Article in Shortlist by: Chris Martin

The evenings are drawing in, the leaves are turning, and Harvest Bier is back on the shelves. Turns out Shortlist has noticed too.

We’re really pleased to see Harvest Bier in Shortlist’s 8 new beers perfect for autumn nights, a taste-tested round-up of the beer styles that suit the season best. Our 5.5% Märzen amber lager lands at number six, in good company alongside Tempest, Black Iris, Abbeydale, Neptune, Vault City, Elusive and Thornbridge.

Harvest Bier comes out once a year and is brewed especially for our Oktoberfest. It’s our take on the traditional festival lager: malt-forward, with toast, caramel and biscuit, low hop bitterness,and a crisp, dry finish.

Chris had this to say:

Duration | Harvest Bier | 5.5%

Lager lovers needn’t lament the passing of summer; there are still beers for you. Let me introduce you to the Märzen. Until the 1970s, it was the traditional style of beer served at Oktoberfest before the modern pale Festbier arrived.

While a Festbier has its place, it’s the Märzen with its more malt-forward profile that suits this time of year best. Harvest Bier is Duration’s annual release and it’s definitely a modern classic at this point, having won multiple awards.

It’s a lovely rusty amber colour with delicate flavours of flour-dusted bread, and hints of digestive biscuit and caramel. By no means is it sweet though; in fact, it’s very crisp with a dry finish that repeatedly draws you back for more.

“A modern classic” is a lovely thing to read about a beer that only comes round once a year. Those awards Chris mentions include Gold for Best Regional Speciality Lager and Gold for Best National Amber to Dark Lager at the SIBA Beer X Awards 2021, Gold for Best Märzen in England at the Untappd Community Awards 2024, and a bronze at the Untappd Community Awards 2025.

You can read the full Shortlist piece HERE.

Harvest Bier is a seasonal, so it won’t stick around for long. Grab a single can for £5.50 HERE, a 6pk HERE, or come and have one on tap at the brewery taproom in West Acre.

Prost!

Featured image credit: Future