Appalachian Schimmelfenning Smoked Ale

Cask pint
Consumed at Appalachian Gettysburg, July 2007
Color of dark black plum and deep burgundy-brown wood, with a creamy grey colored head, foamy and sitting about 1/2 inch atop the body. Nose is a good mixture of cream, smoke and meaty scents, with the smoke levels about average for the style, the cream quite light, and the meaty notes also quite light, but unmistakable. The cream and smoke essentially makes this beer smell like smoked gouda. Has a rich tobacco flavor along with a huge, rich dose of smoked cedar wood. Finishes resiny, with a tobacco and meaty smoke flavor. Really enjoyed this on cask.

Draft at the Gettysburg location, July 2006. A deep red beer with an orange head. The aroma is sweet and very malty, and only with hints of smoke. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of wood and hints of smoke, leading to a dry end. More smoke please.

On tap at Gettysburg location, July 2006. Having praised some of the Appalachian beers for their subtlety, I felt that this one fell down because it was too subtle. I think that if you are going to make a smoked beer you need to go for it in a big way and get that smoky bacon, Schelekerla type deal. Less extreme attempts can exhibit a somewhat ashy, even ashtray, feel, which I thought this one did. Lots of caramel in the flavour. Very dark brown colour. Good to see brewers trying this style but I felt it needed a lot more rauch. Just not ballsy enough.

On tap at Gettysburg. Shows off a dark brown color, almost black. Has an attractive thick, dense head which remains as a thin coating throughout the glass. No lacing. Upfront aromas of smoked sausage or bacon with some dark roasted malts and eartiness as support. Mouthfeel was passable being a tad thin and somewhat watery. CO2 level was nicely subdued. Flavors are a decent balance of some sweetness from the dark roasted malts and the somewhat restrained smokiness, which is not as agressive as it is in the aroma. A decent shot at the style and nice to get to try something a bit different at a BP. However, a slightly heftier mouthfeel and smokey flavor may help improve things.

A pretty decent smoked, certainly has a very smoked/roasted flavor to it. Very dark, looks like a stout, not much aroma, the smoked flavor is blended with a bit of a coffeeish taste, Got this in G-burg ABC, don’t know if they have it at the H-burg ABC.

On tap, Gettysburg location. Pours a dark brown, clear, with a small creamy off-white head that settled to a thin film. Aroma is a mix of smoked malt and tobacco, very much like Copenhagen chewing tobacco. Maybe a slight hint of bacon. Flavor is fairly light on the smoke, almost like an artificial liquid smoke flavor versus actual smoked malt. Finish is earthy with a light bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Texture is watery. Overall, pretty tame for a Smoked, lacking in that hearty meaty smoke flavor that I prefer. Throw in some more malt and add to the body and you might have something.