Märzen Madness

Märzen Madness

Brewed by Indian Wells Brewing Company
12 fl oz. bottle – 5.5% ABV
Served in a Pint Glass

As our second beer for review, we decided to review Märzen Madness, which is actually an Oktoberfest-style beer. We were curious as to why an Oktoberfest beer would be named “Märzen Madness” or “March Madness” -- so we decided to do some investigating!

It turns out that Oktoberfest beers were traditionally brewed in March, before the summer weather rendered brewing impossible. The remaining stock of beer was consumed in the in the interim and then, the special “Märzenbier” or “March beer” would be ready just in time for Oktoberfest.

Works for us!

In every proper review, we will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Märzen Madness

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Golden color with a hint of red; appears to be fairly carbonated by number of rising bubbles, yet has a very small, thin head.
Jugsy: Amber / caramel in color, very thin head which dissipates quickly.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Nose is a little funky, almost like some very yeasty Belgians; sweet note of fruit, but the funky smell dominates.
Jugsy: Light smell of apricot; scent of sourdough bread, mild yeast, possible pineapple; fruity funk.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Crisp hops; strong at the top, which dissipates; takes a taste or two to get the flavor of malt, which is completely hidden and is only a distant aftertaste. Overall taste is light and fairly watery, although there’s a tiny taste of hops bitterness left on the tongue.
Jugsy: Strong sourdough aftertaste; more complex than the aroma would suggest, mildly bitter, but bitterness dissipates quickly, giving way to lightly roasted malt, crisp, moderately carbonated with some kind of muted fruit flavor in the background.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Lots of carbonation. Bubbles! The bubbles go right up your nose. The beer itself is extremely watery.
Jugsy: Average - definitely not a full-bodied beer; light, crisp, moderately carbonated and very watery.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Can throw these back as this beer is so light. Not very complex, though.
Jugsy: Since it’s not heavy, you could certainly drink this all night, but with all the other great beers in the world, you might not want to. Just an average brew.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: A bit bland; lacks complexity; extremely one-dimensional. Due to its lightness, this would be a good session beer, after you run out of your first two or three session beers.
Jugsy: I’m not a huge fan of most Oktoberfest brews I’ve tried thus far and I’m sorry to say that Märzen Madness doesn’t do much to change my mind. This beer is so average as to be completely forgettable. I’ll take a beer with character any day of the week.

SCORE:
Mugsy: 3
Jugsy: 4

Black Hart - Our first beer review!

Mugsy & Jugsy’s first beer up for review… {drum-roll, please}

Black Hart – Irish Style Dry Stout

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company

12 fl oz. bottle – 5.5% ABV

Served in a Pint Glass

Mugsy, who is by far, the more discerning beer enthusiast is open to trying anything. He actually likes stouts! Jugsy, on the other hand, has a strong preference for certain types of beer – stouts not generally among them. But when faced with the taunting question: “Are you afraid of the Dark?” She knew she had no other choice but to face the challenge head-on.

In every proper review, we will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Black Hart – Irish Style Dry Stout

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Extremely dark, brown to black with slight reddish tint, medium dark cola-ish head; head dissipates, but not overly rapidly.

Jugsy: Small head, very dark in color, almost black even when held up to the light; leaves a delicate lacing on the glass, head evaporates quickly.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Roasted malt, with big toffee taste and slight coffee undertones.

Jugsy: Funky, burnt malt, sour smell of yeast, slightly reminiscent of sour milk/cheese, sourdough, hint of coffee grounds.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Roasted malt, slight smokiness detected, big toffee taste that stays long after drinking; hint of caramel aftertaste; very slight coffee ground aftertaste; hint of bittersweet chocolate.

Jugsy: Strong chocolate flavors; bitter, with creamy roasted malt; light coffee aftertaste; simple flavors, not a complex palate.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Good amount of carbonation, much more so than a true English / Irish stout; obvious that this is a U.S. brew. Fair bit of bitterness on palate as it goes down; dry, like a stout should be.

Jugsy: Creamy, smooth feel, mild carbonation and a delicate finish.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Easy to drink, especially for a stout, but wouldn’t drink more than a couple of glasses at a time due to the dryness and bitter-sweetness.

Jugsy: Surprisingly light and refreshing, particularly for such a dark brew – very drinkable.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: A fine beer. I like this better than many English / Irish Stouts. It would pair well with rich foods. I would definitely drink this again, any time!

Jugsy: This is a pleasant stout, refreshing, not heavy – not overbearing – just the thing for those chilly Irish twilights.

SCORE:

Mugsy : 6.95

Jugsy: 6.75