Coney Island Freaktoberfest

The shock value of pouring this beer out of the bottle is possibly the best part. It pours a deep, pomegranite juice RED with a (small, poor retention) pink head. Halloween! Freaks! Blood! I get it!
Unfortunately it doesn't get much better from here on out. There's a mild smell of citrus, hops and caramel malts that makes the mild taste of citrus, hops and caramel malts no surprise (where's the plot twist, Shmaltz? where's the magic?). I drank it fairly cold and noticed the bitter aftertaste most strongly. The flavor is unobtrusive despite the bitterness and after a half a glass I found it much more drinkable (once the back of my tongue had recovered from the introduction). As it warms the sweeter notes (grapefruit, apple?) and the hops come shyly to the fore, which upped the appeal for me somewhat. I can see it being a hit at a Halloween party if only for the color and the label. This is not like on Oktoberfest at all, despite the name, and I suspect those expecting one would be disappointed. I wouldn't get it again but that's not to say it's awful (though I have my suspicions as to its mediocrity). I think it is simply not my style. 2.5/5