Terrapin Side Project Roggenrauchbier

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

I don’t like the way you’re walking.You’ve been into the sacramental rauchbier again. You’re fahsnickered! You drunken mule, you.

Aroma: wow, truly delicate and upliftingly pleasant! light sweet smoked wood and light honey bbq sauce ..
Look: pours a 20yr old copper penny with medium foam, stable headring , lacing is proper.. . its my specialty and junk ... .
Mouth: perfect perfect perfect in the mouth, full and coating but not overdone, classy! ... very pure smokiness, light kiss of smoked caramel even,
a fantastic brew... (salami and smoked gouda would be amazing with this)... I said a few weeks ago that smoked beers were becoming my new favourite style (eclipsing my love of english barleywines) and this beer helps out my thinking ...
What good is mining nose gold if I can’t share it with the townspeople? .. .

Terrapin’s second side project sounded great even before it came out, because a RoggenRauchbier is a triple departure from normal American craft brewing because of the use of smoking, rye malt, and lager yeast. But then again Terrapin is no normal brewery. Like the first one, this side project came in a 22 oz. bomber. The beer was poured into a pint glass, and it looked amber brown in color with limited carbonation that formed a ring of foam. The smell was sweet and smoky, but not quite in your face like the real Bamberg offerings. The taste was a beautiful mix of smoke, sweetness, and spice. The three elements were in a harmony I was not anticipating, but on second thoughts this should indeed have been anticipated from this true lager. Some hops were also noticeable, but they had taken on a decidedly supporting role this time. Not sure what the ABV was in this one, but it had to be close to a bock, as the body was medium thick and filling. I enjoyed it much better than the first side project,due to a more focussed and unique vision. Keep them rolling fellas, and I will be eagerly waiting.

Bomber courtesy of juiceisloose. Pours brown with a thin white head. Smells of sweet rye, some light smoky malt, caramel. Tastes earthy and smoky with some earthiness on the finish. Very enjoyable!

Pours a dark amber. White head. Good smoked flavor. Wonderful fruitiful aroma. Good side broject Terrapin.

Bottle. Poured a dark amber with a huge tan head. Aroma of smoke and rye. Flavor is very smokey with a small bite at the end. I think this is very good. Not sure about all of the bad ratings. Maybe my smoke palate is not up to par with everyone elses.

Pours a dark chestnut brown color with golden orange/amber edges when held to a light source and a thin 1 finger yellowish beige head. Great retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap that lasts throughout, leaving sporadic chunks of lacing behind. Smokey roasted malts dominate the aroma with hints of smoke, charcoal, butane, barbecued bacon and more smoked chocolate malts. Wow! Sweet rye flavor balances out the smokey barbecue charcoal bacony maltiness. There are some subtle hops but they are overshadowed by the burnt/smokey flavor. With all of the smokiness it is still somewhat balanced by the hops and sweetness up front. Not a complete rauch bomb by any means. This is an excellent beer and a very successful experiment that I wish they would turn into a year round offering. Highly recommended for fans of smoked/rauch beers but you should expect it to be a bit different.

Bottle sampled on 6/28/08: Pours a transparent dark copper amber with a thin-lacing light tan head. Aroma of grainy rye and nice smoky caramel sweetness. Body starts fairly full and toasty caramely sweet with a good balance of smokiness before a slightly drier bittersweet doughy finish. Very authentic and true to style, an enjoyable brew.

Bottle courtesy of ericandersnavy. Pours a hazy burgundy with a small white head. The nose is of a nice, sweet, smoky, light malt; beautiful. Light-bodied and softly effervescent with a lingering, moderately smoky finish. Sweet, lightly spicy smoked malt with a mildly sweet and drying finish. This is a very nice beer and my second favorite smoked lager behind Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier (and that is saying something).