Terrapin Side Project Roggenrauchbier

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Smoked
Athens, Georgia USA

Bomber. Pours brown with almost no head. I take a whiff, ready for a delightful smoked meat on rye sandwich, and boy was I let down. Easily detected corny lager sweetness is immediately noticed along with hints at bread and apples. The flavor is better. It’s slightly bacony, kind of. The finish is ashy and an even sweetness is noted throughout. This is fair. Needs more body. Making a single, special release of a $7.50 a bomber beer make me anticipate something more than just a doable session brew. I would’ve liked to have tasted and smelled more rye and certainly more smoke.

Bottle. Transparent brown pour with gold highlights. Almost no head. A bit of thin, cigarette smoke in the aroma, with minor corn and spices. The flavor has some smoke and maybe some rye but is dominated by an extremely metallic palate that blocks the whole front half of the tongue from tasting anything. It might have been pretty good if it weren’t for that but its tough to tell as its tough to taste anything.

Name: SP 02 Roggenrauchbier
Date: June 07, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewery
Appearance: clear dark amber, wispy beige head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: big smokey aroma with lots of earthyness on a dry dark caramel base
Flavor: dark caramel and chocolate flavor with lots of balancing smoke, earth smoke and rye conspire to keep it dry, touch of caramel sweetness sneaks out at the end to balance the books

Name: SP 02 Roggenrauchbier
Date: June 26, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: Green’s
Aroma: lots of smoke in the aroma but the dark caramel malt is coming through stronger with a touch of bready sweetness
Flavor: flavor is all about the earth and smoke with just enough caramel for balance, touch of nut brown character
Overall: bottle is still very smokey contrary to popular belief

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Reddish-copper color with thin white head. Rye aroma was musky wet grains, licorice, and dryer lint. Odd sharp rye taste with some sweeter malts. I usually like rye beers but this one was an exception. Too sharp on the rye and no defined smoke component.

22oz bottle. Reddish amber colr. bright white head. Aroma of smoke followed by spicy rye. flavor is smooth, with some spicy rye flavors, all followed by a flavorful smoke. tasty and easy to drink, very enjoyable.

22 oz bomber thanks to TBC shared at BCTC 2008. Pours a very good looking clear deep mahogany with a generous portion of big foamy off white head. Aroma is a blend of grass, smoke and a third component I can only describe as plastic. Luckily the plastic aroma does not come through in the flavor but what reamins is light smoke, grass and sweet malts. Didn’t really pick up on the rye in this one unless of course it was the grass aroma/flavor I was detecting.

Not too bad. Deep red-copper color, modest tan head. Aroma featured a light campfire smoked meat note, with a little caramel in the background. The flavor was mainly a seemingly salty smoked sausage type smokiness with a background that tended a touch too sweet. On the low end carbonation-wise, the beer was a little harsh in the finish with a touch of astringency.

Deep orange brown, light tan creamy head. Soft smoked citrus aromas lay on faint cherry bread and caramel notes. Hints of smoke flavor balance on soft caramel and cherry flavors throughout. Smoke is weak and fades rather quick Medium bodied, soft carbonation, light smoked finish. Needs some real smoke backing to call it smoke beer....