Round 3, Bout 1 of Master of Marzen 2020 sees 4 By 4 Brewing (MO) vs. Freetail Brewing (TX).
Both of these beers have been performing really well throughout the tournament and with only 16 beers left in the running, this one should be epic. Let’s get started.
Packaging Design
Two interesting can designs here.
I appreciate 4 By 4’s O’Zapft Is!’s symmetrical and clean design. The iconography plays on Oktoberfest and fall, and the color scheme is very fitting for this time of year.
Freetail’s Oktoberfiesta has an amazing mix of Oktoberfest and Día de Los Muertos. The calavera and Oktoberfest garb are a great mix of cultures and very eye catching.
This one goes to Freetail. Running total: 4 By 4 0-1 Freetail.
Aroma
O’Zapft Is! has a deep, malty, and slightly sweet aroma. It’s powerful without overpowering, and the malty notes are on the lighter end of toasted. It smells amazing.
Oktoberfiesta also offers a fairly powerful aroma, and it has a much lighter malt tone coupled with slightly bready qualities. It does offer a nice hoppy quality on the backend, which rounds it all out.
Two very tasty smelling brews, but this point goes to 4 By 4. The toasted malts aroma is more typical of what I’m looking for in the Oktoberfest style. Running total: 4 By 4 1-1 Freetail.
Flavor
O’Zapft Is! is a near flawless take on the Oktoberfest style. It offers a delightfully malty base with a slight bitter bite and quite a sweet twist. If I had to pick a fault, it may be ever-so-slightly too sweet.
Oktoberfiesta is a much lighter tasting brew. It offers some of those bready flavors and a touch of hops. It’s a crisp and tasty brew that’s highly enjoyable.
Again, I feel compelled to give this point to 4 By 4 again. The toasted malts just really exemplify the flavors of the season. Running total: 4 By 4 2-1 Freetail.
Body
Regarding mouthfeel, O’Zapft Is! is mid-bodied and smooth. It has a low carbonation that aids in its high drinkability. The slight sweetness doesn’t cause any issues in terms of coating. It’s a highly drinkable brew.
Oktoberfiesta is slightly lighter bodied and a little more carbonated, but it still comes together for a very drinkable brew.
Freetail retained a bit more of a head, maintaining a slight ring of foam halfway down the glass. It also laced considerably better as you can see above.
On the balance of sub-criterion, this one goes to Freetail. The mouthfeel is comparable, but Freetail is the clear winner on head retention and lacing. Running total: 4 By 4 2-2 Freetail.
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?
A slight edge to 4 By 4 on this one! Running total: 4 By 4 3-2 Freetail.
Results
Well, it was a hard fought battle, but 4 By 4 just snuck through. They now move into round 4 where they will meet the winner of Night Shift vs. Key.
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 