Try?
“Cook! Where's my lunch? Where's my dinner? Fix me Hasenpfeffer right away!!!!!” Everybody remembers that line from Bugs Bunny, right? Hasenpfeffer is, of course, a German dish that literally means “peppered rabbit”, which explains why good old Bugs wasn’t keen on being the main ingredient. So, it’s a natural name then for an Oktoberfest beer from the Red Hare Brewing Company of Marietta, Georgia: Red Hare Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest.
I first heard about this beer in the fall of 2014 when it showed up on the draft list at Stout’s Growlers here in Canton. I didn’t get to try it because by the time I got down there, it was gone. The beer showed up again at Stout’s in August of 2015 with the same result: when I got to the shop, there the beer was: gone. Luckily, Red Hare is canning Hasenpfeffer this year, and I grabbed a six-pack at Sherlock’s as soon as I saw it.
Watch the leaves turn from green to red with a hearty Hasenpfeffer in your hand. This slightly sweet stew of flavors pays tribute the grand traditions of Oktoberfest: from its classic German style yeast and nutty, caramelized overtones to its reputation for causing lederhosen malfunctions. Noch ein Bier, bitte!
Red Hare Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 20 IBUs; a six-pack of cans set me back $8.99.
Red Hare Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest pours to a brilliant copper color with a light creamy head and a luscious toasty-nutty malt nose. Taking a sip, the palate delivers the toasty nutty melanoidin goodness that the nose promised with some candy-like malt flavors, caramel and hints of sweet orange. The finish is gently grassy bitter.
Red Hare Hasenpfeffer doesn’t quite pack the toasty-nutty “oomph” of a German version. If features more caramel and less toasty nutty malt character than the German versions we know and love (think Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, and Paulaner Oktoberfest beers. Still, Red Hare Hasenpfeffer is very tasty indeed and has enough Teutonic flair to make it a great fall brew I would surely buy again. Dare I suggest serving it with a steaming plate of hasenpfeffer? Just don’t tell Bugs I did…..
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
