The sun's out and shining in a bright blue sky. Sure, the temperature's high, but there's a subtle chill in the light breeze. I just got back from a short run and am nearly ready to settle in for the new Rings of Power episode but, before I do, I want to take some time and celebrate the cooling weather with another Oktoberfest.

Up today is Country Boy Brewing's aptly-named Oktoberfest. I've had one of their beers before (Cougar Bait, back in 2017) and was duly impressed. Let's see how their Oktoberfest drinks.

Country Boy's been around for a decade. The Kentucky brewery prides themselves on using high-quality ingredients in their passion-inspired brews. In 2017 (right around the time I had Cougar Bait), they opened a new facility, the state's largest production brewery. This has allowed them to expand their distribution range--now I can find them all over the Greater Cincinnati area.

Their Oktoberfest lager has a small presence on Country Boy's "Beer" page; here it's listed as their fall seasonal. My can calls it a "Traditional Lager with Country Style." Its BeerAdvocate page shows it has an ABV of 5.5%. There's not much official information on the beer.

Oktoberfest's bouquet is a grower. At first, all I could really suss out from my can was a spicy yeast aroma, backed by little lager oomph. After letting my can sit for a few moments, the honey, the biscuit, the bread, and the caramel come rushing through. While the lager smells sweeter than I typically like my Oktoberfest-style beers to be, I'm not upset about it. Neither is Purrl--she gave my can six sizeable whiffs.

That sweetness is more prevalent in the lager's flavor profile, to my distaste. A swig greets me first with a light, bready lager flavor before this is quickly washed away with a wallop of malty sweetness: honey, caramel, and toffee. This congeals and sticks around in the surprisingly long finish (which isn't an attribute I'd really ever associate with an Oktoberfest-style beer), creating something that doesn't instantly beckon me to return for another pull. 

It's mouthfeel is what I want from a lager. Crisp and refreshing, something that's pretty damn crushable.

Around this time of year, I typically like to take a break from yard working with an Oktoberfest. I'll wheel the mower into the shed and, before breaking out the edger, grab a Märzen or festbier from the fridge to enjoy on the porch.

There's just something great about kicking back in the middle of sweaty work with an easy-drinking, flavorful beer. Especially if you happen to do it on a day when the breeze has a slight chill to it.

I wish I could say that Country Boy Brewing's Oktoberfest is a beer I'd reach for on such an occasion, but I just can't. The lager's okay but, when pitted against all of the killer craft Oktoberfest-style lagers on the market, I can't really recommend it to you. I'm giving my can a 7.0/10. There're better options out there for your prosting.