sammy A or the Beck’s, I’d go with Sammy- you should too.
Beck’s Oktoberfest is brewed seasonally (as you might imagine) and is available during September & October.
I found that Becks Oktoberfest as it reads on the bottle is actually a very good hoppy beer that is apparently still governed by the German purity laws and is now made in the USA is quite good. I don’t think that any body should compare apples to oranges considering that people have mentioned Sam Adams in the same breath as Becks Oktoberfest. That is like saying the United Kingdom is The same as Germany. I am Glad that Becks is made in the USA and that it still follows the German purity laws if all of the immigrants from… Read more »
Yeah I have a different opinion on this as well. It may be because I tried Becks Oktoberfest first. Beck’s had a consistent flavor, but what you describe as an aftertaste is that edge that made me fall in love with it. Sam Adams doesn’t have that zing that makes Becks so good, and the beer tasted a bit muted without it. It’s still a good beer, and it’s my second choice of the three Oktoberfest brands that I’ve had. My least favorite was Leinenkugel, I wouldn’t recommend that beer to anybody. Like the first comment said, it’s funny how… Read more »
Hard to call it an Octoberfest beer? I lived in Germany. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of Becks is sold in Munich during Octoberfest. It’s not where it was made that makes it an Octeberfest beer, but the style of the beer. Please learn more before reviewing beers. Thanks
[…] year I added Becks Oktoberfest to our selection of reviews here at The Belly and by-and-large, compared it to Samuel Adams […]
Beck’s is a northern Germany brewer–located in Bremen. It’s a long way from Munich, the Bavarian site of Oktoberfest, and although German-made and very good, it’s hard to call it an authentic Oktoberfest beer. Instead, check out some of the resident Bavarian Oktoberfest beers: Spaten, Hofbrau, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu or Paulaner. They make various styles of beer, but the style you’re looking for in this category is an “Oktoberfest Märzen.” But if these aren’t available in your area, the Beck’s is a good alternative. Better yet, go to Munich and check it out. It will forever change the way you perceive… Read more »
Interesting Review. I can’t say that I agree but its fun to read how everyone has a difference in palet when it comes to taiste 🙂 I myself really enjoyed the becks Oktoberfest over the Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Actually, I really did not care much for the sam Adams Oktoberfest. the becks on the other hand was a very smooth and flavorful beer to drink for me. I really like it alot and would have given it a higher rating. Anyway, excellent writing on this review. I enjoyed the brief history about Oktoberfest.
cheers!