Ayinger is a Bavarian brewery situated about 15 miles south of Munich, and as such, is not allowed to be a part of that city’s massive Oktoberfest celebrations.  Instead, they take their well-made brew (and proverbial ball) to the neighbouring countryside, organizing their own seasonal festivals.  Sehr gut, I say!  In honour of that spirit, we kick off the Beer Diaries Autumn Beer Guide with their Oktober Fest-Märzen, whose name alludes to the original brew month of the beer.

This 500ml bottle pours a clear, pale golden amber hue, with rising effervescence, and three fingers of puffy, foamy, and mildly creamy off-white head, which leaves some nice spidery lace around the glass as it lazily melts away.

It smells of bready, biscuity, and crackery malt, a bit of toffee, mild lemon and spiced orange fruitiness, and soft earthy, floral hops. The taste is somewhat edgy, biscuity sourdough malt, fruity orchard pith, a bit of earthy honey, a very subtle, understated warming, and mild floral, weedy hops. The carbonation is moderate and even, with a tiny bit of overt frothiness, the body a standard-issue medium weight, mostly smooth, and just a tad creamy. It finishes fairly dry, and clean, making each subsequent swig that much more desirable.

A very balanced, solid, and tasty ceremonial lager, the kind where just less than a single digit of ABV uptick can make all the difference. Ergo, I can totally see the appeal of downing 1 liter steins of this kind of stuff amongst thousands (or perhaps only hundreds, whatever) of like-minded imbibers, especially if they too are choosing this venerable Bavarian brewer.