Oktoberfest.
Just a mention of the annual bacchanal calls to mind festive tents, the clink of heavy mugs and the malty taste of Marzen-style beer.
Traditionally brewed in spring and lagered over the hot summer months, beers intended for the harvest festivals were hearty, often full-bodied, though not necessarily in alcohol, and careful with the hops.
From mid-September to the end of October — if it lasts — Oktoberfest beers feature at brewpubs across the country.
The Oktoberfest at O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company in Lakeport follows the original style, although prepared without the lengthy cold storage of an old-school lager (a process necessary in the days before refrigeration).
It greets you with the aromas of fall — warm caramel, toasted grain and soft cream. The flavors follow along, with a toasted bread and biscuits pulled from the oven hovering over the richer malt. Faint pricks of bitterness around the edges add a spark to the mellow body.
The finish is a confirmation of these characters, with toasted cereal and soft caramel reprising their role. Yet a little zest at the end creates a festive conclusion.
Despite the wealth of flavor and the swaggering alcohol level — 6 percent — the O’Meara Bros. Oktoberfest is also a rather light and refreshing beer. There’s just a hint of bitterness and little of the lumbering residual sugars of heavier amber beers.
It’s a neat trick.
“That was one we always wanted to do,” said Alex O’Meara. “It’s more about the grain flavor than the hops.”
Brewmaster Tim O’Meara prepared one batch of Oktoberfest, hoping it would last through the end of the month. With only a few kegs remaining, the taps might run dry a few days before then.
“It’s great to produce a beer like this and have people like it,” Alex O’Meara observed.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
