The New England Octoberfest

Today's Octoberfest selection was from Boston's Harpoon brewery, Harpoon Octoberfest.  Not a creative name, but at least the label isn't covered in blue Octoberfest checkers like some of the other Octoberfest brews.

Harpoon's Octoberfest is a crisp, full-bodied brew. According to their website, it's "brewed with abundant quantities of Munich, Chocolate, and Pale malts. Those malts provide a solid, full body and create the beer’s deep color.  It is a rich, flavorful beer." (http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/beer/13/Octoberfest) 


The aroma was neither too hoppy, nor too malty. In fact, although I took some deep inhales, to be honest, I'm not sure I really got much of an aroma from the beer.

I did, however, find it quite tasty, by far the richest flavor of the three I've tried so far.  It was more malty, the hops were understated, so they didn't get in the way of the flavor.

According to their tasting notes, I don't agree with all of their details.

Appearance: garnet-red color with a firm, creamy head. 

Aroma: hop aroma, (not overpowering but present)

Mouth feel: full-bodied, smooth, and malty           

Taste: gentle bitterness to balance any residual sweetness  

Finish: soft and malty with a mild bitterness  

I didn't notice the bitterness they describe in the taste or finish. Perhaps a tad in the taste--that I describe as "crispness", but as I wrote above, it didn't have the hoppy aftertaste I expected, and I was pleased with it overall.

Apparently the folks at Harpoon's two breweries, one in Boston and the other in Vermont, host an Octoberfest blowout at both breweries.  I'll bet those are quite some events, and the Harpoon Octoberfest is a great beer for any celebration.