Aries Märzen Oktoberfest

Thanks to Joe Wietlispach for giving me this bottle on Saturday night, just prior to our Oktoberfest/Autumnal party. Tasted Monday afternoon with stir fried fajitas and Organic black bean dip.

Appearance: Rustic coppered with a darkened brown tint. Head maintains a minimal foam consistency atop a lightly hazed, but still transparent beer. Carbonation is nowhere to be seen as the beer looks very still in the glass.
Aroma: Toasted barley with a hint of chocolate at the end. A mild spice shrouds over the malted backbone while a fragrant toffee complexity rounds it out. Some hop elements take hold, but only further encourage the bouquet of grain and yeast byproducts.
Taste: Foretaste is profiled as a very upfront toasted malt sweetness with is also paralleled by brief flavors of maple. The first and second half are easily distinguishable by the foaming carbonation. The second half resembles a biscuit quality with notes of earthy hops and an undertone of smokiness to follow. The finish maintains a subtle dried leaf-like bitterness, yet still remaining crisp and clean. As the beer warms, more of a bittersweet chocolate flavor emerges, especially at the end.
Mouthfeel: More soft than anything. The body is a bit heavy, but the way the carbonation was incorporated, there isn’t much at all of a bite, while the foaming bubbles enforce a crisp, and refreshing element upon the beers overall experience
Overall Impression: Quite a fantastic Oktoberfest. It’s bold and complex, yet extremely drinkable and clean. The abundance of toasted malt is balanced nicely with a neutral hop and a frothy carbonation. I think I’d buy a six pack if I saw it.

 

91/100