Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier
Schlenkerla (Heller-Bräu Trum GmbH)

From a Bottle. Pours clear gold. Beautiful thick foam sticks in place. Smell slightly sweet and smoky. Taste is clean slighly sweet and smoky all the way from start to finish. Medium to low carbonation. Light body typical for helles. Ends with smoky bitterness. Not the best of helles but a great variation of the style.

 

 

Picked up a 500 ML bottle from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville 9-20-22 for $4.99. No bottling date; consumed 1-21-23.

Beer poured a clear pale gold with a very nice white head that has some good hang time.

Nose has traces of smoked malts along with bready malts.

Taste follows the nose as a light bready malt base has a light touch of smoke come into play. Noble hops are surprisingly heavily present lending a nice touch of lemon; 8/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and very crisp and clean in the finish.

Overall a unique take on the Helles style and is well executed!

 

500 ml bottle. Pours golden with tall, long lasting foamy white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is of grassy hops, smoke and bready malt. Body is medium and crisp. Taste is similar to aroma. Finish is long and dry. Very nice brew.

Not for me, very bitter and wood fire tasting.

 

500ml can into a pint glass. No freshness dating, but this may have some age on it.

Looks good though. Hazy pale amber body with a persistent bright white head which leaves scattered lacing.

Smoky aroma, and there is a very faint bandaid note.

On tasting, the nose is confirmed. Although they don't use smoked malts in this beer, (brewed in the same kettles as their other beers), the smokiness is quite strong. And I'm guessing the combination of smoke and age causes the light band aid taste.

Mouth medium, finish smoky with bitterness left on the tongue.

Overall, didn't care much for this one, have enjoyed Aecht's other offerings.

500 ml bottle
Glass: 0.5L Willibecher


Look:
Clear but deep golden yellow with an almost 3-finger foamy white head. The head very slowly dissipates, leaving excellent lacing along the glass.

Smell:
Biscuity and perhaps crackery bread dough with a touch of zesty lemon and some fresh-cut grass and hay. Smoke is there, but it is quite faint and very much in the background. Like a campfire far in the distance.

Taste:
Similar to the nose, but the smoke is a bit more prominent. Though not much. The sip starts off with a very light campfire note and that does remains throughout the sip. The biscuity and crackery malts are in the background. The spicy lemony zest asserts itself mid-sip. Things finish dry with a fair dose of zesty/spicy bitterness and that very mild note of smoke.

Feel:
Crisp, clean, and yet also smooth. The body is light-medium

Overall:
A nice and flavorful helles with just that hint of smoke. Nowhere near as much smoke as Schlenkerla's other offerings. Very well balanced and very, very quaffable.

 

 

A classic. This is kinda where all the now-trendy smoked lagers come from, the mothership.
And even though the brewer explains that it's not made with smoked malt (it's boiled in a kettle that held a smokier beer), this is pretty heavy on the smoke. It's not a beginner's smoked beer.
It's a great one though. Start with this if you're going to do a tasting of smoked beers.

 

I wanted to like this a heck of a lot more than I ended up enjoying. The hop profile is just not for me and I'm guessing whatever smoke notes come through don't complement the style for my taste buds.

 

500 ml bottle

Pours a bright clear yellow golden color, thick foamy white head. Great head retention. Pleasant mild smokey aroma. Similar flavor, the pale malt lets the subtle woody smoke flavor shine. Thin to medium bodied, lively carbonation.

L: beautiful rich gold with a very large white head.
S: faint hints of malt, hops, cooked meat, and burnt wood.
T: creamy, a little bit of smoke, and banana.
F: very good, fine carbonation and smooth.

A much less intense smoked beer in comparison to the other Schlenkerla beers I've had. Quite delicious, however.

500ml bottle at ITap. Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy sheets of lace on the glass. It smelled of smoke, toffee, toasted bread and mild spices. Subtle smokey notes with caramel, toffee and a mild bitterness.

16oz can. From the "Tank Container Canning Process", canned in Connecticut.
Slightly cloudy, pale gold colored body. Free pour yields three fingers of white head, which settle back to a thick cap. Leaves scattered patterns of lacing.
Aroma of campfire smoke/smoked meat. Toasted malts. Fruity hops.
Taste has the influence of smoked malt, but the flavor is more from the malts and floral hops. Ends with the smoke tinged malts.
Medium mouth feel. Slight mineral effect. Lower alcohol expression. Excellent carbonation.
Clean and crisp lager, with the smoked malts.

