Mike Hess Oktoberhess
Review Date 9/17/2022 By John Staradumsky
While looking in my beer fridge for a can or bottle of Oktoberfest for 2022, I stumbled upon a beer I bought for Oktoberfest of 2021-but somehow never drank. The beer in question is Mike Hess Oktoberhess, a Märzen Lager in style. On their website and on the label, San Diego’s Mike Hess brewery says:
Traditional Oktoberfest Marzen beer with a copper-orange hue. Showcasing a full bodied malt profile, with light roasty notes, just a hint of hops and a clean, dry finish. Cold fermented, this true lager takes twice as long to produce as an ale beer.
My experience with German style lagers is that they tend to hold up over time (for a year or longer), and this beer was no exception. It is not sold here in Georgia and I got it from Craftshack.com. Were I to see it there again this year, I would certainly buy another can and try it a bit fresher.
Mike Hess Oktoberhess has an alcohol content of 5.6% by volume with 29 IBUs. I got my 12-ounce can for $3.04 from Craftshack. Total Wine sells it for $10.49 a six-pack. My can is stamped Best By 03/02/2022 and I drank it on September 15th of 2022.
Mike Hess Oktoberhess pours to a deep orange amber color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of toasty nutty malt. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body, nutty malty, and packed with melanoidin goodness. Even after a year, it packs that Teutonic “oomph” that few American examples of the style possess.
Well done!
Glad I tried it? T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft