Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

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.

BACON IN A BOTTLE! at first there’s just an overpowering smoke taste. after the first sip though, the beer comes through. bitterness and sweetness (malt & hops) flavor are blended with the smokiness. nice change. great w/ bbq, meats, dogs,etc. i must admit, i don’t think i could drink 2 in a row- just too much smoke. even towards the end of the bottle, it felt like enough. i’ll grade this brew based on the 1st half of the glass, the second half the flavor changes from 7 to 6, and mouthfeel goes down a little (getused to the smoke)."

Bizzare. I’ve never tasted a beer like this before. Tasted of smoked meats (probably to be expected but my pallate was still surprised). I liked it.

Bottle. Moderate malt aromas of toasted dark bread, light hops of herbs and smoked gouda for the yeast with smoke and charcoal in the background. Small fizzy head that’s off white, mostly diminishing with good lacing. Color is a clear dark brown. Flavor starts lightly sweet and acidic and finishes lightly bitter. Plalate is light to medium, between dry and watery with lively carbonation (very fine bubbles) and a dry finish. Good beer, high points for the unique aroma.

Beautiful appearance - deep ruby-black body with a lovely little creamy off-white head and some lace. Aroma of - I kid you not - smoked salmon. Definitely not just smoked or wood notes, but a sweet meat-like aroma with the smokiness. Some molasses in the nose as well. Watery dark-malt taste followed by a rich smoke & ash aftertaste with that sweetness that makes me think of salmon or sweet meat. Thin ferric hops - metallic and not pleasant. This tastes like something one could easily become sick from. Very smooth and creamy body with decent carbonation. An interesting novelty-beer, but compared with the smoked beers I’ve thus far enjoyed, I can’t say I care for this all that much.

Bottle. Nose is sweet smokey wood. Dark deep red with a thin white head. Smooth with very balanced subtle smoke notes. Thin bodied. Not much complexity but mostly enjoyable.

Smoke flavour is much more present on the nose than in the mouth. Sweet, malty and smoky, this is extremely chewable.