Should’ve been a stein
A lovely autumn orange with mild fruity aroma, this brew has a sweet initial impression with mild yeast flavors followed by a dry, earthy finish. The body is a bit heavier than medium with a definite creaminess. The malt taste is tilted very much towards sweet rather than roasty, toasty, biscuit or bread flavors. The overall impression is brighter, for lack of a better word, than I’d imagine for an Oktoberfest. It reminds me a lot of lighter pilsner / Hallertaeur blends like a Kolsch or a Blonde ale. The mouthfeel is heavier but the beer itself doesn’t seem significantly maltier.
The marzen lacks a true base malt with a bit under four pounds of pilsner, a bit over three pounds of Munich malt, and about two and a half pounds of Vienna. Another twelve ounces of Caramunich II adds color and sweetness. Like many pilsner brews the boil was 90 minutes, and like many pilsner brews the hops were strictly Hallertauer: an ounce and a half at sixty with another half ounce at twenty. The gravity came in low but within style on both ends starting at 1.051 and finishing at 1.010.