Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

Bottle from Allen. Dark brown with a big smokey aroma. Smoke leather and a vaguely beef jerky taste.

The pour yields a translucent chestnut brown body with a moderate, frothy, beige colored head. The well retained foam leaves soapy flares and spots behind. Aromas include smoked caramel malt, dry cocoa, earthy hazelnuts and hints of charred oak. There is a good amount of cola-like molasses sweetness in there as well. Flavors are earthy smoky, with scorched caramel, charred oak, and hints of worn leather all coming through. Some vanilla seeps in from the oak, which works well with that sweet and smoky molasses. There’s excellent balance going on here, and the medium bodied, well carbonated palate just enhances things. This is a great smoked brew, very reminiscent of the Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier.

Bottled. My first Rauchbier and its been very nice indeed. This beer leaves no doubt as to whether its been smoked or not. Dark amber colour with slight reddish hue. Strong white head that was almost lacy. Big smoked aroma. Big smoked flavours which were shy to begin with but that came on and swam around in your mouth quite some time. I’m sure those Rouchbier devotees could tell what it was smoked with, but here continues the path to wisdom and liver destruction.

(500 ml bottle). Well, any idiot can recognize that this beer has MORE aroma than (nearly) any other beer, and MORE flavour than a lot of beers. But to make a 100% honest rating, I have to ask myself: Do I actually LIKE the overpowering smell of smoked meat? Sadly, the answer is NO. I'm a beer drinker, not a goddamn sausage maker! The flavour is not quite as overpowering smoky as the aroma - at least you get a notion that you're drinking a beer and not just liquid smoked meat. Still, it tastes like something that has just been saved out of the burnt-out ruins of a brewery. Like any Marzen, it is quite light bodied (when you try to ignore the smokiness, of course). I probably have to admit that Rauchbiers are not my cup of tea - sorry, beer - but would still like to sample the Urbock as I imagine that a heavier beer would carry the smokiness better than a Marzen. Did I mention that this beer at least LOOKS good? - good head, beautiful dark copper colour.

500ml bottle. pours dark with white head. nose is very smoked meats. flavor is very charred wood with smoke in the background, other notes are meats. flavor isn’t as full as the urbock but still real nice and smoked meaty. a sort of rusty finish. very easy drinking smoked but i find most of them to be.

Pour is deep amber with a nice long lasting tan head...smell is strongly smokey with bacon, BBQ, and something sweet...taste is sweet with smoke overpowering any of the malt flavor that should be there...

nice bacon aroma, reddish brown color, but very little flavor. This Marzen doesn’t compare well w/ their Urbock. I wasn’t too impressed.

Dark brown and a big lacing dark head. Lots of smoke in aroma. Taste with salt and a hint of sour feets. Try it!