Rauch Bock
Heater Allen Brewing

 

Served from the can in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Pours a hazy sienna-umber topped by a finger or so of dirty khaki foam. The nose comprises smoked honey ham and some mild caramel. The taste certainly brings more of the same, the smoke darker, the caramel stronger, a hint of maple syrup popping in to provide a general greeting, and a touch of ash in the aftertaste. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. A very nice bit o' smoky goodness.

Opaque brown pour with a huge khaki head, bands of lacing fill the empty glass. Great smoke with earthy and meaty notes right away in the smell, charred wood, biscuit and malt mingle. Taste adds a nutty note to the smoke, german yeast emerges now too, slight rye and grains with the caramel malt, sneaky complex yet full flavored. Feel is lighter bodied despite the huge rugged smokiness, yeast elevates for the finish. Really enjoyed this one on a cool late winter happy hour

Look: Dark amber, leaning brown on the pour and deep ruby red in the glass with a dense light tan head that pillows up and slowly settles, leaving great lacing behind
Aroma: Smoke, charred wood, rich bready malt, light earthy notes, and wafts of barbeque
Taste: Starts off with wood and dark, bready malt which are immediately followed by an awesome smoke and barbeque wave that comes in and seems to envelop and incorporate the malt. As that begins to wane slightly, earthy notes appear and the malt continues to develop and closes with sweet malt and a kiss of wood smoke
Mouthfeel: Full, very clean throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a smooth and slightly and surprisingly soft finish
Overall: This is a damn good Rauchbier. I loved these folks’ Rauch Helles earlier so seeing this made me quite excited and it did not disappoint. Awesome wood-smoked malt flavors that are nice and deep but not too overpowering as to shut out all other aspects and nuances of this beer. Super tasty and easy to drink and enjoy. I’m sure I sound like a broken record but cheers to Lisa and her team for another gem

 

 

Brown pumpernickel body. Medium liquid smoke, a touch of burnt oats, light caramel and a dab of toffee. Bright floral bitterness to round it out. Medium body, lighter carbonation. Distinct smokiness and burnt grains on the finish. Solid

 

Poured from 16oz can into a dimpled mug. Canned 12/27/20.

Appearance: rich amber-brown hue with a moderately thick haze and a thick finger of frothy ivory foam atop. I'd say it looks pretty darn good.

Smell: a nice caramel malt followed up with a rather smoky aroma. The smoke is strong, don't get me wrong, but is balanced for the rauchbier style. Frankly, I quite like it.

Taste: rich malty goodness with a bit of sweetness and a nice combination of caramel, toffee and rich grain flavor. On top of that is the up-front but balanced smoke flavor. I happen to like smoke beers, and this one is a really good example of the style. Very good indeed.

Mouthfeel: medium-rich body with a moderate carbonation and a decent creaminess. With, like, 10% more carbonation, this could be really great.

Overall: I like this beer a great deal. It is one of the best American-made rauchbiers I have had -- definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the style.

Thanks to Vurt for this one. 16oz can (dated 12/07/2020) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a clean, clear, very dark mahogany color with over an inch of tan head that had very good retention and light lacing.

Smoke was at the front of the nose, but not so strong that it overpowered the base grains. Maybe a touch of floral hops showing through.

The smoke was stronger on the tongue, but still not overpowering the rest of the beer. The grains gave a nice base and the hops were a touch brighter too.

The body was light, smooth, crisp, and had a dry finish.

Drinkability was very good, I could drink a few of these.

Overall, a nicely done brew. Worth your time if you see it.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a dark, reddish orange with a fine, one finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of lightly caramel and smoked malt with a little biscuit; subdued. Flavor is dry caramel malt, rye bread, campfire smoke. Nice light, bordering on savory smokiness in the finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A very mellow bock, but the malt base is very pleasant. The smoked malt is in great balance and finishes with a light meaty smokehouse flavor that the best of these beers have. There are more robust examples of this out there, but this is one of the most harmonious I've had. Like most offerings from Heater Allen, nicely done.

 

 

I am a huge fan of this brewery. I have, at times, gone weeks drinking only their beer. When I got tired of the sometimes seemingly relentless onslaught of IPA hop bombs, and syrupy sweet stouts with god-knows-what thrown in, Heater Allen brought balance and maturity and tradition( though definitely their own take). So, when they released this to the stores, I couldn't have been more excited. I certainly am not disappointed. Beautiful but not overbearing smoked barley blends with a light Munich malt sweetness to perfection. I was sad when I reached the bottom of my imperial pint glass and the last dribble of smoky beer slide down the side of the glass, barely enough to whet my lips. So yeah, I'd buy it again.

 

Bottle from Market of Choice.

A clear dark brown with a light brown head with good retention and lacing, this looks great. The nose opens delicately smoky and mildly hoppy; a blend of light wood and herbal smoke and a mildly earthy hop character. This pairs quite nicely with the caramel and brown sugar notes of the base bock, a moderate wheat bread note. The palate opens very creamy with a wonderful bready fullness to go with a firm smoke character. Pine smoke, oak smoke, wet wood smoke, layered and quite complex, is present. This is followed by a mild sweetness, a blend of toffee and brown sugar. Firmly hoppy, a blend of earthy bitterness and an herbal flavor. Drying with a touch of sweetness on the finish, this beer is medium-light in body, moderately carbonated and quite excellent. Wonderful mouthfeel.

Slightly chill hazed, Rauch Bock pours a beautiful crimson with a touch of chestnut brown. A thin, one finger cream colored foamy cap persists on top. It's impressively stubborn, and laces equally so.

Very subtle amounts of smoke float around, like the remnants of a fireplace used the night before. An equal amount of sweet, rich caramel suggest a wonderful balance between the styles. Minerals and a very slight medicinal aroma are difficult to find, but there, which for me seems common to the smoked beer family.

The first sip is superb. The smoke is the forefront, but not overpowering. Caramel and rye bread balance it perfectly. A sweet raisin shows itself for a brief moment before and earthy spiciness finishes the experience. These flavors are consistent from head to toe.

From a medium carbonation and its spicy character, this beer is quite 'tingly'. It seems a bit on the lighter side, not nearly as rich or sticky as I'd imagined, but does leave a little residue on the lips. A balanced beer, but favoring the bitter side perhaps due to the earthy, spicy, and smokey nature. It's very easy to drink.

Overall, Rauch Bock may not have been what I had hoped for or expected, but it's still a great beer and one I'll probably buy again. The smoke was more subdued, as was the sweetness. In that sense, I guess that makes it right there in the middle, so, well executed and appropriately named! I'll say this would be a great beer for the smoked beer beginners out there. Prost!

 

500 ml Euro style brown bottle from Lifesource Natural Grocer in Salem OR $4.99 Pours a cloudy.even smokey hazelnut brown with a delightful thick and creamy light tan head. Aroma is not that smokey just hints.. slightly meaty/ashy..this is no Bamberg rauch for sure. Bock flavours with just a hint of smoke though out..the end of the taste is more like it.. Mouth feel is generally nice..smooth medium carbonation. This was an OK bock..but a poor "smoked" Surprised it was so tame.