Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
Schlenkerla (Heller-Bräu Trum)

Pouring a deep mahogany with ruby highlights and a persistent tan head, its appearance is as inviting as it is classic. On the nose, it immediately asserts itself with bold, beechwood-smoke aromas reminiscent of campfire, smoked ham, and charred wood. Yet underneath the intensity lies a refined malt character: notes of crusty bread, toasted caramel, and a subtle nuttiness add depth and complexity.

The flavor follows suit with a rich smokiness that evokes smoked meats and firewood. The malt brings forward gentle caramel sweetness, which deftly balances the savory, earthy smoke. Despite its bold profile, the beer is remarkably drinkable thanks to a clean, dry finish and medium body with moderate carbonation.

 

 

Re-reviewing this as my last review was almost 15 years old.

500mL bottle into an English pint. Pours a mahogany/cola brown with a quickly settling khaki head.

Aroma is pleasantly smoky and sweet, more reminiscent of the peaty smokiness of a single-malt scotch than barbecue. “Umami” might be the best one-word descriptor for how this beer smells. In any case, intriguing and unique.

Taste is likewise smoky and sweet; almost vaguely salty in a way. Dark bready malt, caramelized sugars, and oily hardwood smoke blend and intertwine, with each quality elusively seeming to expand and contract on the palate moment by moment.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, drinkable, with a lingering aftertaste.

Overall a classic Märzen with a unique smoky twist—highly enjoyable.
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Previous review (10/11/2011) for posterity:

4.09/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
500mL bottle (no dates or codes) poured into a weizen glass. Caramel brown color, perfectly clear, with a nice fluffy beige head and fine carbonation.

Aroma is pungent, sweet beech smoke - smells like a campfire.

Taste is less smoky than the nose. Nice caramel malt and fruity sweetness with the smoke rounding out the edges.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, balanced. Nice clean round finish; smoky bitterness has a slightly numbing effect on the tongue. Goes down smooth like a porter.

Overall a really nice marriage of two styles, one of my favorite Oktoberfests every year.

 

No date on bottle, into a 0.5L Paulaner mug,

Pours a dark reddish brown with a little foam that fades quickly. Nose is strong, a standard German lager of honey and biscuit that is evidently destroyed by smoke. The beech wood is extremely strong here but the beer is quite good separated from the smoke additions. The flavors are interesting with some brown bread and honey at first before the smoke hits. The smoke flavor is extremely savory and thick, almost like bacon or salami, and colors the whole beer. It's not bitter or dark though, and remains quite smooth throughout. Feel is good, less aggressive than I would've liked, but it's medium bodied and still refreshing.

If you like smoke, this is your thing, but man, do you have to like smoke. I wouldn't recommend this otherwise, but for those looking for unique experiences, seek it out like I did.

 

 

 

It's not bad at all. Very little foam. Brown Ruby color. It's definitely smoked beer, alright. Tastes just as you would expect. Take a nice deep breathe of campfire smoke and then quickly take a long sip of beer. That's how smoked beer is. It's fine but I don't think I can drink several of these a night. Maybe 1 to start on and then a light beer or 2 afterwards. Would I buy it again? Yeah why not. It's German beer after all and still good. I have to say this is a outside BBQ beer and I'm glad it exists because it's unique.

 

 

The second you smell this, you know it's something different. My mate got this and hated it, so he passed it to me. Deep, dark ruby with a thin yellowish head. On the nose, smoke and berries. On the tongue, a bacony, cheesy kind of smoke, with more berries, biscuit, pear, ends on banana and ginger. Long bittersweet finish with an oily texture.

 

 

 

 

After Schlenkerla's Urbock made me dry heave, I gave this one a try, and well, it's a little better. Pours lighter & fluffier and without the offensive smell as compared to their Urbock. But, this one just tastes like burnt mustard with an indescribable after taste that makes you reach for a mint after pouring it out. There is no sweetness or malt flavor in this beer at all. So, I guess you can say that the brewer is hitting all of the flavor profiles?!

Don't be fooled, the high rating is because only the diehards who like this sort of thing have actually tried this sort of thing. This is not for someone who is OK with Warsteiner Dunkel and who is looking to branch out. Schlenkerla's products are like an absurd parody of German beer that should be left in the past.

0.5l bottle into a Willi Becher glass.
Smell of heavily smoked sausage and old wooden buildings. Looks and tastes darker than I remember. 
Toasted pumpkin seeds, burnt zucchini. Juniper berries, darkend edges of dry-aged beef. Tar, burnt sweetcorn. Heavily toasted hazelnuts, molasses, whole dark roasted coffee beans. Noble rot, grilled portabello mushroom. Sweeter as it warms, something in the direction of overripe watermelon. Blackend iron. Old damp wood, aftertaste of sawdust and wood shavings. Resin and pinecones. 

Smooth and easy to drink for such a powerful taste. At site in Bamberg straight from the barrel it's a 5/5. The bottled version is not as balanced however.

This is not a living room beer. Don’t drink it indoors. Go outside. Start a campfire. Cook some bacon and sauté some onions. Get some spicy pickles and mustard. Grilddle everything like a grilled cheese (rye bread of course) with some smoked gouda. Then pour the beer and be transported. You have to think about when this beer was first brewed. Raw and primitive. You need to surround yourself in smoke. I am blessed to have had the experience of drinking it. Truly grateful. Link below to a fascinating read on Rauchbier.

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