Round 2, Bout 12 of Master of Marzen 2020 sees Dru Bru (WA) take on 14th Star (VT).
This is my first time trying Dru Bru. 14th Star won a very interesting first round bout against 2019 runners up Live Oak. This should be an awesome bout.
Packaging Design
Two very different design styles.
Dru Bru has gone for a more modern-minimalist style, using the traditional check as the background and using bold typeface in complementary colors in the foreground.
14th Star has opted for a large lion’s head, with a small pocket of traditional check towards the top of the can.
While I appreciate both designs, I’m giving the edge to Dru Bru here. They used a more traditional base and a clean minimal design scheme over the top. Running total: Dru Bru 1-0 14th Star.
Aroma
Dru Bru’s Festbier offers a surprisingly deep and complex aroma given how light in hue it is. It’s malty and offers a warmth and touch of hops. A very good indicator for a tasty brew to come.
14th Star’s Oktoberfest offers an incredibly deep, very malty, and slightly earthy aroma. It’s a much darker looking beer and that aroma translates into a much more developed aroma.
This one goes to 14th Star. Running total: Dru Bru 1-1 14th Star.
Flavor
Dru-Bru’s Festbier is a very interesting brew. There’s definitely some malts present, but it tastes like a hoppy pale ale to be completely honest. It’s light, bright, and slight floral. By no means a bad tasting beer, but very much unexpected in an Oktoberfest seasonal.
14th Star’s Oktoberfest is a rush of malty goodness. It opens with a strong toasted malt profile and accelerates into the backend, offering a tad more depth and a slightly earthy tone. The aftertaste is slightly earthy and builds slightly from mouthful to mouthful.
Again, I’m giving an edge to 14th Star who really executes the fundamentals amazingly. Running total: Dru Bru 1-2 14th Star.
Body
Regarding mouthfeel, Dru Bru’s Festbier is light, bright and an incredibly easy drinker. It offers a lot of flavor, just not necessarily what may be expected from this seasonal style. That said, it’s light, crisp and tasty, and incredibly easy to drink. Nice work.
14th Star’s take is mid-bodied and a bit sweeter. It’s also low-carbonation and quite easy to drink. It’s an excellent balance of flavor and drinkability.
Head retention and lacing are clear Dru Bru victories in comparison.
With that in mind, I am giving this overall point to Dru Bru. Running total: Dru Bru 2-2 14th Star.
People’s Choice
As in last year’s tournament, my Instagram followers have the opportunity to shape the decisions of each bout. In the 24 hours directly preceding each bout, a poll is placed on my Instagram story. Whoever has the most votes when the poll closes, takes this fifth criteria. So how did it shape up?
Quite a one-sided result here. Running total: Dru Bru 2-3 14th Star.
Results
Well, 14th Star was able to take this one, and now progress to a round 3 matchup against Kros Strain.
Be sure to check back regularly and to follow me on Instagram for your latest updates and opportunity to vote on each bout throughout the tournament. Until next time, cheers y’all!
Sgt. Suds 
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