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Nicole Simeone
Prost, Prost, Prost!
Oktoberfest is in full swing- well, you know what I mean, and the Marzens and festbiers are flowing freely. Talk about the most wonderful time of the year.
This week, we’re going to head back to Medusa Brewing for our first stop. Their beer garden is still open and serving patrons, despite the chill in the air. Adam and I were on a staycation last week and popped our heads in on more than one occasion. In addition to their Taco Gato food truck, they also have an apple cider donut on offer.
I know this is supposed to be about the beer, but I can’t help but brake for food. Strictly speaking, it’s more of an apple cider cake than a true donut. What’s in a name? Especially when we’re talking delicious. Which is what this donut cake is.
Now to beer as promised. Two weeks ago, I sampled Medusa’s Simon, their festbier. Today, let’s turn our attention to Hecubus, their Marzen.
It didn’t feel right, not using a stein. Proper glassware etc. As you can see, Hecubus has a coppery amber color. Harder to see in the shot is the minimal carbonation. Like many other marzens, the malty fragrance wafts up from the glass. Just a hint of the flavors yet to come.
Drinkers are met with rich caramel with a snap of bitterness at the end of each sip. I get a little bit of fruitiness mixing in here and there. Apricots, I believe. And maybe a touch of melon. The flavor combo is spot on for a late summer/early fall beverage. Hecubus is by far one of my favorites of the fall season. I can’t resist ordering it when we pop around to their Beer Garden.
Next, we’re going to head a bit further north to Wachusett Brewing in Winchester, Massachusetts. We stopped into their beer garden on our travels for lunch and a chance to try their fall brews. I’ll stick to their simply named Oktoberfest for today’s post, but we’ll be heading back here for a review of their pumpkin beer.
One point, Wachusett’s Ofest is not strictly labeled a Marzen or a festbier. Instead, they describe the brew as a rich amber. I’m throwing it in the mix because I think it fits the bill Marzen or not.
This is no way to describe a nose, but the only thing I get is a muted version of the smell you get right after grain has been milled. You might be turned off by that description. Plain old grain doesn’t necessarily sound appetizing. Sitting out on one of their picnic tables in the late summer sun, the soft scent of grain was a hint at autumn creeping in.
This nose leads into a very malt-forward beverage, but there isn’t an overly sweet taste to this despite all the malt. The hops tip the scales to create a nice balance. The caramel flavors typical of marzens show up in Wachusett’s offering for the kick-off to fall.
There’s more to the brew’s flavor profile. I get a bit of spice too- cinnamon and nutmeg are mixed. Hold your horses if you’re thinking pumpkin. This brew doesn’t have anything close to the degree found in pumpkin beers, just enough to augment the malty caramel.
Our final stop on today’s Oktoberfest stroll is Wormtown‘s Oktoberfest.
This marzen is a lovely, clear amber gold. Bringing up the stein to my mouth, notes of caramel and malt waft up from the glass, hinting at a future sweet, sticky pull from the glass. Which isn’t exactly what you get when you finally take a drink.
The dynamic sweetness and bitterness found in marzens are different in Wormtown’s take. Bitterness hits the drinker upfront. This is momentary because the sweetness from the malts takes over, providing that caramel goodness. After a second or two, the bitterness returns for a few seconds, yet the bevy finished sweet. Wormtown’s marzen doesn’t hang heavy in the mouth, which makes it an easy-drinking beverage.
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