Brew Review: Brewerkz Oktoberfest Marzenbier and Oatmeal Stout

Russell W. Tan
Nov 21, 2015
3 min read

Brewerkz is a name that makes me swell with pride deep inside. Being a homegrown brand, and one of the best known makers of craft beer in Singapore, it's a national gem. Honestly, I cannot imagine the craft beer scene in Singapore if not for Brewerkz.

October came, and it's that time of the year when Oktoberfestbier pokes its shy head out from behind the vats to say hi. I had the opportunity to drink a very good example of this Marzenbier this year.

I went to the Brewerkz outlet at Clarke Quay with my father, and I ordered the Marzenbier. Dad, proudly a Guinness fan, ordered the oatmeal stout. Personally, I was only considering between these two beers - I'm not a pilsner guy - it's much too bitter for me (although I am partial to Carlsberg Pilsner), so I gave the pilsners on the menu a miss.

The Oktoberfest beer poured a clear ruby red hue, with a head that died out quickly to nothing. In appearance, very similar to Chimay Rouge. The stout was the color of Guinness, heady and that stayed throughout the long lunch we shared.

The sillage of the nose of both beers are phenomenal and very distinctive. When served the Marzenbier, it was a very toasted/roasted barley nose to it and it reminded me slightly of sake and Ovaltine in the nose. Standing out was a top note of honeyed grains. The oatmeal stout was more restrained in the nose, but also more elegant. The nose of the oatmeal stout is a real work of art - it is soft, expressive, complex, and true to its name, allowed the oatmeal to show through very well, as well as a pleasant slightly charred aroma to come through. This is the beer equivalent of a hot cup of milo. People always say that Guinness is the chocolate milk of the beer world, and I see how they draw that comparison with stout.

Again, Brewerkz has managed to live up to the high standards that I hold them to - this is not your run of the mill Singaporean brewery (ahem... APB), but rather an amazing example of a company that actually takes pride in their beers.

The taste of the Marzenbier was very yeasty and malty - very ale like, similar in style to the Grottenbier Bruit I tried before - but this was actually a little bit fruity. Technically superior, but stylistically contrived. Lightly hopped and the hops were very well used. There is the bitter kick that manages to balance out the sweetness that this beer has; yet does not taste or smell vegetal at all. The hop integration is superb, but as I said, it's nothing that hasn't been done before.

However, when it came to tasting the oatmeal stout, I was blown away. In wine tasting, expensive cult wines or garagistes wines are valued because of the sheer concentration of the fruit. For example, Madame Leroy in the Bourgogne region of France is known for aggressively pruning her vines such that only the most concentrated fruits are used to make the wines of her namesake Domaine, Domaine Leroy.

Similarly, the concentration of this beer blew me away - maybe because this is the first stout that I've tried, but in stout, the beer is so concentrated yet manages not to feel viscous or heavy in the mouth - a combination that I would not have thought possible. It is beautiful, and silky in mouthfeel. The beer is heavily hopped and it shows in the long finish. Served blind, I am confident that I can identify this beer.

Overall, good beers that were tasted. However, due to the seasonal nature of the Marzenbier, it is unlikely that I will taste it again till the next Oktoberfest. The oatmeal stout will do in a pinch, even though Guinness on draught is still the undisputed king of stouts.

Marzenbier Component Intensities:

Malt: 7/10

Yeast: 4/10

Hops: 5/10

Marzenbier Overall Ratings:

Nose: 8.5/10

Body: 6/10

Finish: 8/10

Total: 22.5/30

Oatmeal Stout Component Intensities:

Malt: 7/10

Yeast: 4/10