Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Brewed by Brauerei Heller
Style: Smoked
Bamberg, Bayern, Germany

Amazing smoky, slow-roasted meat aroma (pulled pork, smoked sausage). Mild, dark lager malt, but totally overshadowed. Appetizing, incredible aroma. Char-grilled fireplace. Glassy red-brown. Thick, bu tlight does pass through. Head disappears fast. Not bud but not amazing. Initially, it’s a dark lager on the front of the tongue, but the smoky flavor sits on the tongue long into the aftertaste. That aftertaste is intense and improves with warmth. Feels smooth and milky; appropriate for style. More of a smoky black lager than a true Märzen to my taste. Tastes good, smells amazing.

Pours deep ruby brown with a two finger dense head. Big smoky aroma with a lovely depth. Earthy and warm, with briny smokiness that just is a perfect autumn accompaniment.

Bottle. Poured brown in color with a reddish hue. Huge fluffy tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is very meaty, bacon, with some campfire smoke. Tastes is of pretty vibrant with smoke, bacon, wood. No other brewery for me has taken the rauchbier to quite this level. This is possibly my new favorite style. Very drinkable and fantastic.

Appearance was very dark maroon with a thin white head and great lacing. Smell was modern ashtray and oak. Taste was subtle smoke, much more subtle than the bottled version (which is difficult to finish). Much more drinkable than the bottled version, this one is fairly complex and definitely unique. If you’re going to try a rauchbier, it has to be one from Bamberg.

Who could ever imagine a beer that smells like a bon fire and raw bacon, yet tastes smooth like a well smoked pork chop? The aroma is strong but the beer is very easy to drink. If I couldn’t smell it, I would place it as a rich, malty schwartz. Interesting beer to say the least.

like those little christmas hormel sausage gift packs, body is there, but the smell is so overpowering that it is hard to determine any flavor outside of the smokiness. As compared to the other Aecht smoked rauchbier I’ve had (that being a dunkel), this is lighter and less heavy. Bottle from Total Wine and More, Naples, florida.

Pours a dark rubyish brown with small tan head. Big smoky aroma, almost baconish. Taste is even smokier. Not a session beer but pretty nice.

Bottle. Pours a deep ruby-brown color with an inch and a half thick, rock off-white head that receded to a thin layer and left some spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet brown sugar, honey ham, charred wood, peat, and some earthy leather. Smooth, lightly sweet entry with some hints of honey ham leads into a smoky charred wood flavor with some hints of sweet brown sugar and undertones of leather that linger into a moderately dry, smoky finish. Light carbonation and smooth, slick mouth feel. Overall, a rather simple, yet enjoyable smoked beer that gives you everything it advertises. Good stuff.