Starr Hill Festie
Oktoberfest doesn’t actually kick in for another month (+/- a day or two), but that’s not reason we can’t enjoy a bottle or two of Starr Hill’s Festie. This 4.8% ABV (12 IBU) Märzen one of the brewery’s seasonal, limited releases that not only hits just about all the right marks for your traditional Oktoberfest, but also a good bit of a refreshing character that is fairly atypical of the style.
While Festie has a refreshing character, it’s a fairly straightforward and no-nonsense brew that delivers the goods with little fanfare. Sitting on the back deck on a comfortable August afternoon was made that much better with a couple glasses of this easy drinking Oktoberfest that delivers a smooth array of bready malt, caramel, distant stone fruits and grain. The medium-bodied Festie is well balanced, leaving a long lasting and satisfying finish.
I typically stick to the traditional imports for my Oktoberfest/Märzen needs, but now that I’ve finally gotten around to tasting Festie I can see it finding its way into that collection of beers. The fact that this refreshing little brew is brewed fairly locally and readily available certainly doesn’t hurt its case. But it’s that satisfying, refreshing character that the brew carries that really separates it from the crowd this time of year.
This is a review of a promotional sample.