German beer series: Eibauer Festbier
The first beer in my run through Costco's Biergarten Collection, a 24-can pack of German beers, is the Eibauer Festbier. It's an easy, malty golden lager from a small brewery in eastern Saxony that I'd happily drink again, though it leans a little sweet.
The beer#
Eibauer Festbier, 5.5% ABV, in a 500 ml (1 pint 0.9 fl oz) can.
The brewery#
Privatbrauerei Eibau sits in the village of Eibau, now part of the municipality of Kottmar, in the Upper Lusatia region of Saxony, between Zittau and Bautzen. Zittau's brewing guild built it as a country brewery in 1810, on a site the Saxon king Friedrich August I had approved in 1786. Its Schwarzbier has been brewed there ever since, and the brewery calls it one of the oldest Schwarzbiers in Germany.
The brewery's ownership has changed hands with German history. Brewmaster Hans Münch bought it in 1937, the East German state took it over in 1972, and it went back to the Münch heirs in 1990 before being sold in 2008. Today it brews about 100,000 hectoliters a year and won DLG gold medals in 2022 for its Schwarzbier, Hefeweizen, and Jubiläums Pilsner 1810.
I couldn't find the Festbier on Eibauer's own website, so it may be brewed mainly for export.
The style#
Festbier is the pale golden lager poured in the tents at Munich's Oktoberfest. Paulaner created it in the 1970s, and it has been the main Oktoberfest beer since 1990. It's lighter and less toasty than the amber Märzen that American breweries still sell as "Oktoberfest." The style guidelines from the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) describe it as bready, smooth, and clean, at 5.8–6.3% ABV, so this one at 5.5% runs slightly light.
Appearance#
Golden and clear, with a decent head.
Aroma#
Lightly yeasty, with a hint of bread.
Taste and mouthfeel#
The front is clean and malty, with no bitterness. The malt sweetness carries through, and it's a touch too sweet for me. The mouthfeel is very clean.
Verdict#
Gut. A clean, easy-drinking Festbier that matches the style's bready, smooth profile. I'd have another, even with the extra sweetness.