Tuesday Top Ten: Oktoberfest Beers (2014 Edition)

Fall is fast approaching, which means it's time to switch from lighter beers and wheat beers to darker fall beers.  Of course, it also means that Oktoberfest will be here soon.  A few weeks ago, I saw my first displays of Oktoberfest beers at the grocery store, and I got a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

In 2011 and 2013, I enlightened you with my favorite Oktoberfest beers, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to do the same thing this year.  Since my post last year, I have been to Oktoberfest yet again and, on top of that, have drunk various other märzens or Oktoberfest beers.

As I indicated in the previous posts, the style of beer that is often labeled "Oktoberfest" or "Octoberfest" beer here in the U.S. is technically märzen, which was developed in Bavaria centuries ago, when beer could only be brewed between late September and late April. The beer was brewed in March (Märzen), and then opened up in the late summer and, later, for Oktoberfest. It is stronger than normal beer, as it must withstand not only the summer months, but also hundreds of thousands of drunken morons like me.  This is beer that is meant to be drunk from liter steins while listening to German oompa bands along with thousands of your closest friends.

Like last year, I will break everything down into a star rating system that I have used the two beer apps that I use, Brew Gene and Untappd (and yes, I use two beer rating apps).  Under each category, I will list the beers alphabetically and identify the ABV and location of their respective breweries.

3.5 stars

Altenmünster Oktoberfest (5.5%; Kempten, Germany)

Bell's Octoberfest (5.5%; Kalamazoo, MI)

Great Lakes Oktoberfest (6.5%; Cleveland, OH)

Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier (6.3%; Munich, Germany)

Sierra Nevada Octoberfest (5.4%; Chico, CA)

Spaten-Bräu Oktoberfest Ur Märzen (5.9%; Munich, Germany)

Wolters Fest-Bier (5.0%; Braunschweig, Germany)

4 stars

Augustinerbräu Oktoberfest Märzen (6.0%; Munich, Germany)

Boulevard Brewing Bob's '47 Oktoberfest (5.8%; Kansas City, MO)

Brooklyn Oktoberfest (5.5%; New York, NY)

Goose Island Oktoberfest (6.4%; Chicago, IL)

Gordon Biersch Märzen (5.7%; San Jose, CA)

Harpoon Octoberfest (5.3%; Boston, MA)

Left Hand Oktoberfest (6.6%; Longmont, CO)

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest (5.1%; Chippewa Falls, WI)

New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest (6.25%; New Glarus, WI)

Paulaner München Märzen (5.8%; Munich, Germany)

Point Oktoberfest (5.15%; Stevens Point, WI)

Revolution Oktoberfest (5.7%; Chicago, IL)

Shiner Oktoberfest (5.8%; Shiner, TX)

Two Brothers Atom Smasher (7.7%; Warrenville, IL)

Upland Oktoberfest (6.7%; Bloomington, IN)

Victory Festbier (5.6%; Downington, PA)

4.5 stars

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest (5.8%; Munich, Germany)

This is still the best, in my opinion.  It doesn't have that bitter, almost sour, aftertaste that many of the German märzens have.  It goes down smooth, and it's great for watching football on a fall day, or drinking until the point of blindness in a giant tent on a different fall day.

Magic Hat Ourtoberfest (South Burlington, VT)

I still think this is the best American Oktoberfest beer that I've had.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Magic Hat makes it anymore.  I haven't seen it in a few years, and it's not in the Magic Hat fall sampler pack I just bought, but I'm hoping the good people at Magic Hat will read this and bring it back next year.

Sam Adam's Octoberfest (5.3%; Boston, MA)

his is one of my favorite Sam Adams seasonal beers.  It's really easy to drink.  A great fall beer.

Sprecher Oktoberfest (5.75%; Glendale, WI)

I had this one a few weeks ago on draft at a Sprecher restaurant during a trip to Wisconsin, and it was pretty damn good.

As always, I am open to recommendations.