Live Oak Oaktoberfest

Review Date 10/12/2023  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Oktoberfest   Brewery: Live Oak   Country: USA   State: Texas   $ Per OZ: $.14 (B)   ABV: 5.8%

First beer for me from the Live Oak brewery of Austin, Texas! And boy, is it a good one! Technically, it’s bad grammar to start a sentence with a conjunction like I just did there but hey, this is my website, and I will do whatever the hell I want. So there! Back to the beer, though, and the one I am here to talk about is Live Oak Oaktoberfest.

Most American breweries have Oktoberfest beers. They might be in the Märzen style as Live Oak Oaktoberfest is, or they may have a more modern Festbier. Some have both. What separates the best of the Märzens from the rest of the pack, though, is decoction mashing. Now, if you want to learn more about decoction mashing, I’m not telling you about it here, but you can read about it in my review of Tröegs Oktoberfest. No extra charge!

Many breweries do not use decoction on their Märzens, instead relying on a healthy dose of Munich malt to impart the desired toasty nutty flavors. They achieve varying degrees of success, some of them producing beers that have more of a caramel flavor to my taste than an authentic one.

Live Oak is not one of *those* breweries, and I am glad of it. Their Oaktoberfest is exceptional, and they say about it:

Our Oaktoberfest is decoction-mashed with Bavarian malts honoring tradition. Noble German hops balance the rich malty fullness with a subtle and smooth hop character. A fall classic that will have your tastebuds dancing to an oompah band in no time. O’zapft Is!

Live Oak Oaktoberfest has an alcohol content of 5.8% by volume with 20 IBUs. I paid $2.99 for my 12-ounce can from Half Time Beverage, and Total Wine sells it for the low price of $9.99 a six-pack at their Woodlands, Texas location. My can was stamped PKG 08.29.23.

Live Oak Oaktoberfest pours to a deep copper color with a thick foamy head and a nose of caramel and toasted nuts. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body, appropriate to the style. It bursts with toasty nutty notes, more than many domestic examples do. The decoction mashing does that. It is rich and sticky with melanoidins and that is what I want in a good Märzen. Finishes dry and gently bitter.

Excellent, and a beer I will be seeking out again!

Glad I tried it?  T