BBW Wiesener Festmärzen
 

Review Date 10/25/2025  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Märzen   Brewery: BBW   Country: Germany   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: $.15 (B)   ABV: 5.6%

They’re back! That is, the Biergarten Collection gift boxes from Webster Barnes are back for 2025. You can get them at Costco stores in many states, and I have been haunting my local Costco in Woodstock, Georgia every weekend in September looking for them. Finally, I saw them September 19^th and one went straight into my cart.

Now, I had been buying a Kalea Beer Advent calendar every year, filled as they are with wonderful German brews. The 2023 calendar was the last sold in US Costco stores as far as I know. I picked up the 2024 Biergarten Collection the following year, and got one again this year. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get both? I would be in Himmel, I can tell you.

I did purchase a 2024 Biergarten collection, and you can rest assured that the 2025 box has many new beers plus a few returning favorites. I was so happy to see Georg Rittmayer Rauchbier once again this year.

Today's brew is from a brewery new to me: BBW of Wiesen, Bavaria. BBW stands for Bürgerliches Brauhaus Wiesen, so now you know. The brew in question is BBW Wiesener Festmärzen, which I drank on October 2nd but am only now getting a chance to fully review. I enjoyed the beer and took my tasting notes on a fine Thursday fall evening and a Festmärzen seemed apropos to the time of year and weather.

Webster Barnes says this about the brewery:

In 1888, the Bürgerliches Brauhaus Wiesen belonged to Wiesen citizens, surrounded by the legendary Hochspessart forests and meadows. Christof Hartmann tookover the brewery in 1913, followed by Karola and Ina Elsesser to uphold the qualitative standards into the future.

BBW Wiesener Festmärzen has an alcohol content of 5.6% by volume and I paid $59.99 for the 24-pack box, so $2.50 per half liter can. That is not a bad deal at all. I was expecting these to cost more this year, but happily that was not the case. My can was stamped BEST BEFORE 06/2026. The beer is listed on the brewery website as well.

BBW Wiesener Festmärzen pours to a brilliant golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of soft bready, slightly nutty malts. Taking a sip the beer is light to medium in body. Its bready like the nose promised and lightly toasty nutty. More of a Festbier than a Märzen, I think, but tasty and malty and gently dry with a balancing bitterness, and the delightful light toasty nutty notes make it quaffable indeed  Lightly toasted bread with the crusts, very light caramel both emerge on the palate and the dry earthy hops balance the beer nicely. I really enjoyed this, a 4 star beer on its own merits but I am adding a half star for the bargain price. I was just in Helen for Oktoberfest last week and paid $5 to $7 average for half liter cans and bottles of German beer to bring home, so the price here is even more remarkable.

Other beers in this collection:

Georg Rittmayer Rauchbier

Eibauer ST. M Hefeweizen

Eibauer Schwarzbier