Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

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

Cold 16.9oz bottle: Pours a clear dark orange color with a minimal off-white creamy head. Aroma is of smoked hickory, wood and earthy hops. Taste is of smoked malts, earthy hops and some dark fruits. Full bodied and robust, with ample carbonation. Ending is of barbeque pork. Wow.

When paired up against its cousin - the Marzen, I have it rated lower. It isn’t as assertive or as pretty. Where the Marzen takes stylistic control all the way to the edge of reason and back, the Urbock seems to be a bit boring. Where the Weizen is just plain stupid, I enjoy the daring approach taken by the Marzen, a fireball in your mouth that never seems to loose its balance, the Urbock didn’t impart such feelings from me. Nonetheless when judged alone, it is a fine smoked beer,

All right, the ratings don’t lie. This one is the best of the three I’ve had of these smoked deals by aecht. I’m getting hints of chocolate and real chocolate not faint flavors like you get in a coffee or impy stout. Not sure this is making any sense to you guys but I am a little drunk at this point. Thanks for coming.

Pours a deep dark brown, porter-like, with a whitish, slightly brown head (think old newspapers). Aroma is smoked pork, hickory. Delicious nose, especially given how rare it is to have a beer of the style. Taste does not disappoint. Hickory smoked ham hocks up front, then fired oak and barbeque, sweetened with dark grapes and raisins. Slighlty oily palate. Aftertaste is also smoked ham, bitter burnt sandalwood. Proportional head stays throughout, truly fantastic, and by far the best smoked I’ve had. Purchased at Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits in Washington, DC.

What smells like smoked haddock and bacon but drinks likey lox and cream cheese? - A surprisingly pleasant beer. Being the only smoked beer I’ve ever had or seen, it was certainly a unique experience. And yet, as weird as it was, there is something far beyond novelty in this brew. If you get a chance to try it, don’t hesitate, this beer is an experience. I can imagine many practical uses too for food pairing. However, I can’t bring myself to rate it higher than a 14 overall, as I doubt I could finish a whole pint by myself.

Sampled March 2007
I am definitely looking forward to this brew, unfortunately this beer was not available while I was actually in Bamberg. This beer pours with a brilliantly clear body, but you can hardly tell that as it is so dark. When held up directly to a bright light it shows beautiful dark ruby hues, but otherwise sits in the glass a very dark, deeply burnt amber color. It is topped by a frothy, initially two-finger thick, dirty tan, to pale brownish head. As I pour this brew it is immediately quite apparent that this is a smoked brew. Beech smoke, yet with out the sharp acrid notes of actual smoke, is the dominant characteristic of this beers nose. Really reminds me of the smell my jacket takes on after a cold evening spent round a campfire.

Thick and chewy & I mean chewy; it coats the mouth quite well and the flavors really linger on the palate. This beer is actually chewy enough that I perceive it as being much warm than the actual 50ºF (10ºC) serving temperature would suggest. Of course the smoke flavors are dominant, but there is some much malt packed into this brew that it is quite noticeable as well. Sweet notes of caramelized grain, toffee, lightly charred bread crust (though not the astringent burnt character but the smoke character one get in that char) and other malt flavors play a significant, yet clearly supporting role here. This at times makes me think that I am eating a nice, hearty, chewy, crusty bread that has been cooked over a smoky fire. While fairly thick, it still goes down so smooth, with a perfectly creamy mouthfeel to it.

The alcohol is only at 6.5%, yet this beer drinks much bigger than that; it has really captured what in my mind is a chewy Bock like character. I have been semi-regularly brewing a Rauch Märzen because of sampling this and Spezial’s beer fresh at the source. I have been toying with brewing a Bock version for the last couple years and this has sealed the deal; I definitely need to brew a couple kegs of this up. This is just so damn tasty and wonderful.

Bottle. Low and quickly disappearing head. ,, Clear red brown body. Aroma dominated by smoke but a bit of coffe and some caramel is also noticeable. Flavor again of course of smoke but a rather mild one plus coffee caramel smooth and round.

On tap at Map Room in Chicago. Not into rauchbier (smoked beer) but decided to give it a try. Much more complex in aroma and flavor than other rauchbiers I’ve tried. Smelled and tasted like smoked bacon, with a clean aftertaste and decent body to back it up. After a few sips your taste buds get numb to the intense flavor and it’s easier to drink after that. Definitely not a session beer, but interesting enough that I’m glad I tried it while it was available on tap. I imagine for people into smoked beers-- this one is an intense treat.