Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

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

Umgespundet at Akkurat. This is as close to a perfect beer as get. It has this perfect smoke aroma that dominates the beer aroma. The head is big, off white, eaven though it’s poured without carbon dioxide pressure. The taste is perfect blend with a big malty smoke taste. The body is so perfectly balanced with the small but god bitterness that makes this a beer that you could sit and drink for a whole day and still want more when you wake up the next day.

Pours a deep, dark red with an aroma of sausage, firewood, pine, salt and pepper. Tastes exactly how it smells, very meaty and spicy with a heavy emphasis on malt. Drinking this is like drinking in the memories of a campfire cookout from years past, one of the best beers I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Bottle: Pours a deep brown with an amber hue in the light and a great dense tan head that lasts throughout. The aroma of this stuff is like being out in the woods with an open fire, burning freshly chopped wood, smoked ham. It captures an open fire character with such accuracy. Amazing malt depth is evident in the smoky layers of meaty & chewy flavors. The Smokiness of this is a bit less pronounced than the Ur Bock, but it’s presence is perfect. Robust wood character smothers the malt the entire way through. Smoky beef jerky , hickory rub, and tons of beechwood smoke. Perfectly balanced and creamy. An unbelievably great beer!

This was a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant find. I was highly let down by their Weizen and it took some faith in trying this. Boy was I impressed. It has all the elements of a fine smoked beer, great aroma, fantastic flavor, a deep ruby appearance. Unfortunately however most smoked beers (even the very good ones) can be very overpowering, creating a love-hate relationship with most drinkers. This however goes where no smoked beer (that I have tried) has gone before. It provides such exceptional drinkability and balance, it’s mind boggling to to think how this is possible with so much flavor in the mix. This then isn’t just a smoked beer for the fans of the style but a beer for everyone to enjoy and appreciate. A fantastic pairing with BBQ.

Bottle. Drank from German opaque ceramic mug so didnt get much on the appearance, but the mug made the smell even more enjoyable. I decided before I even drank this one that I had to grill out while I drank it, and I can honestly say that the smell of the charcoal grill was just about the same as the smell of the beer. Amazing. Anyway, the taste itself was of course caramelly and malty like any marzen style and the smoked flavors made for a nice, mellow, rounded finish. I had read many times about the initial shock of trying a smoked beer so I wasnt too shocked when i actually did, just pleasantly surprised. Some beers are really meant to be sipped on their own, and others are just meant to be drank with food. This one is PERFECT for food and couldnt imagine NOT drinking it with a nice smoked bratwurst.

500 mL. Dark mahogany with red highlights and small but lasting head. Aroma is peppery smoke with some sweet barbecue sauce on a rib hiding underneath. Flavor is initially smoke, smoke and more smoke: but after a few sips the malt comes out from behind the cloud and the barbecue fun really begins. The herby-bitter hops show up a little later to turn the glass towards a balancing act of herbal spices, smooth and earth-rich molasses, jerky, and of course the overarching heart-of-wood smoke. Palate is surprisingly smooth and not quite medium-bodied. Give this one at least half of a (glass) chance and I think you will be pleasantly surprised, even if you don’t like rauchbier.

Like it’s brother the Urbock, this beer screams smoke from the top of its lungs. It’s incredible to smell, and while it might be a bit much for some people it head dead center for me. Truly, a rauchbier for rauchbier lovers. The bottle alone reminds you of some dark cool evening walking thru the German town of Bamberg, soaking in all the goodness that is there. The beer pours out a medium brown color, one finger thick off-white foamy head, which had some staying power. Held up to the light, you could see some garnet and a touch of brown. Aroma is smoke. Pure and simple. Campfire smoke, meat smoking over s grill, burning paper. Mouthfeel is creamy and smoooth. Flavor is more smoke, but its not overly done. Just right. Reminds me of a very well done smoked black forrest ham. Underneath it all are some sweet malts which really binds it all together and makes this beer really a treat to have. Outstanding beer.

This unusual beer is excellent for grilling, and nearly as good for drinking. It takes a few sips to become fully acquainted with this beer, but it quickly grows on you.