[tommymorris]

Sierra Nevada also has a fall mix pack right now with a nice brown ale: Tumbler. I like it. I haven’t seen a commercial brown ale in quite a while.

[Robert]

Sierra Nevada also has a fall mix pack right now with a nice brown ale: Tumbler. I like it. I haven’t seen a commercial brown ale in quite a while.

I like Tumbler too.  They used to do it as a stand alone seasonal,  then I didn't see it, glad it made it in there.  They advertise that it's made with roast malt fresh off the kiln.^*  "Everyone knows" you have to bin roast malt and let it mellow a couple of months before using it or the beer will be awful and acrid and burnt and nasty.   So much for that.  Notice a few people around here doing TX brown lately.  Maybe it's on the rebound.

^*EDIT before someone catches me out, that would be out of the drum, not off the kiln.

[tommymorris]

Sierra Nevada also has a fall mix pack right now with a nice brown ale: Tumbler. I like it. I haven’t seen a commercial brown ale in quite a while.

I like Tumbler too.  They used to do it as a stand alone seasonal,  then I didn't see it, glad it made it in there.  They advertise that it's made with roast malt fresh off the kiln.^*  "Everyone knows" you have to bin roast malt and let it mellow a couple of months before using it or the beer will be awful and acrid and burnt and nasty.   So much for that.  Notice a few people around here doing TX brown lately.  Maybe it's on the rebound.

^*EDIT before someone catches me out, that would be out of the drum, not off the kiln.

Yeah. Based on that description, I was expecting more roast flavor. But, I was glad I was wrong. The roast flavors are very subtle.

[MDixon]

I just keep buying 12 packs of SN Ofest at $13 each. Having a hard time finding fault with this beer.

[goose]

I have been drinking the SN Octoberfest for about a month or so now.  I think it is pretty good, but everyone's palate is different. I forgot who mentioned it on this forum but the gist of it was that German versions are made to be poundable by the liter, and this one fits the bill. I had a 12er of the Sam Adams Octoberfest (my normal go to O'fest) this year and thought it was a bit too dry and not balanced enough.  A friend of mine in AZ told me that I probably had the first batch and that second was spot on.  I'll have to take his word on it as I didn't get another 12 pack pack because I liked the SN better.

BTW, we were in Asheville last week and visited Twin Leaf Brewery (among others).  They had an O'fest on tap, Arkenstone Oktoberfest, that was pretty incredible.  It was malty with enough hops to balance.  Think it was one of the best I have ever had.

[denny]

The SN Ofest is a great beer, No doubt about it.  But for me, it's too sweet to be what I consider poundable by the liter.  One is enough for me.