Munich Fest Festbier

Review Date 10/16/2023 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Oktoberfest   Brewery: Jack's Abby   Country: USA   State: Massachusetts   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 5.4%

So I’ve been drinking a bunch of new Oktoberfest beers this year, and writing up some reviews on them, too. As I have been doing so, I have remarked that these days as in the early days of craft brewing, most breweries make an Oktoberfest beer. Some of them, though, make two. Jack’s Abby of Framingham, Massachusetts fits into the latter category.

The first Oktoberfest I ever tried from Jack’s Abby was their Copper Legend Octoberfest, a classic Märzen. I first tried it in 2015, when I hauled some back from Rhode Island to Georgia. Now, though, Jack’s Abby makes a Festbier, too: Jack’s Abby Munich Fest Festbier. I recently tried my first can watching the Patriots play the Raiders on a Sunday afternoon. I had hoped that a few New England beers might provide the 2023 Patriots with better luck. It didn’t work: we lost again. Sigh.

While the game was not a success, Jack’s Abby Munich Fest certainly was. It’s a very tasty example of the Festbier style of Oktoberfest beer so popular at the Munich Oktoberfest celebrations of today.

The brewery says:

When it’s time to fest, count us in! This golden, unfiltered lager offers a delicious contrast to the amber beers of the season. Expect a slightly sweet, moderately bitter and super crisp beer built for the fest.

Jack’s Abby Munich Fest Festbier has an alcohol content of 5.4% by volume with 20 IBUs. I paid $4.99 for my pint can from Half Time. I have no 4-pack pricing. My sample was CANNED 07/25/23 according to the stamp on the bottom of the can.

Jacks Abby Munich Fest Festbier pours to a pale golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of soft bready malt. Taking a sip, the soft bready malts from the nose are very apparent the beer is gently sweet but balanced with a gentle grassy bitterness in the finish, and that makes the beer quite quaffable indeed.

A very tasty and credible Festbier, and one I will be seeking out again.