Stoudt's Oktoberfest

Appearance: Goldy copper, quite white head
Smell: Just malt... smells that we normally find in lager... bready malt

Taste: Bready... in a good way. Malty, but not sweet. A little breadier than average. This has a nice bittering hop flavor. It's not a bitter beer per se, but it taste a bit more bitter than most Oktoberfests that we've tried

Why we like it:
1. A little hoppier than usual
2. Super easy to drink
3. We can't think of anyone who wouldn't like it

Flying Dog Dogtoberfest

Appearance: Darker than Stoudt's... More amber. The head is darker too.
Smell: Clean and sweeter than Stoudt's. Less bready. 

Taste: Sweeter... way less bitter. Very very smooth and even... good finish. Only sweet up front, but not in the finish. The flavor builds nicely as you drink and really make you want to have another.

 Why we like it:
1. So smooth!
2. Very traditional (and sometimes that's nice)
3. AWESOME label by Ralph Steadman.

Buzzards Bay Oktoberfest

Appearance: Rich copper color, off white,
Smell: Rich bready tones

Taste: Holy crap this tastes good. It's richer tasting than many Oktoberfests we've had, but still very smooth and very drinkable. We happened to get a six pack that was bottled less than a week ago, so it's pretty much as fresh as you can get. The downside is that unless you live on the south shore in MA, you probably can't get it. So why are talking about it? Because IF you do live on the south shore or can drive there, it's worth it.

There's a nice spice to it, we don't mean actual spice but the grain and hop combination blend to create a very nice balanced flavor

Why we like it:
1. Richer flavor than many Oktoberfests
2. Smooth (we say that about almost all of these but hey it's true and that's why Oktoberfest time of year is awesome)
3. The "spice" is a nice unique flavor that we really enjoy

Paulaner Oktoberfest

Appearance: Medium amber off white head (hey it's all the same style, so no shockers here)
Smell: Bready, a bit sweet

Taste: Nice malty sweetness a little hop spice, and overall a damn good traditional Okotberfest. We personally get a keg of this for our Oktoberfest party each year. As far as traditional German Oktoberfests go, this is our pick. We tried a few last year in a blind taste test and this won out. This is the first time we've had it this year and it still tastes awesome. Don't get us wrong, we love a good American Oktoberfest, but it's good to see what inspired those to be created in the first place.

Why like it:
1. It's from Munich, it's in the REAL Oktoberfest
2. Its our favorite REAL Oktoberfest beer
3. It's been brewed for over 360 years, no mystery why it tastes awesome

Berkshire Oktoberfest

Appearance: Darker than many others. Off white head.
Smell: A little sweet... a little boozy... a little bready

Taste: A little too sweet for an Oktoberfest. A little boozy for style. Fruity, and not in a good way.

We've had some great stuff from Berkshire. Their Coffee Haus Porter is killer! Unfortunately, this is just not up to par. Don't overlook their stuff, just maybe pass this one up. Dieses Oktoberfest bier ist nicht so gut.

Victory Festbier

Appearance: medium amber a bit redish.
Smell: Smells like an Oktoberfest beer... OK let's be honest, we've tried six or so Oktoberfest beers now, they all smell really similar

Taste: While the smell might be similar for many, the taste is not. This beer is VERY clean tasting, it loses some of the malt funk (funk isn't a bad thing, this is just different) and adds a nice bitterness that we'd pretty much expect from Victory. We love Victory and this beer is what we'd expect them to put out for an Oktoberfest. It feels like an american oktoberfest but isn't overdone in any way. There's just enough hops to make it feel like it's from Victory without ruining the style.

Why we like it:
1. Another great beer from Victory (we swear they don't pay us to say this, we really just think their beer rocks)
2. Little more hops makes it a little more tasty
3. Goes really well with food (even Kung Pao Chicken...which we're eating right now)

A blend of oak-aged English strong ale and our 90 Minute I.P.A.. Citrus notes from Northwestern hops meld with vanilla notes from the oak.

10.0+% abv

above taken from Dogfish site

Sure you can have a glass of champagne on New Years Eve, but that's what everyone does. So this year why not change it up a little bit. We've put together five beers for New Years Eve sure to impress when you pop that cork. Each beer also comes in a 750ml bottle, perfect for sharing with your friends!

Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca Batch 233 & 234

Appearance: Slightly hazy, golden color, white puffy head
Smell: Light sweet funk... hints of wheat, slightly yeasty. A little banana.

