Fall is here – and you know what that means. Pumpkin Spice Lattes!
Kidding. It means Oktoberfest beers are on the shelves, brats are on the grill and oom-pah-pahs are in the air.
Beer drinkers rejoice at the arrival of Oktoberfest brews each year and we are no different here at Hops and Thoughts. We cannot wait for our fan favorites to arrive at liquor stores, grocery stores and in our garage refrigerators. Oktoberfest is a generalized and corporate term that can span a wide range of beer styles – Golden Lager, Marzen, Dunkel and the more traditional Dortmunder. Bottomline – Oktoberfest beers promise good malt flavors, a red color, paler malts, caramel malts and a great sweetness – that make these beers great for beer lovers and the “beer drinkers” who prefer Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light.
When the Oktoberfest beer season arrives, many connoisseurs of the delicious alcoholic recipe want to know – what is the best Oktoberfest beer? We fall into the category of Can’t Wait for Oktoberfest Beers over here at Hops and Thoughts and decided to do our own experiment. Here are the results of our very scientific, 100% foolproof and not-fun-at-all – Great Oktoberfest Beer Experiment of 2022.
The Great Oktoberfest Beer Experiment of 2022
In an effort to remain semi-sober and keep this experiment scientific – we kept this experiment to a few favorite and popular Oktoberfest beers. We tasted 10 Oktoberfest beers, with many from local Wisconsin breweries and a few beers from larger national breweries. I know there are many more that we should have tasted – and believe me, I want them all – but time, access and resources simply did not allow us to taste all of the delightful Oktoberfest options. Don’t forget to send your recommendations for next year.
To help avoid any bias in our experiment, we conducted a blind test in which my beautiful bride poured the beers without revealing the brewery to the testers and to keep it simple, we gave each beer a simple score from 1 – 10 with a few tasting notes. A factor that I did not count on in this experiment was the wide range of beer tastes – from homebrewers and dedicated beer drinkers to your casual beer drinker and a few who do not always partake in the nectar of the gods. The scores have been combined and averaged to give each beer a rating.
Here is a quick glimpse at our scientific support staff (taste testers) in the Great Oktoberfest Beer Experiment of 2022.
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Gridiron Mom aka The Ice Box
A trusted family friend and confidant – The Ice Box – is just as likely to treat your wounds as inflict them (if you mess with her at Wal-Mart). Not what you would call a drinker – she tends to stick to wine and will have a few brews on occasion. Gridiron Mom gives us the perspective of someone who does not drink beer regularly.
The Coach
An Oshkosh-renowned beer enthusiast, The Coach has judged beer competitions at county fairs, works at a local homebrew store (The Cellar in Oshkosh WI), brews his own beers regularly and has cemented his status as a consummate professional at O’Marro’s Public House. The Coach possesses a more knowledgeable and refined beer drinker’s palate.
Mom
Mom lives up to her billing as the best mom a beer drinker could ask for (I may be biased). More likely to grab wine at most family gatherings, Mom has still had her fair share of craft beers after decades of marriage to The Coach and she knows what she likes. Her tastes probably reflect a lot of common beer opinions.
T-Roy
T-Roy is a doctor and an athlete with years spent on a college gridiron and at countless dorm room parties and college bars – so you know he has a few beers under his belt. With quick, detailed notes in handwriting that could only be a doctor’s, T-Roy provided valuable insight into the deliciousness of these Oktoberfest beers.
The Dutch Rudder
Just let go and The Dutch Rudder will guide you to the best Oktoberfest beer there is. A master plumber, a growing homebrewer and an expert on all things liquid, The Dutch Rudder provided a semi-cultured beer drinker’s opinion on all of the Oktoberfests we tested. While valuable – his notes were in the smallest handwriting known to man.
The Author
I have had my fair share of beers and would label Oktoberfest beers as some of my favorite. I have been around beer tasters and brewers for most of my adult life – so I would say I have a decent idea of how a few beer styles should taste. I don’t have any additional qualifications – I just love beer.
Results of the Great Oktoberfest Beer Experiment of 2022
I know – get to the point and tell us which beer came out on top. I will admit that with so many similar beers, it was difficult for me, myself and I to really pinpoint specific flavors, which led to a conglomerate of close scores on my end. My fellow testers provided much better notes on each beer in the list below.
Oktoberfest Beers Tested
- Founders Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – 6.0% ABV-
- Potosi Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – 5.5% ABV
- New Glarus Brewing Co. Staghorn Octoberfest – 6.25% ABV
- Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – 5.6% ABV
- Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen – 5.7% ABV
- Eagle Park Brewing M.C. Hammerschlagen – 5.9% ABV
- Hinterland Beer Oktoberfest – 5.8% ABV
- O’So Brewing Co. O-toberfest – 4.6% ABV
- Great Lakes Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – 6.5% ABV
- Samuel Adams Octoberfest – 5.3% ABV
Oktoberfest Beer Rankings
- Samuel Adams Octoberfest – Average Score – 8.4
- Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – Average Score – 7.5
- O’So Brewing Co. O-toberfest – Average Score – 7
- Founders Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – Average Score – 6.8
- Great Lakes Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – Average Score – 6.4
- Potosi Brewing Co. Oktoberfest – Average Score – 6
- New Glarus Brewing Co. Staghorn Octoberfest – 5.7
- Hinterland Beer Oktoberfest – Average Score – 5.6
- Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen – Average Score – 5.3
- Eagle Park Brewing M.C. Hammerschlagen – Average Score – 5.2
Best Oktoberfest Testing Comments
Seems very light (can we say) Bud Light?
– Mom
Dark. Eh.
– T-Roy
Darkest Beer. Dark caramel, almost molasses smell. You can really taste the dark caramel flavor.
– The Dutch Rudder
In Conclusion
The results are in – and there were a few surprises.
New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest is considered one of the top Oktoberfest beers on the market by many and earned a silver medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, a silver medal at the 1997 B.T.I – World Beer Championships and a silver medal at the 1998 World Beer Championships. And despite the accolades – our scientific test team had it ranked towards the bottom.
I am a self-proclaimed beer aficionado and try to support local craft breweries whenever I can, and as a result, I tend to skip the larger, national breweries. I was surprised that Samuel Adams Oktoberfest came out ahead of the pack and was my own personal favorite.
In Conclusion – my appreciation for Oktoberfest beers grew via this experiment and myself and my fellow testers found even more options to drink each fall. And in the end, the truth behind the Great Oktoberfest Beer Experiment of 2022 is this – Taste is in the eye of the beerholder.
Stay tuned for more Hops and Thoughts experiments down the road! Which beer style should we taste test next?
Beer of the Day
Beer: Octoberfest
Brewery: Samuel Adams
Style: Lager
ABV: 5.3%
Purchased At: Festival Foods in Oshkosh, WI
I knew this one was coming for our experiment and what it was (spoilers Cullen) – but still was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The Sam Adams Octoberfest had a light feel and still retained the Oktoberfest flavors I want – malty, caramel and some hops. I may have a new favorite for next Oktoberfest season.
Hops and Thoughts 
Solid review, and you were right, I was definitely not expecting that as the top choice. I will enjoy a Boston Lager maybe once a year, but I might have to give their Octoberfest a try now.
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