It seems obligatory to start off this months beer packs with a traditional German Octoberfest beer so here we have Schneider-Weisse Festweisse.
Octoberfest dates back to 1810, where it was originally a festival featuring a horse race. It was organised to celebrate the wedding of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, and all the citizens of Munich were invited. Whilethe horse race is no longer, it is the largest beer festival in the world.
Special beers are made to celebrate Octoberfest, usually Marzen and the lighter-coloured Festbier. This beer is a little darker in colour with quite a fruity aroma. Banana, citrus and some spice, with a bready malt underneath.
The taste is decidedly fruity, though banana is not so dominant as you might expect. But it really isn’t so sweet, with a good dose of hops adding some bitterness to the spicy notes. At actually finishes quite dry, much more so than I was expecting. Its really refreshing, and dangerously easy to drink – where is the 6% ABV.
Tasty, refreshing and easy to drink. I guess that’s the remit of a Festbier!