Ballast Point Dead Ringer

Ballast Point Dead Ringer is a Märzen/Oktoberfest, 6% ABV.

This is a good looking beer at the initial pour, good reddish brown color with decent lager clarity, solid off white head. The head retention is lacking though and any sign of head or lacing was gone in minutes. The aroma absolutely fantastic! It has a sweet and malty nose with strong notes of caramel, brown sugar, toasted grain and a some nice hazelnut as well. I was hoping it would would taste just as it smelled by it loses a good bit of the rich sweetness I got in the aroma. I’m tasting mostly caramel malt, a more generic nuttiness and some slightly astringent hop bitterness. This doesn’t taste bad or anything, but it really doesn’t live up to it’s complex aroma.

Overall I feel like this would make it to my short list of Oktoberfest beer I’ll have around for this Fall season, it really hits the sweeter elements of the style that I enjoy. If only it tasted like it smelled……