Few craft breweries brew lager style beers and even fewer specialize in lager beer. Sudwerk, however, is one such craft brewery that specializes in German lager style beer and does it very well. They brew excellent märzen, helles, pilsner, and several other styles of beer. This review focuses on the Sudwerk Märzen beer, which is described by the brewery as follows:

An amber lager crafted with a blend of five specialty malts and the finest Bavarian hops. Rich, robust malt character and a long lingering finish. Reminiscent of beers produced by Munich’s breweries for annual Oktoberfest celebrations.

Where I Found It. I picked up a 6 pack of Sudwerk Märzen at BevMo in Sacramento, CA.

Serving Type. I poured a bottle of this beer into a glass.

Appearance. Sudwerk Märzen has an amber copper color and is crtystal clear. The head is slightly dark with a tan color. The head lasts quite a long time and leaves a foam on the glass and a thin layer of froth on top that lasts at least half way through drinking the beer.

Smell. The aroma of this beer has a caramel malty sweetness with a slight nuttiness. The bouquet is more subdued but has a slight spicy coppery hop smell and a hint of lager yeast. The bouquet is about what you would expect from a lager.

Taste. Sudwerk’s Marzen has a wonderful rich caramel and roasty maltiness that is very well balanced against a smooth and light hop bitterness. It has a distinct lager flavor from the yeast but is not overly yeasty. All of the flavors are combine well with the malt flavor slightly edging out the other flavors in the beer.

Mouthfeel. The body of this beer is light to medium with just the right amount of carbonation. the bitterness from the hops is smooth and does not linger much.

Drinkability. This is a highly drinkable beer. I was parched when I poured this beer and discovered that it is a pretty good thirst quencher. It is refreshing and easy to drink multiple of these beers in a single session.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.5
• Smell (20%): 3.5
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.25

Information

• Style: Marzen/Oktoberfest
• Brewery: Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch
• Alcohol by volume: 5.3%
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.59 (as of Mat 1, 2009)

Other Reviews

• BeerPal - Sudwerk Marzen
• BeerAdvocate - Marzen
• RateBeer -Sudwerk Marzen