Viking Brewing Rauch

Brewed by Viking Brewing Company
Style: Smoked
Dallas, Wisconsin USA

I loved the aroma of this beer, a smokey flowery malt, but when it came time to the initial taste it fell a bit flat, needs more body. I liked lingering biiter hops on the sides of my mouth thou. All in all I enjoyed this one.

Thanks to hopdog for this... Appears a dark gold with streaky lacing left from the quickly fading off white cap. Smell is sweet, fruit salad, smokey beechwood. Taste is of the same aromas, although I’m not sure if that’s good. The mouthfeel is light and watery.

Bottle acquired in trade with robertsreality (thanks!). Poured a light to medium orangish color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of beechwood, light smoke, and light vanilla. Tastes of light smoke and a little fruity. Tastes and aromas were on the softer side (tastes more so). Also had a light sweetness to it. Lively body.

Poured a dark golden color with a thin, white head that left spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma of toasty malts, some caramel, faint peat, and burnt plastic. Taste was bland, some dry straw, faint smoke, some light hoppiness, and even a bit of citrus. Not enough meat in this one.

much lighter looking that I expected. Pours an orange color with little or no head to speak of. A hint of smoke to begin with slight malt, but not much else, not real great

Bottle - thanks to Badgerben for the trade! Pours every so slightly hazy amber with a moderate off-white head that diminishes mostly. Mild aroma is sweet with a bit of hickory and fruit. Flavor is nice, sweet and smokey, some dark fruit and a bit of hops with the smoke in the finish as well. Light to medium body with creamy carbonation. Nice treat from the midwest - thanks Ben.

My review of Aecht Urbock from last night got me so psyched about rauches that I decided to break this out for 1,300. Thanks to RobertsReality. Dark straw pour, with a splotchy white head. Aroma of malt, hopcit, some fruit and smoke. Light, somewhat dilute palate, with tastes of hopcit, subtle smokiness, and slight floral fruitiness. Not as dense as Aecht’s, nor as complex. A great introductory olfactory and taste bud primer for the beginning raucher (why does that sound strangely perverted?)

Orangish color with no head. Mild smoke aroma. Oddly fruity taste with just a little malt. This is a smoked? Umm... no... If someone really doesn’t like smoked beers, this might be the simplest intro for them to handle, but really not a good example of the style.