Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

Dark copper approaching cola color. Moderate, tight-bubbled off-white head. Huge nose of smoked bacon, tobacco, leather, earth. Notes of sweetness, reminiscent of baked brown sugar, behind the smoke. The flavor is full of smoke and bitter tobacco but with a delicate sugary sweetness, too. Moderate carbonation, clean, but with the lingering aftertaste of smoke and bitter hops. Dry in the end. I was quite impressed at the start with the rich complexity of aromas and flavors, but a little of this beer went a long way for me. Once I passed 12 ounces, I was thinking enough already. Still, the first 12 ounces were outstanding.

From a 1 pt. 9 oz. euro brown bottle with no freshness date. Poured a rudy hued dark brown with a foamy off-white/beige head that settled into a thin lacing, small amount of sticking. Aromas of a quality smoked ham, the kind of smell that makes you drool, an vanilla oak woodiness and a sweet caramelized maltiness in the background. The right amount of moderate carbonation and a crisp, chewy and smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. Delicious smokey tasty, a nice meatiness, a caramelized sugary maltiness, a vanilla oak woodiness, the hops provide a soft bitterness in the middle, and a smokey malt with touches of caramel finish, smooth, good drinkability. This is my second rauchbier from this brewery and I have to say, so far, I’m pretty impressed.

I tried to base my rating on the quality of the beer when regarded as a smoke beer. But this really isn’t my thing. It was my first and might be my last. Aroma is like a burning log in a fireplace with malt. It pours a rather viscous blackish liquor. Taste is intense smoke flavour with malt. This really isn’t my bag but as a "smoked" beer this pretty much fills the bill.

Pours red-brown with nice head, which disappears quickly. Marked smell of campfire. Smokey flavor, meaty, malty. I like it.

Now, if you can’t stand smoked beer, you will probably have no fun drinking this. You’ll have to try, I guess. Very smokey aroma, but also some Schwarzbier-like roasted malt and sweetness. The taste is smokey too, but some sour hints and a very nice tickling on the tongue are noticeable as well. Lingering medium bitter finish, somewhat reminiscent of coffee, only better. Gooood.

Bottle. Poured a dark coppery brown with a fluffy tan head and lotsa lacing. Nose is smoky and malty and has a distinctive smell of smoked bacon. This is the first rauchbier I have tried so I wasn’t too sure what to expect and while I was surprised by the aroma it was a pleasant surprise. Flavour is still smoky but not so meaty, malt blends harmoniously with notes of caramel, tobacco and spice. The smokiness is just about perfect, present but not overpowering. A really good beer, I have just been converted.

Bottle pours a very dark brown with hardly any light visible through it. Has a near 2 inch tan head that builds over the top of the glass. Carnbonation bubbles form at the bottom of the glass for a good constant aroma, also slight lacing. Aroma is like opening a barbecue smoker with a big ham or pork roast in it. Taste is bitter and smoky with coffe and chocolate aftertaste but finishes clean. Initially the smoky taste is strong, but the taste buds seem to get used to it quickly. Good authentic brew.