Beer of the week: O’zapft Oktoberfest, Crucible Brewing, Everett
Published 1:30 am Sunday, September 18, 2016
O’zapft Oktoberfest
Crucible Brewing, Everett
Style: Marzen
Stats: 5.3 percent ABV, 20 IBU
Available: On tap at the brewery starting Sept. 22
My thoughts: Crucible head brewer Dick Mergens has always admired the precision and beauty of German brewers, honed through the discipline that they have to adhere to under the yoke of German Purity Laws, in place since 1516.
“I love the skill that it takes to brew under those restrictions,” Mergens said, referring to the decree that allows for only hops, barley, water and yeast to be in any batch. “It makes it that much harder to get everything right.”
Not under those same restrictions, Mergens didn’t quite follow all of the Purity Law guidelines when making this year’s Oktoberfest offering. Mergens adjusted the pH level of the water to match that of Munich and didn’t lager it as long as most German lagers. (By the time it’s tapped, the beer will have been in the fermenter six weeks.)
That said, it’s a Bavarian beauty. Pouring a deep copper orange color, the beer has a slight hoppiness that greets the drinker and a solid malt flavor that follows through to the refreshing finish. Crisp, clean and the right balance of hops and malts, just like the Germans like it.
The name comes from the Bavarian expression “O’zapft is,” which means “it’s tapped.” It’s what the mayor of Munich traditionally proclaims when the town taps the first keg of beer for Oktoberfest.
Crucible, which will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a bash on Oct. 1, will release the Oktoberfest beer during its own Oktoberfest party on Thursday. They’ll have live music and the food truck Hot Dog Stop serving up German-style brats.
From the brewery: An amber-colored lager with a medium full body. Malt forward with a mellow toasty biscuit character. Finishes smooth with a light note of spicy noble hops.
More new releases
House Ale Batch #20, Foggy Noggin: An English ESB fermented in Hungarian oak barrels with perpetual yeast, making each batch unique. Available in 22-ounce bottles at the brewery.
Nitro Dripline Chocolate Milk Stout, 5 Rights Brewing: A luscious, chocolate malt-forward session stout on nitro. Like an adult chocolate milk shake. Currently on tap at SnoTown Brewing and at Diamond Knot Brewpub on Sept. 21.
