Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

Wow....5 for appearance. Deep orange/ruby color with a medium ecru head. Huge aroma of malt, smoke, sausage, poontang, and scotch...like the aroma of a German maiden who stuffed a weinerschnitzel up her peckergrabber. Tastes malty, with a wonderfully delciious taste of weiners, campfire smoke, burnt hot dogs, and smoked salmon...the taste is more sausagy than salmony, but it almost defies description. It is simply delectable, and perhaps the most unique taste I have ever tasted. Palate is medium, and the finish is smooth, smoky, and crisp. I bought two of these...one for me and one for a trade, but I’ll be going back for more. The best rauchbier I have ever had...bar none. To appreciate this, you must have some palate experience with a variety of beers...otherwise, you may find it harsh or "odd". As for me, I’ve got a kielbasa in my hand and I’m going to Germany with it to find a fair maiden.........

pours amber with a decent sized pocked head. smokey almost hickoryaroma. overwhelming smoke flavor like a grilled piece of meat. there is a bit of sweetness underneath this that tastes of brown sugar. very nice

Pours medium-to-dark brown wtih about 3/4-finger head. Only two apparent smells are dark roasted malt and smoked pork. You may think you don’t want your beer smelling like meat but this one’s kosher, believe me. Thin and watery on the tongue, moderate carbonation - the smoke flavor picks up immediately before you’ve even had a chance to swallow. Tastes almost entirely of smoky, roasted malt - almost no hop presence whatsoever (nor any trace of meat flavoring, thank Whomever). Altogether extremely smoky, but not in a "burnt" sort of way. I could probably drink a number of these in one sitting. Maybe not quite a session beer, but something that I can imagine myself jonesing for in the future.

For some reason I was expecting this to pour very dark but was surprised to see it pour a deep golden with a thick, creamy head. Pork butts in the smoker - boy oh boy this smells fantastic! Salted meats, charred woods, pipe tobaccos, the list goes on. I could smell this all day. Medium body slows the pace slightly - noting bready malts, spicy bacon and fresh woods. Although I really enjoy the finesse involved with the malt bill - I could use a little more ’meat’ - sorry for the pun - in the body. Overall, a fantastic example of the style and one definitely to be enjoyed with a heavy meat dish.

How come I’ve not rated this? I’ve tried this loads of times. An Olaf Schellenberg beer, but had it since then. What can I say that hasn’t already been said....nothing! Must rank as one of the most distinctive beers there is, rich and well....smoky!

[rating for cask GBBF 06] Deep drown with a moderate, lasting head. Aroma is powerfully smokey, wood notes also. Full bodied, quenching and dry with a long smokey finish.

The Bacon Bomb! I loved every minute of it. Pours a clear brown with amber highlights and sustainable tan head. Smoke aroma is terrific. Flavors of wood and peat come out as it warms. Slightly astingent in the finish. As one co-worker puts it: ’beef jerky in a bottle!" I love this beer.

The bubbly white head is gone a little quickly, but there’s no replacement for that beautiful mahogany color, ruby shimmering under the sepia. The nose is smoke deluxe, like a meat spread from salty bacon to spicy sausage. The flavor is smoky meat as well, but it’s more nuanced with roast malt accents and touches of long-lasting wood. Palate is very delicate and cloudy, a near match for the other components. Wonderful stuff. Now I’ll have to go back and try the Urbock again.