Taste: Fruity, a tad sweet, a little funky and sour (in a totally good and mild way). Quite light and easy to drink. Pretty carbonated... Not overly so, but higher than normal. If you've had other Jolly Pumpkin beers you'll probably enjoy this. This is one of their lightest offerings that makes it great for a beverage later in the night. It's crisp, light and refreshing.

Unibroue La Fin du Monde

Appearance: Hazy... gets hazier towards the end of the bottle. White, fluffy head... again.
Smell:  Mild smell... little sweet, little yeasty.

Taste: Slightly sweet with a medium body and nice subtle orange notes. Pour with care as the yeast is easily stirred and can change the flavor from glass to glass in a notable way. It's very carbonated which helps lighten the overall feel of the beer.

Note: In case you're not up on your French, La Fin du Monde translates to "the end of the world." [Yeah, cue REM music] Wouldn't be a great New Years Toast beer... aside from the loud "pop" when opening, just like champagne! But it'd be good for earlier in the night. A good solid beer that can go with any kind of food you may be eating. It's a tad heavier than the rest in our list and for that reason it might not be best for later in the night. It is delicious though

Brooklyn Brewing Co. Local 1

Appearance: Clear and pale gold with a white head. You noticing a trend?
Smell: Slightly lemony... dry. Like a lighter La Fin du Monde

Taste: You feel like it's going to attack you as the aroma is intense... but then it doesn't. This beer is very easy to drink, it's very smooth and light bodied, almost airy. The flavors develop and then fade quickly to a clean finish leaving you eager for you next sip...or glass.

Dupont Organic Foret Saison 7.5%abv

Appearance: Pours with about 2” of bone white fluffy head, Opaque orange
Smell: Smells pleasantly earthy…with a hint of spice

Taste: Tastes crisp and a little spicy with a slightly funky aftertaste found in most of our favorite saisons.

Allagash Interlude

Appearance: Clear copper with a bone white head
Smell: Barely funk... delicious... kind of musty (but in a great way... only because we know this beer tastes great)... sour sweet lemon.

Taste: Mmmm... funk. Medium body but drinks like a lighter beer. Very fine carbonation makes this feel light and less carbonated. Slight malt on the back... We hate to say this, but this beer is really complex. We could try to come up with a list of fancy terms to explain, but in the end it's just delicious. So, for real, just save up, buy a bottle and try it for yourself. Everyone likes this beer. We handed a glass to Jeff's roommate, having no idea what it was, who immediately responded "Wow, that's delicious!" We think you'll do the same. Price? Ok, it's $20, but seriously it's worth it.

With Winter, Christmas, Chanukah and a whole mess of other holidays right around the corner, it's time to start getting into the festive mood! And, what better way to do that then to drink some winter or holiday craft beers! We went through a whole mess of seasonal brews so that we could tell you the official DrinkCraftBeer.com Winter/Holiday Beer Recommendations. Without further ado, here's the beer: 

Sam Adams Winter Lager

This venerable favorite often goes overlooked in the world of craft beer. Sure Sam Adams is the 800lb gorilla in the industry, but that doesn't mean they still aren't putting out some good beer. We're all about helping the little guy, but that doesn't mean we should ignore good beer from the bigger guys.

Appearance: Clear dark amber with a light head
Smell: Smooth typical lager, slight breadiness, slight sweetness

Taste: This is a great winter session beer and is very balanced, not spiced and is overall very smooth. There's nothing extreme about it, and that's why it works. Sure winter is a great time for big stouts, barley wines and robust porters, but you don't always want one of those. Mild roastiness evolves into a smooth sweetness. An excellent winter drinking beer.


Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale

Appearance: Dark Amber fluffy off white head with large bubbles
Smell: Grassy hops with a slight hint of malt

Taste: Nice up front hops, which fade off to a smooth finish. This isn't what you'd normally expect from a winter or Christmas themed beer. This beer offers nice grassy hoppiness without being overwhelming in any way. Hoppy beers generally aren't this smooth and that's what really makes this beer fit in for the later months of the year. The hops add a bit of slickness to the mouthfeel, and the fact that it seems to disappear shortly after drinking make Rogue Santa's Private Reserve a good session beer for the winter months! Available in both 6 packs and bombers it fits in for almost any occasion and with a fun label to boot it's great to bring to your friend’s holiday parties.