Augustiner Bräu Oktoberfestbier

So, first of a (hopefully) regular series of posts all about beer. Nothing too formal, just some thoughts and opinions on a wide range of brews, ranging from pale ales through to imperial stouts and anything else in between.

I picked up this bottle of Oktoberfestbier last weekend from Liverpool's Ship In A Bottle for a couple of reasons, first of which being I hadn't drank anything remotely resembling an Oktoberfestbier since this time last year at Leeds' brilliant North Bar. Secondly, this is a traditional Oktoberfestbier and not just an Oktoberfest-style beer. A beer can only be labelled an Oktoberfestbier if it was brewed within the city of Munich, home of the Oktoberfest celebrations, everything else is seen to be a mimic of the traditional style.

Admittedly, there were a few different Oktoberfestbiers to choose from at Ship In A Bottle. However, my hand immediately found itself picking up the Augustiner as my mind wandered back to my most recent visit to Munich three years ago. It was during this time that I had discovered the delight that is Augustiner Edelstoff (or 'noble stuff' in English) and my choice was made.

After leaving the bottle to chill for a couple of hours I decided it was time to see if I had made a good choice. Upon pouring the beer I was surprised by how light in colour it was, a huge white head developing as I tried my utmost to pour steadily. A vast amount of carbonation bubbles began to rise to the top of the glass until it slowly began to settle along with the dissipation of the rather large head, leaving a lacing of foam around the rim of the glass.

Upon first taste I was immediately impressed by how fresh and clean the beer tasted and smelled; relatively sweet with only a slight bitterness from the hops. The after taste left me wanting a little more bitterness just to round it off. This is definitely a session beer, perfect for occasions such as Oktoberfest. I couldn't really taste the alcohol, which in some cases is a negative. However, it fits perfectly with this style of the beer.

Overall I can see how this beer serves its purpose perfectly well; this is a beer to be drunk time and again throughout the day. However, if you're after something slightly more adventurous then I'm sure there are plenty of other Oktoberfestbiers that will provide a little more excitement. As far as my choice goes, I'm relatively happy with the Augustiner. I finished the bottle easily and found it very drinkable, if not a little underwhelming. Next time I visit Ship In A Bottle I will be picking a different Oktoberfestbier (assuming there are any left), if only for comparisons sake.

Still, if you haven't already tried it, give Augustiner Edelstoff a go: a great substitute for standard canned lager.