Bring Forth Fall

The taps are rapidly changing, and a transition is upon us in the beer world. Possibly my favorite time of year, we’re quickly approaching fall, and the autumn seasonals are all over the place. I realize my thinking about beer and seasons is a bit different than most people. And, while I’m totally a seasonal drinker, not only due to the weather and choices that go with, but also, I am certainly a consumer who is always on the lookout for the special, irregular releases from any and all decent breweries.
I guess it’s funny that, while I typically think of the warmer months as lager specific (pilsner, Munich, helles, etc.) and the colder months as more ale oriented (porter, stout, and the bigger beers), it’s not always the case. In fact, I drink a ton of ale during the spring and summer (all varieties of wheat beer, pale ale, IPA, and several types of Belgian ale). And, although the dead of winter is made for old ale, Russian Imperial Stout, and Baltic Porter, the fall, at least is synonymous with the malty-yet-balanced amber lager Märzenbier.
In the past, before refrigeration, the heat and unstable conditions of spring and summer forced brewing to stop near the end of March. These beers were kept underground in cellars and cool earthen holes until the fall, and brought out to celebrate the season. Märzenbier (March beer), some varieties also being called Oktoberfest, are the lagers made for autumn.
While in our country, Oktoberfest and Märzen are basically the same thing, if you even see the word Märzen listed anywhere, there are a few different versions in Germany. In Germany, upon ordering a Märzen, you are just as likely to be served a golden-colored beer that may seem like a malty pilsner, which is exactly the domestic German style for Oktoberfest. These beers are normally between 4-5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Export versions of German Oktoberfest beers are significantly darker, most are light amber, and offer that toasty Vienna or Munich malt. The beers brewed specifically for the festival are more closely related to the versions of Oktoberfest lager our American brewers make: malty, rich and slightly higher in alcohol (5-7 percent ABV).
Compared to most of the beers you’ve been drinking all summer, fest beers will be extremely malty, but in truth, they are balanced, smooth, clean and easy-going. They fall on the side of creamy compared to most overly carbonated summer beers, but they offer only a medium fullness and a dry finish, so they don’t feel heavy.
The smells expected from Oktoberfest beers are of a toasty and bready nature. This is not a caramel or chocolate sweet beer, and a hint of grain is not uncommon. Flavors might seem sweet at first, which might be expected from a malty lager compared to those of the golden variety, but they are nothing of the sort. Again, think dark bread with a distinct lager sense, no fruit or cookies here. Hops serve as a base on which the complex German malts dance.
And dance, you should too. It’s September and the greatest beer festival is soon to begin. Embrace malty lager. Embrace fall. Embrace great beer. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.