Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

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

500mL Bottle. Wow. That is some dense smoke in the nose. That goes beyond the light pig fats and campfires to complete smoky delight arising from porcinis, lake trout belly fat, burning pine sap, and charred aspen logs. Develops into a real spicy, floral smoke character that can be as perfumed as many musky incenses and resins. A complete delight. Pours in a clear deep red-tinted brown, with a good rim of off-white. Flavor retains this smoke density, balanced it exquisitely with rich sugars and alcohol. The malt nestles a smoke of burning walnut shells, juniper bush, and weed fires with caramels, smoked meats and candied dark fruits. Delicious! Yet dry and palatable. A crisp cut of hops and hickory sweat give balance with a back end kick of bitterness. Alcohols helps bring all these flavors up and alive. In the end, the smoke wasn’t as expressive or deep as I wanted it to be, but it’s all rich, delicious and balanced. A fantastic smoked beer.

I think I’ll stay away from this style. Very dark red/black with a small head and very little lacing. Smells like burning charcoal. Tastes like the ashes at the bottom of my barbecue pit with the remnants of burned charcoal and juices of pork and beef that dripped down and are now starting to become rancid. Traces of oak, as well. I’m sure there are many that will consider me to be a cretin, but this ain’t my style. Don’t like beer that tastes like charcoal ashes. Sorry.

Pours a reddish brown with a small beige head. Aroma of smoke, bacon and sausage. Flavor is smoked bacon, ash, hickory, mesquite. Very meaty, and quite interesting.

Bottle. Pours deep mahogany with beige head. The aroma is distinctly smoky with campfire and bacon, and just a touch of malty sweetness behind it. The flavor has a rich, meaty flavor from all that smoke and some lightly burnt wood tones. There’s also some very subtle grassy hops and graininess in there.

bottle, wood smoke nose, flavor is like bacon fat and pork ribs then beef brisket to finish, very smooth though and another excellent beer

I always marvel at how these Bamberg biers smell and taste like smoked bacon. This one pours a clear chestnut body with a small beige head. Aroma of bbq pork rinds. Palate is exceptional, as the smoked malt combines with the carbonation for an exquisite and feel. A nice malty bock hides underneath the smoke flavors, adding some notes of dark fruits, molasses, and spicy hops. Lovely!

Dark ryby brown, small beige head. Strongly smoky nose, sausages, bacon. Smoke isn’t so overwhelming in the flavor, but certainly there among tar, roasted malts, liquorice and nice bittering hops. Full bodied and smooth mouthfeel. Unfortunately the smoke gets somewhat tamed if aged, so this one is perfect when it’s fresh. Can’t even imagine what it’s like in Bamberg!
edit: Had to raise this up a notch, definitely one of my favourite beers year around. Where do you find such balance?

1pt. 09 fl oz. bottle pour. Pours a wonderful ruby-red color with streaks of orange shining through. Light brown bubbly head that dissipates after a couple drinks. Smells very smoky, just like something is cooking over a fire. Smoky malt up front and bitterness in the back. It tastes like smoke the whole way through. Whoo What a dry finish. My tongue is like sandpaper after one drink. This is quite an intriguing beer, but Im not sure if I’m a fan. I guess if you want your beer to taste like smoke then a rauchbier is for you, but its definitely not for me.