Avery's The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest Lager

So I was thinking tonight might be when I get around to reviewing the Rahr & Sons IPA, but then M'Lady whipped up a magnificent falltime dinner of roasted chicken, brussel sprouts, fall squash baked with apples, brown sugar, and raisins, and homemade cranberry sauce (the real thing, not the gelatinous stuff still in the shape of a can). So nothing but an Oktoberfest would be appropriate.

Quite naturally, I've been on an Oktoberfest kick lately, so I figured this would be a simple matter of going out to the beer fridge, but woe, despite a very full fridge, the Oktoberfest stocks had gotten low. I looked in this corner and that to no avail, and began to despair, but then hallelujah, I found a beer I had bought about a month ago and then forgotten about: Avery's The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest Lager.

It was a bit more intense than what I sought in a simple dinnertime beer, but nothing else would do. It will surprise no one who has tried Avery's products that it is fantastic. It's like an Oktoberfest on steroids: 9.37% alcohol — and you can really taste it — with a generous dose of malt and a little more bitterness than I expect from this style. And yet, it was also really sweet, as well. I think that's because of the alcohol. If you're into really strong beers, this is a winner from the first moment it hits your tongue, through the entry into the mouth, and on into the sweet aftertaste. It really helped complete the fall experience brought on by the meal and the fading golden light of the first daylight savings time evening, which is about to dissolve into a crisp, cool night.

This isn't a beer that lends itself to mass drinking (if you were served one of these at your local oompah music festival, you'd be in for an early end to your party), but you really must have at least one of these to make your autumn complete.