Viking Brewing Rauch

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

Date: 07/27/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy dark yellow, mile high creamy white head even with a careful pour leaving tons of lace in it’s wake, smokey wood aroma, nice smokey malt flavor, touch of oaky tartness,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 4/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

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.

Bottle... Hazy golden lager with a small, frothy, white head and good retention. Beechwood smoke nose with herbal and earthy notes as well. Lightly smoky, sweet flavor of Munich or Vienna malt with a peppery, hop bite. Medium-bodied with lively carbonation. The finish is crisp and dry.

Clear copper with a small white head. Light smoke and caramel sugar aroma. Sugary sweet body is somewhat unrefined with very little to no hop presence. The finish is the best part, where the subtle smoked malty flavor lingers. An average smoke beer.

Dark golden color with a rich looking bone colored head. Light hickory smoked meat and mild oak aroma. Starts with a light lager flavor and then goes to a straight forward liquid smoke taste. Hints of celery along the way. As it sits the aroma takes on a watermelon rind scent. Light and light. The smoke seems to be very volatile and is lost at warmer temperatures. Strange stuff.

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?)

A lovely smokiness permeates this medium-bodied amber lager. The flavor seems to me like a lighter Octoberfest, with the smokiness gradually seeping in, along with cheese and a slight nuttiness. Smooth but unexciting finish.

12oz version. Poured very slowly and the glass was still 90% off-white head and 10% hazy amber beer. Sweet malty aroma. Smoke is there but pretty mild. A lot less than I like in my rauch beers. Malty flavor with a mild tartness and light smoke in the tail. Semi-dry with a CO2 bite.