 

Looks like a pale lager; tastes slightly smoked & bittered throughout; medium body & carbonation. Very good helles smoked lager.

 

This is my first non-Rauchbier brew from Schlenkerla, though it’s fermented in the second use vessels of their world famous Rauchbiers. I’m wondering how much that will really translate in flavor. I’m not expecting it to be much more than a subtle note of smoke, but let’s crack it open and find out

Pours a cloudy pale gold with 3 fingers of tightly packed white head that slowly fades to a cap and leavss decent lacing

I’ll be damned, there’s actually a decent amount of smoke in the nose! I’m picking up on aromas of doughy malt, toasted grain, charred wood, beechwood smoke, white pepper, and a touch of honey

Wow, the smoke aspect in this one is really nuanced. It’s not the dominant flavor like the others, but it’s well integrated into the base. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting toated grain, apple skin, bready malt, beechwood smoke, and earthy hops. The swallow brings notes of creamy doughy malt, charred wood, noble hops, toasted grain, and a touch of pear

A medium body pairs with moderate scrubbing carbonation, resulting in a smooth yet brisk beer. Finishes semi dry with a lingering smoky note

Just like the rest, this is awesome stuff. The nuance is second to none, and it’s infinitely drinkable

Cloudy amber appearance.
Medium carbonation with a slightly thin body.
Aroma is smoke, grain,bread, cereal, and malt.
Taste is smokey wood foremost, otherwise its very similar to aroma.
Overall its really flavorful, well made, and I would certainly look for it again

 

 

 

500ml bottle poured into a dimpled mug.

Pale and brilliantly clear, capped with two fingers of persistent white foam, leaves good lace. Strong nose, bread and grain malt, herbal hops, slight mineral aroma. Taste is full and malty but only mildly sweet, bread/toast with floral hops in the back. Hop bitterness is restrained, the light smoke flavor works well. Finish is clean, semi-dry and lightly bitter. The body is medium-light and soft with moderate carbonation adding some crispness at the finish. Easy drinking flavorful Helles. Very enjoyable.

 

Light golden color with a 4F head in a Brooklyn Oktoberfest glass.
Light smoke aroma.
The body is very light.
Both the aroma and taste broaden with warming. The beer is best starting at about 46°. At 48° the flavors are fuller.
With warming, lots of smoke in the aroma and taste.
I greatly enjoy beers from Schlenkerla.

 

 

Despite being a Schlenkerla, appearance is a classic helles: clear, lightly sparkling golden with a moderate off-white foam head that retains well as a lumpy blanket leaving some coral lacing.

The most mildly smoked Schlenkerla yet, this helles deftly delivers cornbread and light wheat notes accented by touches of white grape skins--more in the form of tannins than sweetness--and even a hint of smoothly mild white oak, or even an almond extract sort of flavor. The flavor profile is excellent, as the smoke provides only a very faint accent,

The medium round body has a firm fizz and finishes semi-dry. Overall this is super easy drinking.

 

From a can purchased at OEC brewing which says it is from the "Tank Container Canning Project" which is a collaboration between Heller-Trum and B. United International. This beer was brewed in Bamberg, Germany and canned in Connecticut on 01/12/21.

L: Pours a pale gold color with good clarity. A gentle pour results in two fingers of creamy, white head with great retention. As the beer goes down is leaves a fine webbed and ringed lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is dominated by smoke with a touch of woody aromatics and grainy malt character playing a supporting role.

T: On the palate I get bready malt sweetness, fresh cut grass, a touch of citrus, and a smoke.

F: This one has a medium-light body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth and slippery with a nice drying finish.

O: Not your typical helles but I really like it. The nose presents a lot of smokiness, but on the palate the smoke is fairly restrained and balanced nicely with the bready malts and noble hops. As I drink it this one grows on me and by the bottom of the glass I am eagerly anticipating another can. Highly recommended!

500 ml bottle poured into a mug

A- A clear golden straw with a small white head.

S- Sweet biscuits, touch of honey, smoky, some peat, earthy, slightly floral.

T- Sweet biscuits, smoky (very campfire like), touch of honey sweetness, earth, floral.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- A wonderful balance between a well made Helles and some smokiness.

Quality & Sophisticated European Helles Lager, just can't get past the dominant smoke flavor undertone which taints this smooth and mature brew for me.