This was a beer I had pencilled in for our October 2025 packs. I’m a fan of the German lagers anyway, but it always seems appropriate to have a great German beer in our October pack and even more so if it is one of the six official Oktoberfest beers.
Pleased with myself that I’d organised this, only to be disappointed when there was a delay with the ship and we realised it wasn’t going to make it in time. We found a very happy substitute, but still had to find a place for this beer once it arrived. It has been here for a few months and this is the pack that it will slot in to.
As mentioned, Paulaner is one of the six official Oktoberfest breweries, so while many German breweries make a special festbier only the original six breweries inside the walls of Munich are considered official Oktoberfest beers.
While the first Oktoberfest was in 1810, the breweries didn’t start making these current ‘festbiers’ until much more recently. Paulaner was the first to make the change in the 1970’s, delivering this deliciously balanced lager.
A clear golden lager with a subdued aroma, there is moderate sweetness to the malt body that is balanced by the floral, grassy hop bitterness that carries through the beer. As intended, these are easy beers to enjoy, made for drinking stein after stein of.
The 'Festbier' from the Andechs Monaster brewery
The special Oktoberfest offering from the Weltenburg Abbey brewery
