So I'm wondering if there is a regional/seasonal character going on here.
I am sipping the first early glass of a marzen I brewed 2 weeks ago, german munich and pils, german organic mittelfruh all the way through. I was out of magnum so I even bittered with them. And I'm getting an unusual spicey note on the tongue and a hint of chili-like flavor.
On the other hand, I used some of the same mittelfruh a couple months ago and did not notice this character.