Hüge Flavor!

Brewer-Nimble Hill Brewing Company

Beer- Hügelfest

Style- Märzen/ Oktoberfest

ABV- 6.00%

Description- Hügelfest pours a beautiful amber orange color with an off white head that lingers throughout leaving a nice lacing on the glass.  The aroma is a nice balance of sweet malt and earthy hops, just what you would want from an Oktoberfest.  The beer may be a bit more hop forward than your standard Oktoberfest, but it makes it even more enjoyable as this does not take away one bit from the balance of the beer.  The first sip showcases the hoppiness of this beer, but those hops are quickly washed over by the malts leaving a pleasing caramel almost chocolate sensation on the palate that loiters for quite some time.  The body is in the medium spectrum with a good amount of carbonation that tickles the tongue.  I must confess that Oktoberfest beers are not always my favorite style as I do not enjoy overly malty beers, but Hügelfest is certainly an Oktoberfest that I can enjoy in large quantities, something I certainly intend to do and I highly recommend that you do the same!

Food pairing – Hügelfest is the perfect accompaniment for any German styled dish.  So of course if you are celebrating Oktoberfest at home break out the Bratwurst, Knockwurst, or Schnitzel and you will have something to celebrate when combined with Hügelfest.  However, if you are simply looking for a nice dinner at home with an enjoyable beer, pair this with your next pork roast or roasted chicken dinner.  The caramelized meat will blend seamlessly into the caramel malts in the beer and the hefty carbonation will cleanse the palate perfectly.  Looking for something a little simpler?  Try pairing this beer with a nice ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with German mustard, kick things up a notch by having it on a pretzel bun.  This is a wonderfully straightforward beer that can find a home with more complex dinners or with a simple sandwich, so be adventurous and try this with a wide variety of dishes.

The Final Word – Whether you are a fan of the beer style or not I highly recommend that you try Nimble Hill’s Hügelfest.  They are fairly new to the brewing business but have certainly hit the ground running with great beers such as these along with their Cluster Fuggle pale ale and Midnight Fuggle robust porter.  It is wonderful that such fantastic beers are being brewed right in our backyard.  Nimble Hill was also recently picked up for distributorship by LT Verrastro, so now these fantastic beers can reach an even wider audience.  So do yourself a favor and stop by the brewery or any establishment that carries Hügelfest and try this fantastic beer.

Rating- 

Where can I get it? -  It is available on draft at the brewery in the tasting room at Nimble Hill in Tunkhannock, PA; The Keys- Scranton, PA; and Twigs- Tunkhannock, PA