Beer of the Weekend

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I wasn't able to get you a Beer of the Week, so I was damn sure to get you a Beer of the Weekend.

Although the Oktoberfest/Fall season for breweries has come and gone, you can still find those straggler sixers here and there until well after Christmas. Lukcy enough for me I came across a leftover sixer of Left Hand Brewing Company's Oktoberfest.

Hailing from Longmont, Colorado, Left Hand takes its name from a English translation of a Native cheif's name, whose tribe wintered in the area. Although the brewery has been around since 1993, they did not even begin packaging in 12oz bottles until 1998 after merging with Tabernash brewery of Denver.

In addition to a their famous Sawtooth Ale, and a large selection of staples, Left Hand also produces several seasonals, including Oktoberfest. The beer is 6.0% ABV, and is dominated up front with sweet malts, like any Oktoberfest should be. It has a nice dry, clean back from the German Magnum and Vanguard hops, and is smooth and medium bodied. It doesn't have the caramel richness or malt complexity of some of the Germans, it's a bit more earthy and nutty, but it is a solid Oktoberfest and a worthy effort. Lucky for me Oktoberfest shoppers did not know of Left Hand's quality; now you do.

Link of Interest:

Left Hand Brewing Company