Try?
Well,
my friends, here I am at the 2018 Helen Oktoberfest celebration enjoying one
of the strangest Oktoberfest beers I’ve ever had: Erdinger Oktoberfest,
a beer they also refer to as Festweisse. I’ve seen this in bottles and
passed on it mostly, though I did enjoy a mug at the 2016 Helen Oktoberfest.
I took no notes then, however.
Erdinger is located about 40 miles from Munich, but since they are not one of the original Munich brewers (Paulaner, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Lowenbrau, Hofbrau) they cannot sell beer called Oktoberfest in Germany. That is not prohibited in the United States, however.
This seasonal beer offers a synergistic combination of two classic German styles, Oktoberfest and wheat beer; a surprising alliance that works very well together….ERDINGER Oktoberfest blends the advantages of our well known wheat beer with the traditional Oktoberfest taste. A grainy flavour and lovely hoppiness. The feel and crispness of our wheat-based speciality with an Oktoberfest body.
Erdinger
Oktoberfest has an alcohol content of 5.7% by volume and I paid $6.60 for
a 20-ounce mug at the Helen Festhalle. It runs $10.99 a six-pack in
bottles at Total Wine.
My mug of Erdinger Oktoberfest was cloudy straw in color with a thick fluffy white head and a whiff of clove in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer is wheaty and a hint malty but otherwise (other Weisse?) unremarkable. Not regrettable though, I found the beer refreshing and a little complex. It’s a lot like a hefeweizen with a little Munich malt added that adds body but not really so much flavor.
Interesting, though not my favorite Oktoberfest beer. I would certainly buy it again however.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
