It may be towards the end of Oktober, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have new Oktoberfestbier’s, right? There have been some breweries that have been notably absent this year (for reasons we are all aware of) with a Märzen/Festbier. Coming off an impressive Silver Medal win at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for Umbeereon (Schwarzbier), we can cross one off the list with GameCraft finally releasing their version. Maß Effect is our Oktoberfestbier of the week.
First off, let’s clarify what that “ß” is in the name. The Eszett (ß) is pronounced as an “ss” and the word “Maß” essentially means, as a noun, a measure of one liter of beer and is often referred to as the one-liter dimpled mugs associated with the festival (Krüge, or jugs, is another name they go by). The name is of course of play on the popular video game series Mass Effect.
The beer is a copper Märzen with some Festbier qualities. Toasty and pleasant on the palate with a soft biscuit note and a bit of a bitter finish that’s more suggestive of a Festbier. Good balance of malt and hops with a touch of a tree fruit note that doesn’t hurt the beer in my eyes. It is easy to drink and looks beautiful in the 1L Krüge.
Andrew Moy (Head Brewer) and Mike Ewoldt (Assistant Brewer) keep improving and impressing me with their ales but especially their lagers. Add to that the aforementioned GABF win for a lager. At this rate, I may need to move closer, so I have more of their tasty creations. Keep up the great work, fellas!
Visit GameCraft in Laguna Hills at 23301 Avenida De La Carlota, Suite C, or on the web, Instagram, and Facebook.
Prost!
Gilbert “Charlie” Perez, Advanced Cicerone®