Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale

For this sampling Two Guys dipped their toes back into the seasonal variety of beer; not literally of course as real toe dipping would change the flavor of the beer. We sampled an Octoberfest style of beer. Two Guys always thought that it was called Octoberfest because the Germans loved them some October. It turns out we were right. Oktoberfest was originally a party to celebrate the October wedding of King Ludwig I of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxe-Heldburghausen or Saxe-Lady to her friends. We will pause for you to sing Gangman Style and do the dance.  It was a wedding, you know.  The germans were so happy with the wedding that the party lasted for 5 days. The reception was so successful that the Germans decided to do it again the next year and so on and so on….200 years later, it’s now held in September to avoid bad weather and lasts 16 days because---well, why not? What do you need to help celebrate a fall party that commemorates a wedding? Yep, it's beer. The only substance that would actually allow Two Guys to dance Gangman Stye when consumed. The beer used to be a dark lager but is now a pale lager that is called Oktoberfest bier in Germany. It is normally brewed in March and allowed to ferment during the summer months to be ready for the fall. Only beer brewed in Munich can be called Oktoberfest bier. American breweries will brew their own version called Octoberfest or, if they want to be more Germany looking, Oktofest. The American beer is normally an ale instead of a lager since they are not allowed to brew a true Octoberfest beer. Lagers are cold fermented in the middle of the barrel while ales are warm fermented at the top. Now onto the beer.

No spiffy lederhosen but some very impressive t-shirts. 

Joe: For this sampling we tried a Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale. Widmer Brothers is located in the land of the beavers: Oregon. The ale is amber colored with a 5.3 ABV. It is low in carbonation. The flavor starts with hoppy bitterness with a slight fruity tinge and has a malty caramel sweetness on the back-end. There is also a mild spicy taste that intermingles throughout. This is a very smooth beer without overpowering flavors. It hit me just right on a late fall night. I give this beer a 4.

Justin: I really enjoy the Octoberfest style beers and Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale is no exception. It had a very crisp and smooth flavor. The spices were not overpowering and the caramel and toffee notes left a pleasant aftertaste. I look forward to drinking this beer again in the fall. Widmer Brothers delivered another winner and I rate it 4 solid stars.

Designated driver(DD) versions also available.
(Redhead not included!)