Rauchbier
Otto's Pub and Brewery

A growler fill on 4/21 consumed 4/22.

A: The beer is copper colored and translucent. The first pour had a large, thick head but subsequent pours definitely lost the carbonation up front.

S: The aroma is smoky but allows for some subtle citrusly hops and biscuity malt body to emerge.

T: The flavor is smoky but not so smoky as to turn away a novice drinker. The thick smokehouse flavor quickly relaxes to allow more of the biscuity malt body to emerge. The malts are complemented by some zesty grapefruit hops that add decent bitterness. The smokiness returns for the fade out and lasts for quite a long time.

M: Smoke? Hops? What's there not to like in the taste? The relaxed smokiness makes this an excellent gateway beer for someone new to rauchbiers.

D: The growler lasted a few hours during the tailgate, which was 75 degrees and sunny. Those are not ideal conditions for a good rauchbier but this one held its own.

It is a clear, dark chestnut in color with a small, creamy, off-white head with good retention. Good lacing. Smell is of smoke and peat along with a moderate, lightly sweet malt base. A little cookie-like with a touch of molasses. Hops are very tame and there’s a hint of earthy yeast in there I think. The taste follows suit but with a bit more of a citrus hop presence than the aroma suggests. A little hit of coffee come off the malts, and then the finish rubs me a little wrong. Not bad, just an odd, slightly unfinished flavor. It has a medium body, lightly dry texture and soft carbonation.
I think this is the first time Otto’s has made a rauchbier, and for the first batch I think he did a good job. I’m not that big of a fan of the style just because there are so many sub-par to just plain awful ones out there. I find the smoke to be overpower, fake, or just off-putting. But this rauchbier is different and I think their description in the beer menu pinpoints just why I like it. They use only 60% smoked malts while traditional rauchbiers can be 100%. I think it let me enjoy the characteristics of a smoke beer without sacrificing balance or masking the other qualities of the beer.