restless reformer

Saranac Octoberfest pours a clear orange/copper color with a one-inch creamy head that quickly dissipates with decent lacing. It’s got a bready, hoppy scent.
The taste is very hoppy. I like bitter beers, but the bitter, herby hops seems to overwhelm the malt flavor, making it a good, but ultimately not well-balanced beer. Very strong bitter finish.
The advantage to this beer is that it’s a solid Octoberfest for a good price: $9.99 for 12 pack. But it’d be better if the maltiness was better balanced with the bitter hops. I’d drink it again, but in the future, I’ll more than likely pay the extra couple bucks for the Sam Adams Octoberfest, which I’ll review next.