St. Arnold Oktoberfest

I'm torn on Oktoberfest beers. I love them because they're a sign of the upcoming fall season (for us New Orleanians, fall usually doesn't hit until mid-October), but the style can often be a little flat. As a big fan of St. Arnold, I was disappointed that this is where their Oktoberfest fell.

The beer has a rich, amber color with a small cream-colored head. It looked tastey and refreshing. It had a very crisp, malty aroma. The mouthfeel was heavier than I had expected, given how crystal clear the beer was. It had somewhat of a melted caramel texture. This made a little sense with the slight caramel notes in the flavor. In addition to the caramel notes, I noticed some flavors of fruit. Very subtle, but they were there.

As expected for this style, not much of a hop flavor. Overall, I think it's a good beer, especially for an Oktoberfest. It has an interesting flavor that I really couldn't pin. It's not at all a bad beer and I'd have it again.