Week 39 of 52
Summit Oktoberfest
September 22nd thru September 28th
Brewer's Description
Created to honor the popular European fall celebrations. Summit Oktoberfest is brewed in the Marzen style for a reddish-bronze color, smooth finish, and of course, polka.
Made with 2-Row Harrington, Caramel, and Munich Malt, and Northern Brewer, Saaz, and Tettenanger Hops. It's 7.4% alcohol and 25 IBUs.
Overall Rating based on 4 reviews
3.13 of 5 stars
Brewery Information
Summit Brewing Company
Saint Paul, Minnesota
summitbrewing.com/
Interesting Fact
The first keg of EPA rolled out of the brewery, across University Ave and into Johnny's Bar on September 25. 1986. Read More
Photography
Courtesy of Erin Reichelt. View more on her flickr set.
Reviews | Learn More About the Brew52 Reviewers | Previous Beer | Next Beer
Joe Lunchpail says Oktoberfest: 2nd Place
December 1st, 2008
Better than Schell, but not nearly as good as Surly. Interesting info provided by Wilbur. I was not aware of that. I imbibed a few of these at the State Fair this year and wasn’t particularly thrilled or disappointed with it.
flashmcduff says just ok(toberfest)
October 6th, 2008
I’d have to try it on tap to be certain, but this really didn’t impress me. It had the right combo of bitterness and maltiness but didn’t do enough of either one, it seems. I like Summit’s beers. Some are better than others. This one, thankfully, is seasonal.
Wylbur says Close But No Cigar
October 4th, 2008
If you like Summit and want to try their beers, there is no better place than the Groveland Tap, which has THE distinction of carrying EVERY Summit product! So my friend Carol and I visited the Groveland for a pint of Summit Oktoberfest on September 29th, the eve of the end of Oktober.
At the outset, you have to understand that Marzen or Oktoberfest is probably my favorite kind of beer. This style of beer gets it’s unique flavor from decoction – a special, laborious brewing process that sqeaks every bit of malt sugar out of the barley. The decoction process also creates melonoidins – complex roasted sugars that impart that thick malty taste to your Oktoberfest. Decocted beers takes a long time and a lot of work to produce, so very few brewers use this process, and instead use meloniodin malts instead – and this is the case for Summit’s Oktoberfest.
This is a malty slightly sweet beer that does finish dry, with a clean crisp lager finish. It does have a little malt complexity, but not the full-tilt over-the-top feel of the real thing. I’m very busy doing research all over this town to find the BEST Minnesota Marzen-Oktoberfestbeer, I just hope that this is NOT it.
Don’t get me wrong here, I LOVE a number of Summit beers, especially the Oatmeal stout, Great Northern Porter and the ESB (English Special Bitter). But the Oktoberfest is just not that caliber.
Rett says Say no to pumpkin ales
October 1st, 2008
Fall kicks ass. This year especially because it means I don’t have to water my new sod twice a day any more. And of course because of all the great seasonal beers. No not the Pumpkin ales, although I always buy a couple 6 packs, and I’m always a little dissapointed. I’m talking about Octoberfest. Continue reading Say no to pumpkin ales