Who makes the best Oktoberfest you can buy at the store?

Discuss.

Obviously a matter of taste, but Ayinger Oktoberfest is available in bottles at many places that carry a lot of foreign beers and is arguably the best; locally in San Antonio I get mine at World Market. Watch for old bottles, though. Also Paluaner is really good and I can find it at the same places.

Locally in San Antonio area Real Ale Brewing’s Oktoberfest is good and better than the vast majority of those from the larger breweries. The local German influence probably helps.

The best are the ones that come off of my tap, but I might be prejudiced… :slight_smile:

My two favorites are Staghorn by New Glarus and Bell’s Oktoberfest. From what I’ve heard Bell’s is not bottling it again for the second year though.

Lefthand’s is usually pretty tasty, as is Great Lakes Brewing.

Ayinger is classic, though too expensive IMO.

I like Great Lakes a lot but I’m kind of a fanboy. I also remember enjoying Thirsty Dog’s Barktoberfest but I’m not sure if this is readily available outside of Ohio.

Paulaner Octoberfest Weisn. 1L can. Yum.

Love the imported German versions, all of them. Avoid most American versions that tend to contain too much crystal malt and/or hops, which are not appropriate to the style IMHO.

Huuuuuuge fan of Spaten’s Marzen.

IMNSHO, there isn’t a single American one that really gets it right, except for this year’s SamAdams, which comes close with better malt character and a bit less hops than in previous years. Hacker Pschorr is my favorite of the imported Munich brands.

I wish the Lowenbrau Maerzen I enjoyed 45 years ago was still being made…it was beautifully rich. They still make a festbier, but it is not a Maerzen…rather, it’s like most of the festbiers served at the big party these days…a moderately ramped up version of their standard helles (still quite tasty, though).

:cheers:

A few yrs back, we checked into a hotel in Seattle for my BIL’s wedding. They had an Ofest going on with kegs of Spaten, a variety of sausage, and other food.
Free to hotel guests.

We stayed until the last keg was empty, and the sausage was gone. I don’t remember the bachelor party that night.

I’m heading to Gemuetlichkeit days at a local town in a couple hours to enter a couple beers in my first homebrew comp. I was told they’ll have a great variety of German food, music & plenty of Spaten O’fest on tap. Big bonus! Tomorrow may be a very long day! :cheers:

Hacker Pschorr and Paulaner for me.
Spaten loses points for being available year-round-- not that that’s a bad thing, but I can’t be sure it’s fresh when I buy it in sept.

I haven’t had Sam Adams this year (it seems like it came out mid-July) but their O’fest is always a little too sweet and not toasty enough for me.

Sam Adams O-Fest has always been my go-to choice when it comes to Oktoberfests but I have only tried the more popular commercial brands. I don’t think I have tried anything that would be considered a more traditional Oktoberfest but since I am passing the liqueur store today I just might be tempted to pick something up.

Has anyone tried Surly’s O-fest?

The best one I’ve had from an American brewery I think is Leinenkugel’s. I haven’t tasted it yet this year. Schell’s might also be good, also haven’t tasted it yet. I typically don’t drink American versions but in a pinch I’d go with one of those.

Not sure about any others – the vast majority are made with American malts and Crystal 40 – a far cry from the German originals if you ask me. I suppose you could say that I’ve been unimpressed by so many American versions that I’ve learned to avoid them almost 100%. Some people like 'em. Personal preference.

Available for most of Eastern Ontario are beers from Beau’s All Natural Brewery. They put on a pretty serious Octoberfest in their home town. They actually get a lot of industry people frpm the states come up for it.

Anyway, their Nightmarzen seaonal is fantastic. I elect this as Canada’s greatest beer until someone proves me wrong.

Leine’s was excellent last year, I havent had it yet this year but it is usually solid.
I am a big fan of Schells. Every year I have not been disappointed. If you want to try another dependable American made German style try Schells Schmaltz Alt also.

Hands down the best American brewed Octoberfest (and better than many of the imported Octoberfests I had) is Schells Oktoberfest.

http://www.schellsbrewery.com/ourbeers_info.php?id=7

What makes this beer even more special for me is that the brewery is only twenty miles from my front door.

I had both Sam Adams and Schells in bottle and on tap and the differences are crazy. I think Sams on tap is sweet but well balanced in the bottle. Schells on tap is very toasty but not impressed with with the bottle version.
Still haven’t tried the German ones yet and still waiting for Surlys.

Samuel Adams on draft is up there for me

As far as domestic Octoberfest goes, my favorites are Great Lakes (sad I can’t get it here) and Freestate (not sure of availability outside of KS and MO). IMO Sam Adams’ is crap.