A Microbrew Review of Penn Brewery's Oktoberfest Lager Beer

I live right here in Western Pennsylvania and have sampled some great Pennsylvania microbrews and craft beers from all across the state. But finally, just yesterday I picked up an unassuming looking bottle of penn brewery oktoberfest from my local bottleshop. Wow, it took me this long to try out a beer from a local Pittsburgh area brewery? Yes, I am a slacker in some senses of the word. But of course, Pittsburgh is not exactly known for its microbreweries and craft beers now is it?

Anyways, this chilled 12 ounce brown bottle features a somewhat festive scene of a good ole German guy and gal in traditional German Oktoberfest celebratory garb (the guy hoisting only one stein of the German liquid gold while the young lady boasts six mugs at once. Pretty impressive for a young lady of any nationality. It's a decent label but nothing too extreme or off the beaten path of those found on many Oktoberfest beers. How much can you do with a theme like an Oktoberfest celebration in Germany?

I poured this beer into a standard, unchilled 10 ounce glass beer mug fairly aggressively. Not a whole lot of head frothing about or anything really going on here appearance-wise. I witnessed just shy of a one-finger white head on Penn Oktoberfest which really didn't hang around very long for more than a minute or two. Beer is very clear and a tawny reddish brown color. A very active culture of tiny bubbles migrate to the surface from every area of the bottom of the mug.

Aroma is not very assuming. Mildly bready and a mediocre malty scent presence. That's really about it here. There was nothing to write home about Penn Brewery's Oktoberfest in the way of an assault on the ole olfactory homefront. Nose is definitely average at best in making me want to take my first sip.

But sip I did. And my first sip provided a smooth but somewhat thin mouthful of beer. Sweet just a bit but a fair balance of hops to balance. There was not much zing on the palate even given the appearance of a high level of carbonation. It was hard to sense much carbonation at all in the mouthful. This Oktoberfest went down very smooth and very easy and it only went easier as fifteen or twenty minutes went by and it warmed in my mug. Only after a while did I start to become a little more annoyed with the thin character of this craft beer. There was a mild sour aftertaste that definitely didn't add to a most positive experience.

I tried this beer after a long holdout of sampling and reviewing any of the products cranked out by Penn Brewery and after this beer, may wait quite a while longer before sampling and reviewing another microbrew from this Pittsburgh microbrewery.

Aside from my experience with Pennsylvania Brewing Company's wintertime offering of St. Nikolaus Bock Bier, I just haven't been all that impressed with most of the others I've tried from this Western Pennsylvania microbrewery. I think they try, but maybe there's some room for one or two more "flagship" type beers that could help put them on the microbrew review map nationally. I hope the best for them as I do all microbrewers and craft beerbrewers alike. More good breweries means more good beer for us all to try and enjoy.

My final word on Penn Oktoberfest Lager from Pennsylvania Brewing Company is that it is an average craft beer, and an average representation of an Oktoberfest style lager. Nothing too, too bad about it but nothing all that great either. I just didn't feel this beer defined itself or offered any separation from the other Octoberfest beers available on the beer market today. Maybe next fall's batch will be different and better overall but for this year, I'm giving Penn Brewery's Oktoberfest a 4.75 out of 10.00 points overall. It would be good for tailgating at the next Steelers game however. I don't know the alcohol by volume, but I'm guessing it's somewhere around 5% or so which would allow for consuming at least a few of these beers per sitting or event. Cheers!

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St. Nikolaus Bock Bier - Santa's Little Helper?

I just love seasonal microbrews and craft beers! It doesn't matter the season or the reason. I love sampling what different microbreweries come up with and their interpretations of different styles of microbrews rotating throughout the year. Christmas-time is just another of my most anticipated times of the year (both for the presents, and for the craft beer...of which would make a great gift for the holidays if my wife is reading this "hint, hint")

Okay, enough rattling on. What I've tested out today is a perfect offering from a local brewery just down the road in East Pittsburgh, PA. I'm talking about the Pennsylvania Brewing Company and their St. Nikolaus Bock Bier in particular.

Now being honest and up front with you, I've tried several of Penn Brewing's other "craft beers" with not always the best impressions being left on my palate. Nothing against the brewery, just not my cup of tea I guess. But St. Nickolaus Bock Bier is a far cry from any other microbrew I've laid my lips to from this brewery.

First off, the bottle is a completely glorious example of what a Christmas beer label should look like with Jolly Old St. Nick right there smiling on the bottle, and I'm not talking about some chintzy, commercial rendition, but what seems like a Victorian era depiction of the "real Santa Claus". It really put me in the mood that I was about to embark on a true Christmas treat.

The beer was poured into my trusty unchilled pint glass with a dark, dark ruby appearance but only when held up to very bright light. The head only displayed only about 1/2 finger of a very light tan colored froth that didn't spend a whole lot of time lingering. It was completely gone in about 5 minutes. Gone! Aroma gave me a combined impression of sweetness, malt, chocolate and even just a hint of caramel (great description, I know!).

Now that it'd had a chance the breath, the first sip of this microbrew was impressive. I think just the drastic improved difference in the saturation of pleasing flavor, compared to the other Pennsylvania Brewing Company beers, really hit me with a better than average standing than normally would be rated. I enjoyed the flavor that seemed to match what was hinted in the aroma to a "T". There was a strong roasted maltiness, there was chocolate bouncing around, a little bit of caramel and twinges of something reminiscent of dates. Unlike some other "Christmas Beers" I've tried, this style being a bock didn't bring in the spices that alot of holiday craft beers or "winter warmers" seem to implement fairly consistently. There was a bit, just a bit of alcohol tinge to the beverage as it warmed toward the end of the glass, but not enough to be a turn off. The beer itself is listed at about 7.5 abv so it is around that range you'd expect to taste it a little.

In all, a well-crafted microbrew from Pennsylvania Brewing Company. I wouldn't classify it as the alltime perfect Christmas beer, but it really impressed me well beyond what I had maybe initially expected (judging from past experiences and not being a huge Dunkel Bock style fan). Packaging, labeling, appearance, aroma, taste and level of drinkability were all well above average marks and truly put me in the mood for the holidays (and another St. Nikolaus Bock!) I may just have to purchase a case of this for the upcoming festivities, if I can still even find it around anywhere here. I give it a thumbs up and recommend it for the holiday/winter season.

I'll vouch for a 7.50 rating out of 10.00 for Penn Brewery's St. Nikolaus Bock Bier. Ho, ho, ho!!

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