Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

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.

There are few pleasures in this world like Schlenkerla Marzen from the wood. Oh sure, I’ll take the bottles, but let’s not kid ourselves, those are only a 4.7 or 4.8. When you go to the ausschank in the Bamberg Altstadt, it’s different. The glass lands in front of you. The appearance of the beer is a unique reddish-brown, nice and dark with a thick but not overstated head. The aroma is pure smoke goodness, nothing more nothing less. The palate shows incredible balance. Yes, the smoke is huge, but so are the chewy, earthy malts. The wood finishes the beer, lending it impeccable balance and drinkability. There’s no need for writing expansively about the nuances and the subtleties...this is simply the perfect beverage. Perfect looks, great aroma, great flavour, perfect balance...finishes brilliantly. The most perfect beer on the planet, on gravity from the wood like real beer should be.

2009-10-09, draugth at Ølbaren, Copenhagen, 9-5-7-4-16=41
Beautiful mahogany color, generous creamy head. All around the glass it spreads its wonderful aroma, smoky, deep, with just a bit reminding smoked sausages. Caramel flavor, less sweet than I would prefer, with medium body strength, and of course the smoked malt. The final has a quite low bitterness, some comes from caramelized sugars. Very well brewed; personally I prefer the Urbock.

2007-04-02, draught at Bishop’s Arms, Malmö, 8-5-8-4-16=41
Beautiful dark amber color; generous creamy head. Very nice smokey aroma, harmonious, sweet. The flavor has more roasted malt (and therefore bitterness), than the bottled version, which also hides the smokey character more; some nice hop as well. But it’s a great beer as usual.

2002-11-14, bottle, 8-5-8-4-16=41
Misty dark brown color, with a big persistent head. Very nice smoked aroma, hidding some malt. Very much equilibrate taste, smoked of course, with some malt and the right balance of bitterness; quite dry.
I’m just figuring out which food to eat with, the next times…

Clear deep amber with tiny off white head. Smoked aroma with roasted malt and caramel notes. Flavour has peated malt, roasted malt and bacon notes.

Beautiful pour into a Pilsner glass, leaving you with a clear copper body with a healthy off-white head. The aroma is unquestionably smoke -- think back bacon, or maybe heavily smoked gouda. And the flavor? Smokey, but not much else. I want to embrace this beer, but instead I merely chalk it up to experience, thinking it’s a decent beer, but nothing special. Maybe its big brother, the urBock, will leave me with greater appreciation of this brewer.

Barrel Draught at the GBBF, Kensington Olympia 06/08/2003 Mid brown coloured with an extremely smoked aroma and flavour. Lasting bacon finish.

Bottle
Very dark brown with the shades of red. Aroma is inviting smokey. Creamy good head. Smokey taste in the very beginning moving from watery middle to slightly bitter and hoppy end. Smoked fish. Excellent beer with cheese.

Bottle at Ship & Mitre, Liverpool. I was looking through my ratings last night and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t added this. I think because I knew I had a bottle at home which I would rate. But then I had the one at home and thought, "Oh I don’t need to rate this, as I had it in Liverpool." Fortunately I still have my notes from the Ship & Mitre. Smokey bacon aroma, dark brown beer with beige head. This is good, I mean good. Like a dunkel in mouth with more smokey bacon on end. Stunning. And my first ever Rauch