Here's a beer that I didn't know about in August; It's almost like I've been harried and everything's been hectic lately. But given that I'm currently nursing a growing infatuation with classic horror and gothic monsters, the stein-slinging Frankenstein's monster on the label art called out to me when I wandered into my local bottleshop earlier this month.

That single can of Abomination's Drankenstein on the shop's build-your-own shelves looked special. I picked it up immediately, knowing it'd be the ultimate post this September, a spot normally reserved for an actual Munich Oktoberfest beer. How's it drink?

Abomination Brewing Company used to have a website (which I most recently linked in this post), but it's since become defunct. Their Instagram says they're based in North Haven, CT (still) and are distributed through 12 Percent Beer Project. Although I can't find anything definitive now, I'd still bet that Abomination's devoted to crafting liquid chaos.

As the brewery doesn't have a website, we'll get our Drankenstein intel from Untappd, where the lager's listed as a "...goulishly drinkable.." 8% ABV Imperial Märzen. Sounds like a great beer to see us into Spooky Season proper!

The bouquet is all caramel, brown sugar, biscuits, straw, and (surprisingly) maple sugar. It's sweet, but befitting of an imperial lager. Aside from that sweetness, there's no indication of that 8% ABV. Háma gave it two quick whiffs.

Moving to the flavor profile, it's all cornbread, maple and brown sugar, toffee, and caramel. Typically I'm looking for freshly baked bread and biscuits here, but both are absent. But, as an Imperial Märzen, I'm not sure what I expected. It's not super hoppy, though. Even in the finish, I'm mainly finding malt sweetness.

The mouthfeel's frothy, but not crisp--I wouldn't call it quenchable. It's heavy and robust due to the malt. Please don't drink this quickly like you might some other Oktoberfest lager--at its ABV, you'd be in for a bad time.

This is like the end of an Oktoberfest festival. You've had your fill of schnitzel and bratwurst. In a way, the monster depicted on the label is you (I mean this non-derogatorily). You're still enjoying yourself, but it's time to go home.

I may not have written about them on the blog, but I've had my share of Oktoberfests this season. I say that to show that Drankenstein is the most unique one I've tried, not just this fall but ever. It's a 9.0/10--the only thing keeping it from a perfect score is its deviance from the traditional Märzen style. Regardless, this is a beer you have to try.