Welcome, my friends, to the roller coaster of excitement and disappointment that is Casco Bay Oktoberfest. Not that this is a bad beer, mind you. It’s not. But as we shall shortly see, I was excited and then disappointed to see this beer sold in the Georgia market. Casco Bay was one a proud brewery in Portland Maine, and I was very fond indeed of their Riptide Red Ale and Pilsner.

Recently, I saw the Riptide Red and a new beer called Casco Bay Oktoberfest for sale at Total Wine. I picked up the Ofest and was excited to see this old brewery still around. Except, of course, they’re not and I should have kept better tabs on them. Casco Bay was acquired by Shipyard years ago and has become just another brand, as witness by the neck label that states this is brewed by Shipyard.

OK, all that said I did enjoy this beer. It’s not a true Oktoberfest since it’s called “an Oktoberfest-style ale” on the label. That makes it an amber ale rather than an Oktoberfest Marzen in my book Shipyard does not maintain a website for Casco Bay beers, so there is little information to go on here.

I can say that the beer has an alcohol content of 5.75% per the label, and it has a best enjoyed by date of March 2015 notched. This was a good bargain, too, as I got a six-pack for just $7.99.

Casco Bay Oktoberfest pours to a brilliant copper color with a moderate head of tightly packed foam and a soft malty, slightly nutty nose. Taking a sip I get some caramel up front followed by some light toasty nutty notes I want in the style. The finish is balanced with a slightly herbal, grassy bitterness at the last. Overall, although this is an ale, it’s a pretty good beer although as I said I tend to classify these as an amber ale rather than Oktoberfest, which should be a lager.

This was a solid, enjoyable Oktoberfest ale and has me intrigued enough to go back and pick up the Riptide Red, just for old time sake. More on that later…..



Home