by Barley Blog
Much like the Narragansett Lager I sampled in November last year, this wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting. Sure, it’s an Oktoberfest style brew in a tall boy (16 oz. can), but it actually had some flavors to it that weren’t half bad.
Now, that said, this won’t be bumping Paulaner off the top spot of my favorites of the style list any time soon, but it may be enough for fans of macro lagers to take that much needed baby step towards American craft beer. Appearance
It’s really weird pouring something from this tall boy into a nice pint glass. I feel as if I should be shotgunning the beer instead of treating it with such respect. At any rate, Fest pours amber in color with a small white head that faded to light lacing. Aroma
There’s not much in the way of an aroma here. It’s got a fairly standard lagerish malt on the nose with a light hop presence and some graininess. Taste
The flavors of this one pretty much match the nose. The lightly toasted, bready malts transition smoothly to a light hop bite in the finish. It’s not an overly rich beer, which could prove to be a positive for those with a palate more familiar with adjuncts in their brew. Fest drinks smoothly and easily ’ making me realize I should have just been pulling right off the can, instead of having to clean this glass later. Overall
Again, this isn’t going to be a beer I personally recommend to a diehard craft beer fan, as it really doesn’t offer me much. But, this would be a welcome, seasonal alternative for those beer fans that like their macro lager in a chilled glass. In that way, it’s a pretty good stepping stone for the uninitiated.
Rating: 2.5/5