I’ll be attending the Charlotte Octoberfest this coming Saturday (the 8th.) For the price of my ticket I get a 5oz. tasting glass and access to all of these beers. Try as I might, I won’t be able to taste them all. Peruse the list and help me find some beers not to miss. When it comes to beer I drink just about anything, so don’t worry about style. Just pick 3 or 4 you’ve tried and enjoyed or heard good things about (and don’t worry, I’ll be cabbing it home.)
I haven’t had any of the NC, SC, or GA beers so I’ll have to comment on the national and international ones.
Brooklyn - Oktoberfest. Haven’t tried their pumpkin so I can’t comment on that.
Great Lakes - Edmund Fitzgerald and Oktoberfest. Ed Fitz is my favorite porter by a long shot!
Southern Tier - whatever they put out, it will be good. Especially if they have Pumking or one of their IPAs.
La Trappe Quad - nice Belgian quad.
Unibroue - ALL THE BEERS! Seriously, they’re all outstanding. Especially La Fin Du Monde.
It’s an excellent lineup overall - I am jealous!
Mendocino Red Tail Ale, Abita Purple Haze and Newcastle Brown Ale are the only ones on the list I’ve had. Red Tail is a great beer. Abita is supposed to be a raspberry wheat beer. I don’t really notice the raspberry in it, but it’s a great wheat beer and Newcastle is, well, Newcastle.
I would be sure to try the German Kolsch, as apparently it’s the only actual beer from Deutschland available, and Kolsch is a great, easy-drinking style of beer.
I would also have some of the Belgian Trappist beers as well, but those can tend to be pretty filling and substantial.
I am really looking forward to the Great Lakes Octoberfest. We get their beers here and I do like the Edmund Fitzgerald. They make a nice white ale too, and my local pub has Eliot Ness on tap.
I definitely plan to try most of the Belgians.
Thanks for the recommendations.
I like many of Abita’s beers, but not the Purple Haze so much. I never had the SOS, so I’ll try that. Maybe I’ll try the Red Tail. It sounds familiar but I’m not sure if I’ve had it.
Try them all.
I notice they have New Belgium on the list. Although they only have 3 beers listed, which is a bit unfortunate. IF they do happen to bring 1554 that is my favorite(and now most missed) beer since I left Colorado. IT may not be the most Oktoberfesty beer, but it is a great black Ale. Fat Tire is a good beer, but kind of gentle and mainstream. It’s great when you’re doing all day at the bar watching football, But kind of gets overshadowed compared to other gutsy brews at a fest.
R.J. Rocker’s Bell Ringer is enjoyable, and very strong. I’ve liked other beers from them, though I don’t recognize their other offering at this particular Octoberfest. Widmer Brothers is a widely-available Portland brewery, who seem to be offering lots of IPAs at your event. I like their Pitch Black, but I can’t really comment on the IPAs, since it’s a style I dislike. Hops Brewery is pretty enjoyable (I had a memorable night once when they offered $1.50 pints last year) but I didn’t really like their Hoptoberfest. Whichever other beers they elect may be worth your time. It’s a shame that New Belgium is bringing Fat Tire and Hoptober; those are two of their weaker brews, IMO. Their Ranger IPA is well thought of, but as mentioned, I don’t like IPAs, so that’s about all I can tell you.
Brooklyn’s Post Road Pumpkin has been a favorite for a few years, and I have to remember to find some before this season’s brew disappears. That being said, I found last year’s version disappointing, with the usually well-balanced spice somehow off.