“March beer”, originally very dark, almost black, was brewed in the spring, and opened only in the fall, maturing in the cellars during the summer. Between 1872 and 1990 this beer was served at Oktoberfest, then replaced by Festbeer. The modern interpretation of Märzen is closer to Spaten’s lager, created in 1841.
In memory of the old times, one of the types of Märzen is called “Oktoberfest”. The style is originally German, but some American craft breweries also make Märzen. Today, this beer is not as dark as it once was, but has a rich amber color.
“March Pier” has a complex bouquet with a pronounced malty note and a bitter dry finish. Tones of toast are felt in the aroma, hops are almost not noticeable. The style is not sweet, biscuit and caramel notes should not be in it.
Visually, the drink is bright amber, golden variations already belong to another category – Festbeer. Despite the strong “maltiness”, the beer is not sweet. Fermentation – camp. The texture is creamy, the fortress is almost not felt, the style is very light.
The composition of this beer depends on the manufacturer, but Munich malt is taken as the base. A feature of production is decoction mashing, which allows you to get a richer malt flavor.
The beer is similar to dark bock, but less strong. The intensity of the malt is close to the Czech amber lager, but contains less hops.
Strength: 5.8-6.3%.
Density: initial 1.054-1.060, final 1.010-1.014.
Bitterness Index: 18-24 IBU.
Color: 8-17 SRM.