Round 3, Bout 3 of Master of Marzen 2020 sees Eight Bridges Brewing (CA) take on Aeronaut Brewing (MA).
Two great brews enter, only one will continue. Let’s see how this goes.
Packaging Design
Neither brewery went for the typical seasonal branding, making for an interested experience.
Eight Bridges’ Brewno Marzen, as the name may suggest, offers an image of Bruno Mars against a backdrop of the German national colors.
Aeronaut has opted for a fall-based color scheme of a yellow background and a large red/brown leaf.
While I find both interesting, this one goes to Eight Bridges. That punny name and branding just stands out. Running total: Eight Bridges 1-0 Aeronaut.
Aroma
Brewno Marzen has a reasonably strong aroma. It’s toasted malt rich, warm and slightly sweet. A great example of the style.
Aeronaut’s Oktoberfest has a much more subtle aroma. Toasted malts are present, but it offers a much weaker aroma overall, when compared to Brewno Marzen. A nice aroma profile, just lacking the depth.
This one goes to Eight Bridges. Running total: Eight Bridges 2-0 Aeronaut.
Flavor
Brewno Marzen opens on the mild side, but the backend sees a rush of flavor. Somewhat dry, toasted malts and a supporting hoppy bitterness round out the experience. A mild dryness and the hoppy bitterness hold in the aftertaste, which doesn’t build much. Overall, an excellent take on the style.
Aeronaut’s Oktoberfest’s subtle aroma translates to a mild (bud tasty) flavor. There’s a decent malt profile which is couples with a bright and slightly floral hoppy twist. It definitely has Marzen qualities, but it’s not quite as deep and smooth and I might expect of the style.
Probably unsurprising that Brewn Marzen takes this one. Running total: Eight Bridges 3-0 Aeronaut.
Body
On mouthfeel, Brewno Marzen is quite light-bodied and fairly well carbonated. It offers a ton of flavor, but may be a bit on the bloat-y side considering the carbonation.
Conversely, Aeronaut’s Oktoberfest is a less-carbonated and incredibly smooth brew. It’s an incredibly easy drinker and offers a great experience.
As you can see above, neither beer retained much head nor really laced much. With that in mind, this one comes down to the mouthfeel experience. I’m giving this one to Aeronaut as it’s a smoother brew. Running total: Eight Bridges 3-1 Aeronaut.
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?
This one came down to the wire, with only a few votes separating the two brews. That said, Eight Bridges sneaks through and consolidates its lead. Running total: Eight Bridges 4-1 Aeronaut.
Results
This one was definitely closer than the 4-1 result may suggest. That said, Eight Bridges is victorious and will proceed to Round 4 to face the winner of Klaus and Roundhouse.
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 