Styling it out

It would not do to be still drinking Oktoberfest lager in November, so I'm getting this one under the wire before the clocks change. Third Barrel Fest Bier was co-created with TwoSides, presumably mainly for the Oktoberfest celebrations at the TwoSides pub, Brickyard. But they've canned it too, saving me a trip to Dundrum. On the label we get AI's smudgey rendition of an old-timey Oktoberfest. I detect a certain old-timeyness about the beer too, which is amber coloured and a little hazy. That slight darkness translates to a fabulously rich malt flavour. Pale versions of this style, including the Munich classics, can be a bit syrupy, but while this one is a proper 5.5% ABV and sweeter than a standard Helles, it's done in a wholesome brown-bread way, making it extremely satisfying to drink. I see wheat on the ingredients, and breaking whatever daft German rule forbids that could have been the killer move. The noble hops have been laid on generously too, balancing all that bread with clean green salad leaves. I horsed through my 440ml in jig time. Maybe I should have gone to Brickyard for a Maß after all.

The brewery is playing fast and loose with the style category on its next one too. Harmonics is a double IPA, one of the unadvertised hazy ones, but only 7.5% ABV. Still, it looks well, being pale orange and with a properly thick and lasting head. The aroma offers a blast of the west coast, giving orange peel and grapefruit flesh, though with a spice from the yeast residue that's almost Belgian. It also lacks the fluff of New England-style. Presumably a function of the strength, it's quite light, built around citrus and fizz. There's a thin seam of vanilla, but that's as New England as it gets. The central flavour is all hop: the spice-forward grapefruit and pepper, telling us that whatever varieties they've used, they're fresh and added in quantity. Some lighter pineapple and peach arrives in the finish. The double designation doesn't really stack up here. It's a fairly easy drinker, avoiding any extremes of bitterness or heat, and anyone looking for serious punch will be disappointed. But as an IPA of whichever sub-style, it's top notch. Everyone should have a local brewery that turns out beer like this on the regular.

Quality work here from Third Barrel. The beers are very different from each other, but they've been designed and brewed to be exceptionally tasty in their own ways. Can't argue with that.