Adam sent me a Sudwerk sampler of beers. In my excitement, I put two of the Marzen up front and neglected the Oktoberfest! He sent me some Pilsner, Marzen, and Oktoberfest to try. And he sent them FRESH and COLD.

Adam, you've known me long enough to know that when you give me sh*t about the beer I drink, I do not take offense to it (although I do feign outrage). I sincerely appreciate you sending me this sampler. Hell the shipping had to cost more than the beer. I owe you, brother. See you at the October herf.

2 of my fave BOTL's.

That's a hit that's gonna leave a mark!

🍺

=d> Well done Adam!!! 🍺

I rescheduled my physical therapy appointment today from 5:00 pm to 1:45 pm so I can try these sooner. HA!🍺

Marzen is an Oktoberfest beer. Sudwerk makes some great beers. Enjoy!!!

I'm familiar with Marzens. They are not served at Oktoberfest in Germany, though. I have a couple pints of the Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen. It's really good. So are the Paulaner and Spaten (Spaten being my personal fave).

Adam can elaborate, but IIRC he wanted me to sample a freshly brewed German style beer that hadn't taken 10 weeks to hit the shores and has been kept cold the whole time. Thus... not allowing heat or light to damage the flavor.

I'm getting all jittery in anticipation. I'm like a kid with a new toy and mom won't let me open the package until we get home.

It's FEIGNED??

😱

Wonder if Da Gerb will catch the Deek Cancer now.... 😞

Well done

=d> =d> 🍺

Awesome

Okay, stand by for drunk posting tonight. I'm sampling all of these, and you really need at least 2 to get a good sample base, right?

First up, the Fest beer, which was the one I decided to try first as soon as I opened the package. I just got an ice cold 28oz mug from my freezer and poured 2 of them into it. Awesome head, even though I tilted the glass and poured slowly. Beautiful malty aroma and flavor. Malty is good IMO. Deep reddish brown color.

This mug is going to go quickly, despite my desire to savor it.

The Senior Chief is a wise man. Use big frosty mug so when asked he can honestly say, "XO (ok wife) I only had 2 or 3 beers."

Still learning from you Goats even though I haven't been a "George Ensign" in a long long time!

You'll be a captain in no time, friend. You understand that the Senior Chief is wise. You also aren't too full of yourself to learn from the goat locker.

ANY captain worth a sh*t will tell you he got where he did by following the advice of his senior enlisted personnel. Because they have experience. I'm not saying they're always right... but LISTEN to them before making your decisions.

Oh... and Mrs MACS has been looking after me for 26+ years. I could lie to her, but she'd never believe it... she also learned from a Senior Chief. 🤦

Okay... the Pilsner has been poured. Light straw color, less head than the fest, but still a good, strong head. Slightly malty with a hint of the hops, which was not present in the fest. The taste is crisp, with neither a malty nor a hoppy lean. It may be the strength of the fest (prolly shoulda started with the pils, but that fest was screaming my name) but it has a very slight hint of hops at the finish. Not bitter at all, just a hint... then nothing. Very clean. No aftertaste.

Perfect beer for a hot summer day.

Glad you are enjoying them. Those are two of my favorites from Sudwerk. The fest is actually 7.5% and 25 ibu, the pils is 5.3% and 35.

I could drink that pils all day long...

Yep... me too. It's light, crisp and clean. Easy to drink many of them and not get bloated.

Still, at this point the fest is my favorite of the two. After the Pils, I'ma pour two of the Marzen. 🍺

This was very thoughtful of you, bro. You know I appreciate it. My brother never ceases to amaze. If it ain't making fun of my driving skills... it's getting me drunk. Bravo, sir... bravo.

Final mug. (for those of you keeping count, I've had 4 beers and I am starting #5 and #6)

The Sudwerk Marzen... darker, actually, than the fest. More brown than red. Golden brown? No head at all on the pour. I poured them all the same. Slight malty aroma, with a small hint of hops. Much like the pils, it's clean. No aftertaste, at least to me. But with a slightly malty taste. Not as malty as the fest, but with a hint of hops.

It's surprising to me that a marzen is as clean as a pils. Not quite as clean, as I can taste the malt and the hops, more hops in this one than the other two, IMO. But almost no aftertaste. A slight linger of the malt.

Verdict:

Fest #1 (easily... the malty taste was fkn bomb)
Marzen #2 (again... love me some malt)
Pils #3 (only because the other two were so good... very good pils)

Now... would I choose any of these over my two faves of late? The Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier or the Paulaner Oktoberfest Wiesn?

Honestly? Yes.

The Sudwerk fest. Otherwise, I'm sticking with my faves.

You really need a noggin.

Please PM me.