Ayinger Brewery
Ayinger OktoberFest Marzen (or Oktober Fest-Marzen) is brewed by the Ayinger Brewery based in in Aying, Bavaria, Germany, about 25 km south of Munich. The brewery dates back to 1878. They brew a large selection of German beer styles, including Kellerbier, Weizenbock and many more. However, their website does not list Oktober Fest, which is a seasonal. Despite the name of the beer, Ayinger cannot participate in Oktoberfest, as the brewery is outside Munich city limits.
Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen
The best description of Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen comes from Total Wine & More: “Ayinger Oktober Fest Märzen has a deep golden color tinted with amber. It is lightly sweet with a malty nose balanced with floral hops. It’s medium to big body and alcohol are not overpowering. The soft dryness comes from long maturation.” Beer Connoisseur similarly describes it as “perfect for real lovers of lagers. It is gold, light and sparkling. This legendary German brew pleases the eye. The aroma is wonderful, strong and smells of honey, sweet cold tea and fruit. It features a wonderful taste balance and pleasant density. It is an outstanding example of German beer and at the same time an excellent representative of the style. Usually combined with fried chicken, fish or sausage.”
Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen has a 5.8% ABV, 25 IBU, 2.1g protein, 14 carbs, 0g fat, and 215 calories (11.2 oz. bottle). It has an “Outstanding” rating on Beer Advocate.
Our Review of Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen
I have had American Marzen beers before, most notably Gordon-Biersch, which is good, and Samuel Adams, which was not good and I don’t believe exists anymore. Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a Marzen and better. Most American Octoberfest beers are just Marzens, but the Octoberfest branding sells better.
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen is so much better than these American Marzens. I have not had any other German Marzens but it is hard to believe that they could be better than Ayinger. Just to be sure, I researched and found two Beer Connoisseur articles. The first from 2017 listed it as the second best Oktoberfest beer (after Sierra Nevada!) The second from 2021 (also cited above) listed it first out of eight, although it isn’t clear that the list was in ranking order.
If you like the Marzen beer style, I highly recommend trying Azinger. But you may have to wait until the fall.
For other excellent German beer recommendations, try Warsteiner German Pilsener, Franziskaner Weissbier and Weihenstephaner Vitus.
For beer nutritional information of all beers we have reviewed see Beer Nutritional Information.
