Tooth and Nail Victory Parade (5.6%)

I have previously expressed my admiration for Ottawa’s Tooth and Nail Brewing, and likewise issued my caveats about how the owners got into beer via beerbistro, the Toronto bar and restaurant I helped found. Past relationships aside, however, I have long felt that the brewery is at its best when exploring the realm of German beer styles, and so it was with some eager anticipation that I opened my first can of their Festbier.

When he first brewed this, co-owner and brewer Matt Tweedy took pains to let me know that he was after the more modern style of Oktoberfest beer, rather than the traditional Märzen that was more popular at the time. He needn’t have bothered, as I was then already a strong proponent of what I have dubbed the New School Oktoberfest, and knowing that this was the sort of beer he was angling to produce only increased my interest in it.

It was good then. It’s even better now.   

Bright, light gold, this is unapologetically New School through and through, with a fresh malt aroma that is sweet without being in any way even approaching confectionary, just fresh and floral grain with a hint of wildflower honey. It sufficiently attractive that it’s a bit of a shame this beer is best enjoyed cold, as the aromatics become even livelier when the beer is allowed to warm a bit.

The flavour follows the trajectory of the aroma with a fair degree of precision, beginning with a honey-ish malt sweetness at the front, growing drier and slightly grassy on the mid-palate, with a softly rising hop character that approaches but doesn’t quite reach bitterness, and finishing dry and quenching without even a suggestion of tannins. The alcoholic strength is there, subtly at first, but growing to a satisfying warmth on the finish, though not so much that it has you thinking your second or third can might spell the end of your night. (It is, after all, only 5.6%!)

If you served this at Munich’s Oktoberfest, I doubt very much that anyone would be disappointed. In fact, depending on which tent they were in, I’m confident that more than a few revellers would find it an improvement on what they had previously been served. Tweedy started strong in developing this beer a few years back and has dialed it in further since, to his and his brewery’s great credit! I’m told that the brewery still has it in stock at their beer store and would strongly encourage Ottawa-area beer drinkers to get it while you still can.

91 ($3.50/355 ml)