Captain Jack's Octofest

I recently had several beers foisted upon me by a very generous friend, and Captain Jack's Octofest was among them.  I'd never heard of the Captain Jack's before (looks like it's put out by Drunk Monkey Brew Werks in Lewistown, PA).  I love finding little-known labels like this -- sometimes they're surprisingly good.  Here goes:

Vittles:

Marzen/Oktoberfest

Score:

Appearance: 8/10

Aroma: 21/25

Taste: 36/40

Mouthfeel: 8/10

Style: 5/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 86/100

Impression:

The head retains decently well and leaves mild lacing as it falls.  I really like the aroma -- it's toasty, with caramel, toffee, earthy, woody, and herbal notes.  I also smell something that reminds me of chocolate, but not quite.  Every now and then I get a straw-like whiff, but it doesn't linger.  The flavors are very similar, with the earthy/woody/herbal characteristics coming more to the front.  The flavors aren't overly strong, which is nice.  There's just enough carbonation to bring a slight sting to the tongue, and the medium-full body rounds it all out very well.  All in all, I'm very happy I wound up with this bottle in my keezer.  I'd absolutely be interested in trying more Captain Jack beers in the future, but it doesn't look like their distribution reaches out to my area yet -- it looks like they only distribute to three counties so far.  Here's hoping they expand soon!

Cheers!

Harpoon Octoberfest

I've had a few Harpoon beers before, and while they don't exactly stand out from the crowd, their beers are usually on the upside of decent.  One of the fall seasonals that found its way into my keezer was Harpoon Octoberfest:

Vittles:

Marzen/Oktoberfest

5.3% abv

32 IBUs

Score:

Appearance: 8/10

Aroma: 20/25

Taste: 36/40

Mouthfeel: 8/10

Style: 5/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 85/100

Impression:

Decent head persistence, and the foam left quite a bit of lacing as it fell.  The aroma has a nice balance between malt and hops, though neither aspect is very strong.  It smells malty-sweet, a little like caramel and toffee, offset by light grassy, floral, earthy hops notes.  The flavor is much the same, improved somewhat by the medium body of the brew.  The carbonation doesn't add much -- seems very weak.  What I like best about this beer is the balance and the smoothness.  (And it pairs well with roasted chicken.)

Cheers!

Sam Adams Octoberfest

The last time I had Sam Adams Octoberfest was probably two or three years ago.  We got a case of it  to enjoy with some friends while watching college football.  This time around, however, I had it on tap at a local bar:

Vittles:
Octoberfest/Marzen
5.3% abv
16 IBU
20 SRM
187 cal.

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 21/25
Taste: 36/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 86/100

Impression:
The head wasn't exactly impressive this time around.  The aroma was a little more satisfying, with caramel, toffee, and lots of toasted malt notes.  The flavors are on par with the aroma, except I taste something nutty in the background, too.  I like the herbal, earthy hops characteristics -- Hallertau hops are some of my favorites all around, and they're nicely complemented by the malt bill in this beer.  This isn't a strong-flavored beer, but it is fairly well balanced and a decent representation of the style.

Cheers!