Today we're going to take a look at an excellent Märzenbier, the Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen. For those unfamiliar with the style, a Märzen is typically characterized by a malty body, light or faint hop character, and a palate-cleansing finish that makes it a very drinkable beer beloved by Bavarians and German beer snobs everywhere. In my limited exposure to the style, I find that Ayinger's offering is pretty good, tasty stuff.

This beer has a rather light flavor dominated by strong malts and a full, round mouth feel. The malt is fruity and is complimented by a very mild hop character that I found rather difficult to detect. The nose seems to me to have hints of flowers and bread. The finish is nice and clean. This beer is incredibly drinkable. A fellow taster noticed some esters and coriander flavors, but I couldn't detect any. That might be because I've got a barbaric, unsophisticated palate, but I don't really care. Oktoberfest isn't really about sitting around sipping Märzenbier with a critical mind, it's about drinking vast quantities out of massive one liter mugs and then singing obnoxious Bavarian drinking songs.

In conclusion, this is a great beer. I encourage all of you to give it a try, preferably while wearing lederhosen and courting buxom young German girls. Eins, zwei, g'suffa, baby!