Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

A huge smoke arom just like smoked oysters. If there is more on the nose it is covered to me by the smoke. A dark brown pour with hints of deep red as well. Smokey taste, a hint of sweetness, and a very light bitter. Smooth palate with food carbonation. A very good beer. Solid all round. Very smokey as it should be.

Looks like a light porter. The aroma really does not fortell what is coming. Intensely smoking. Malty and light. Can almost taste barbequed bacon.

500 ml bottle. Pours a nice dark brown, with an off white head that slowly fades. Aroma is very strong with smoke and roasted malts. Flavor is very smoke forward, there is a character of smoked kielbasa, bacon, coffee and some earthy notes. Hops are well integrated and barely noticeable. Mouthfeel is silky but thin. Finish is long with more smoke flavor. Overall I really like this beer, it has big bold flavors.

Name: Marzen
Date: 07/01/1996
Mode: Bottle
Source: BrickSkeller, DC

very dark amber, scant head, strong smokey aroma, very strong smoke flavor on top of a slight malt flavor, smoke stays long after the beer is gone
-------- /> Name: Marzen
Date: 03/11/2000
Mode: draft

tap, mac cumming, very subdued compared to the bottle

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Score: ***4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Pours a dark amber color, with a small white head. Big smoked aroma, woody, meaty. Smooth body, starts out a touch sweet, expected smokiness. More of a smoked meat taste than is detected in the nose. Easy drinking, if you’re into the style.

I had this poured into a glass from a cold bottle. I think the review would be slightly different if I waited a while for the beer to warm up and open up a littlle bit. My first smokebeer or rauchbier to taste or review. The beer pours a very dark almost opaque brown or dark amber. There was almost no head (possibly because the bottle it came in was cold?) It has a very smoky and woody smell and similar dark smoky taste that stays in your mouth for a while after taking a sip. It is not overwhelming though and even though it is smoky it is still somewhat lighter than I would have expected. A lighter body than I would have though and little bits of carbonation as well. If you like smoky flavors this is a good beer. It’s not too heavy and the smoke flavors aren’t too overwhelming.

Poured a dark copper amber with a medium creamy beige head, leaves a slight lace. The aroma is rich and smokey, slight meaty notes, thick aroma. Very genuine and intense smoke taste and aroma. Not as good as the urbock, but still great.

As we head into the summer months, the yearning for BBQ is building. Well if you are like me and live an apartment in which you have no place to BBQ, fret not apartment dwellers for the beer gods bring you Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen (It sure it is mouthful and almost ridiculous to pronounce)! For those you that have never heard of or tasted a smoke beer, it is an experience. Smoked beers get their name because they expose the malt to the intense, aromatic smoke of burning beech-wood logs. It actually tastes like smoked meats – seriously, it is like bottled BBQ. The beer’s aroma was like standing next to a BBQ smoker. The finish was refreshing and quite pleasant though. It is actually difficult to describe anything else but the strong flavor of BBQ. This is not a beer which I recommend anyone to buy a whole case of – matter of fact it is one of the few beers I would tell someone to have just once in a while. That being said, it is something which I won’t forgot and I’ll be sure to pick up some next time the BBQ blues hit me.