Session Ale #34: Blabber 'n' Smoke
East End Brewing Company

Body is a nearly transparent straw yellow. Pours with a decent head which fades quickly. That doesn't matter because the nose is rather strong and offers a lot of smokiness. A smokiness that is a lot like smoked sausage on the grill or something of the like. A light presence of hops is also there.

Flavor is much like the nose with a pretty big smoked meat flavor upfront and a very light malt backbone. A moderate to big kick of hops comes through for the finish that is not bitter but refreshing. A little bit of smokiness and hop flavors linger.

Mouthfeel is very light-but not thin or watery-carbonation is pretty high. All these put together make for a great, drinkable brew. This would be the perfect Summer BBQ brew because its light bodied, sessionable,smokey, and refreshing. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Deuane for sharing this growler on 4/3/10.

A - Poured a hazy amber/orange liquid with minimal carbonation and a thin, swirly film on top that yielded spotty lacing.

S - Sweet and smokey aroma, although it reminds me more of smoked meat than smoked wood. Lots of jerky and bacon attributes. Malt is sweet with a caramel charcter.

T - Big beef jerky and greasy bacon character paired with a caramel malt sweetness and light toffee notes. Finishes with mild bitterness suggesting herbal, earthy hops. Kind of reminds me of a charred hot dog, only liquified.

M - Medium bodied with a slick, oily texture, although it is a tad watery overall. Finishes with a hint of hop bitterness on the palate.

D - Good enough smoked beer that's heavy on the meat, but still maintains a pleasant sweet malty character.

Brewslut's Quote of the Day:
"Smells like a smoked skunk."

Thanks to Deuane for sharing this growler -poured chilled into my Allagash cervoise

A - An attractive medium amber -tea-like w/ thin cap of white w/ a tiny bead and subtle lace.

S - A smokey wood-smoke aroma w/ barbecue-like scents nice sweet woodiness but not really 'meaty' since it has a nice malt accent

M - A moderate dry smokiness up front w/ moderate carbonation and slight spice notes from the hops w/ semi-dry toasted malt finish

T - I found the smoke in this to be very well place - nice balance between the smoke and malt w/ intensity kept in check, so the malt flavor is not overwhelmed by barbecued meat taste. The flavor of the smoke is fine w/ a nice aromatic wood presence not astringent or drying on the palate. I like the fact you feel like you ate some jerky since it finishes with a little sweet malt and it doesn't come off as bacony or sausage-like

D - I really enjoyed this - a well made rauch in every sense for me. I consider this a very well brewed ale and good example of the style.

Thanks to Deuane for sharing.

A: The rauchbier is a cloudy orange-brown color. Coppery let's say. The cloudiness leaves the beer opaque.

S: The aroma is smoked, meaty but not very thick. My notes include the word 'teriyaki' although there is no soy aroma, so maybe 'jerky' would be more appropriate.

T: The smoked malts strike up front, rich and meaty like a good side of bacon. They (the smoked malts) share the stage with sweeter caramel malts. The caramel aspect prevents the body from getting to strong, keeping it in check. The subtler smoke flavors bump up the drinkability significantly.

M: The combination of caramel and smoked malts is at once sweet and chewy, rich and meaty. I enjoyed the light nature of this beer.

D: Very drinkable, we wasted no time in emptying out the growler. A good gateway into rauchbiers.

A great compromise between the lightly smoked Spezial Helles-esque lager and the intensely smoked bacon and baked beans Aecht Schlenkerla Urbock.

Poured into pint glass. Copper/golden in color. Fairly thin, fluffy white head.

Mostly smoke in the aroma with some sweet malt finding its way in there. Not really getting any hops.

Right on with the taste. Up front, a good dose of the smoked meat flavor characteristic of the style, but a bit crisper tasting than is the richer Schlenkerla variety. Sort of a standard bacon as opposed to a thick cut applewood smoked bacon. This difference is great because it makes the beer all the more drinkable. Finishes with some sweet/bready malts and a touch of muted hop spice.

Medium body. Goes down easy.

I doubted whether a sturdy Rauchbier really belonged among East End's session ale series, but two of us polished off the growler no problem. The smokiness didn't become too overwhelming. A good stepping stone between lightly smoked and intensely smoked beers, but certainly well enjoyed on its own terms.

Poured from growler to tulip pint: two fingers head that drops to a thick dusting with heavy lacing. Body is a hazy, medium copper.

Smells of a rich, smoked meat over a very even-bodied, slightly tart lager background. Some clean, slightly citric hops, some earthy malts, but all laying the foundation for a very fresh smoked aroma.

Maybe the freshest smoke flavor I've had. Not as rich & meaty as other rauches, but tastes like I was drinking it next to a campfire, right through to the aftertaste, which is slightly woody & cinder-like. Malt is mild, slightly bready. Hops are lightly citric & just a little peppery. Some tartness, but again dominated by the smoke. A lox-like smoked saltiness lingers int he aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is light-to-medium-bodied, pretty smooth & easy-drinking.

I was told you either love this or you hate it, & having had other rauches before I'm really digging this. Doesn't taste like bacon or ham in a glass, but the freshest smoke taste I've had & very drinkable.