(Boston, MA) – Another warning about a bad batch of beer, this time from Berkshire Brewing:

Here’s the press release:

“We at Berkshire Brewing Company regrettably inform you, our loyal customers, of an issue that has arisen with our 2010 Oktoberfest lager. A batch that was adversely affected with diacetyl evaded our normally diligent quality control measures and was packaged and released throughout our distribution network. For those unfamiliar with the term, diacetyl is a by-product of fermentation that produces a pronounced butterscotch or buttery flavor and aroma in the beer. While trace diacetyl is acceptable in some styles, it should not be present at its current level in the Oktoberfest/Märzen style.

As a result, we are recalling all bottles bearing the Best By date of 2/22/11, 2/23/11, and 3/1/11 and less than 20 1/6 bbl kegs. This was an issue with one batch only, and Berkshire Brewing Company will replace all product with Oktoberfest from batches that are unaffected. We are fortunate to have plenty of this beer in the pipeline that meets our usual high standards, and look forward to getting it to you.

PLEASE NOTE: This is an off flavor that is undesirable, however, there is no inherent health risk to consuming this beer. It simply does not have the taste and aroma profile that it should.

To all of our fans and supporters, we issue our most sincere apologies for this situation. To those who were unfortunate enough to come upon a bad bottle or glass, we regret that you experienced a beer that does not reflect the passion and standard of excellence that we strive for. Berkshire Brewing Company remains dedicated to providing you with fresh, consistently high quality craft beer. We hope that you will take the opportunity to enjoy some of this year’s Oktoberfest from the unaffected batches, we feel it exhibits the qualities that make this one of our most popular seasonals, year after year.

In closing, we would like to thank all of you for the support you have provided over what will be 16 years on October 1st. We couldn’t have done it without you. As we like to say, it’s all about the beer, but the beer is nothing without the people.

Cheers,
Your Friends at Berkshire Brewing”