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Beer Reviews

Erdinger Oktoberfest

Erdinger
Erding
Germany
http://www.erdinger.de

Style: Wheat
ABV: 5.7%

Rings’s Rating:
   (Recommended)


Comments:
Erdinger is the largest weissbier brewery in the world. Still privately owned, it’s based in the town of Erding, a northeast Munich suburb, and is one of the brands probably most responsible for American impressions or introductions to the style.

They only make weissbier, but they do so in many different styles beyond the pale, fruity version which is most often associated with the style—and, too often served with lemon. Their lagering facility must be seen to believed, as it’s spectacular … think of the Library of Congress, but with pallets of beer instead of books being shuffled about a massive 6 story temperature controlled warehouse by robot.

Anyway, one of their major promotions in international markets is Oktoberfest celebrations (particularly as they’re not eligible to participate in the Munich Oktoberfest, but that’s a longer story), which includes their position as the main beer sponsor for Oktoberfest West Michigan in my neck of the woods. Toward that end, they’ve created a hybrid style brew for these events, blending a märzen and a weissbier.

This is a seasonal, of course—created primarily for international markets—and it pours a pale cloudy orange in color, with a beautiful, tight fluffy head. It resembles an American style summer ale, as there’s a mild estery banana wheat character, but it is less prevalent than a ”normal” weissbier. There’s hints of citrus and it’s nicely balanced with a soft maltiness and easy, very soft hop finish. It’s mild, of course and very sessionable—which is a good thing, considering the event(s) for which it is intended.


Reviewed by Rings on February 14, 2013.

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