Third beer from the Michelob Sampler pack, a Märzen (Oktoberfest) style beer. I loves me a good Märzen style beer and was looking forward to trying this one. It’s 4.9% alcohol, the lightest of the bunch.

Appearance: Nice amber-brown color with a white creamy head on top. Clear.

Smell: Malty, with a touch of sourness/Euro-lager aroma…

Taste: Nice caramel malts with a bit more bitterness that I’d expect—a combination of roasted grains and hops I think (i.e., astringent plus hop bitterness). Noble hops, maltiness is fairly well-done though a little light. Caramel/toffee sweetness sits behind the initial bitterness, which is enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: A little light for what I’d like in a Märzen, but decent body (short of medium-bodied) nonetheless.

Overall: It’s a middle-of-the-road for the style.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 76 out of 100 and has a narrow margin of thumb up from reviewers—55%. On RateBeer, it scores 2.33 out of 5 and is in their 13th percentile.