Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

Draught at Biermuseum, Cologne, 400ml, Filtered. Dark brown with tan head. These Rauchbiers are challenging, this was smoked sausage and damp bonfire in one mouthfull. When you start drinking beer who would predict you will find flavours like this. The smokiness is persistent throughout, an extremely interesting beer if a little out of my league. It was the saving grace for this pub certainly.

Very good and interesting. The smoked flavour stays in your mouth for hours.

Eating prosciutto while walking in a damp, smoked filled tunnel...Wooden torchlight in hand, you finally reach the end of the corridor and find a creamy apple pie waiting for you...Quite an illuminating, heavy fog...

The tap version at the Schlenkerla Ausschank in Bamberg is even a little smokier if you can imagine that, but also very drinkable. The lingering, coating smoke is beautifully blended with quaffability, and the finishing drying effect just makes you want to have more. As good as the bottle, though more quenching.

Bottle (...also often sampled at the Dominikanerstrasse): Dark amber coloured with reddish sparks, small, lacing off-white head; strong roast-malty nose, also charcoal and wood in the aroma; sweet-bitter (like from ashes...) flavour, quite full bodied, oily texture; long smoky, malty finish with a moderate delicate bitterness. A class of its own ! Hard to drink for beginners, but the next one is always better...............

Pours very dark with an immediately noticeable smokey aroma. I enjoyed this beer as it is meant to be enjoyed: with some nice smoked ham in a stoneware lager glass. Very well suited to drinking with anything smoked or spicey. Definitely the very best of the smoke beers.

Bottled: A rerate of this beer is long overdue. When I tried this the first time, my palate wasn't really ready for a beer like this. Has a dark ruby colour with a medium sized beige head. Aroma is full of smokenotes and roastyness. Quite pleasant. Flavour reminds me of a 10year old Laphroigh (which I tried with the beer - nice pairing). Earthy, smoky, roasty on a nice maltbase. Is maybe a little thin bodied. All in all a good one
Original rating (1,7): This isn't my kind of beer. Had to try it, but the smoky flavour and aftertaste was to much. I kind of liked the aroma and the appearance, but as soon as i tasted it ......! It will take some time before I taste a smoked beer again.

Off-white disappearing head with some lace. Copper colour with faint ruby tint. Huge beech smokiness with malty undertones. Soft carbonation. Flavour is also smoky but less so, with malt, woodiness, and faint fruit before heading into a crisp finish. As the beer warms, the smoke fades leaving even more fruit and wood flavour in the glass with some nuttiness becoming apparent as well. Some spicy hops seem to come out as well. Very tasty.

Score is for overall impression over many bottles and out of the oakwood keg at the Brauhaus in Bamberg, where it was likely the best smoked beer I’ve ever had. Notes below are old and need revision.

The nose is almost entirely smoked salmon and smoked cheddar, very forthright and direct with the creamy, almost milky smoke scent. Smooth liquid and creamy texture, lightly biting with the smoked grains and salmon flavors, finishing with a touch of sweetness and a wallop of liquid smoke.