Lake Superior Oktoberfest

A few weeks ago, I made a post about making a mix pack of 6 different "Octoberfest" beers and sampling all of them in one evening. It was a lot of fun for my friend and myself to compare these fall seasonals side-by-side. Well, I decided it was time for an actual session with a local version that I hadn't tasted before. That brew is Lake Superior Oktoberfest.

When I last visited Lake Superior's brewing facility in April, I had asked head brewer Dale Kleinschmidt if we would eventually see more of their seasonals in the Twin Cities metro area. He said the only seasonal they had regularly distributed here was the Old Man Winter Warmer, and that customer demand and suggestions from distributors will dictate what we see in the future. I left there with the hope that, someday, we would have access to those brews down here.

This month, I was walking through Boozemart in West Saint Paul and walked past an end-cap beer display. I quickly did a double take because I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but it turns out they weren't. Sitting before me was a large stack of Lake Superior Oktoberfest, their fall seasonal! Consumer demand must have done it's job, as this was the first time I had seen this beer in a liquor store near home. I immediately grabbed a six-pack and knew I would have to post a session with this subject.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my mug with gusto and generate a 2 finger off-white head. It settles into a thin, creamy layer of foam calmly resting on top of the liquid. The body is hazy and dark copper in color.

When I take a sniff, the lightest caramel aroma combines with an almost doughy bread scent. The hops seem to be contributing some earthiness to the smell as well.

The flavors coincide with the aromas I detected. Sweet at first, it then leads to biscuity malt. The switch is then made to an earthy, herbal character which transitions nicely into a decent level of bitterness. It all finishes with a sharp tang that urges me to take the next sip.

A medium weight mouthfeel is more clingy than I expected, as a thin coating stuck in my mouth after swallowing. There is a moderate to low level of carbonation which doesn't strip the stickiness from my mouth. No lacing is present on my glass.

This is a nice märzen from Lake Superior. It fits the style and has some stronger hop flavors than many other American examples. This lager would definitely be a good addition to any of your own Oktoberfest celebrations. If you like this style (or German lagers in general), you probably won't be disappointed with this brew. Give it a try!