Fautzrauch
HammerHeart Brewing Company

a deeply copper colored smoked beer with a tall white head on it, this one using a beechwood smoked malt from what i understand, which in this instance seems a little less intense and even acrid than the alderwood smoked grain did to me, but could just be me. through the frothy head i smell a whole lot of the smoke, and really malty for a pale ale, beyond just the color this has an almost english graininess to it, old school for sure on the balance between grain and hops, which is to say that its far maltier than is fashionable in the style today, let alone the smoke element. i can smell and taste some hops though, more than in some of their other pale types, noble here for sure, grassy and lower alpha but still a bit bitter with the vegetal finish. it doesnt quite outlast the smoke in the flavor, but it does linger awhile and gives a neat freshness and balance to an otherwise earthy malt bomb of a pale. good carbonation, some crispness and some residual sweet which is cool at the same time, and a sort of mineral complexion that makes it unique in another way, as if it werent already totally original. i liked it a lot, but i have become a raging hammerheart fanboy at this point...

 

750 ml mini growler from the brewery. Poured into a Hammerheart tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a fairly hazy amber orange. Moderate amount of bubbles and a solid finger of off white head which settles into a thin patchy layer.

Smell: A smokey and juicy aroma with a scent of smoked malt and citrus hops. Upfront scent of smoke. Citrus hop scent of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon along with pineapple. Some earthy hop hints as well. Malt hints of caramel, grains, and cracker with yeast. A very solid aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a smokey and juicy Pale ale taste with notes of smoke and citrus. Nice upfront notes of smoke. Citrus hop notes of grapefruit, orange peel, tangerine, and lemon with pineapple. Earthy hop notes of grass. Malt notes of caramel, cracker, and grains with some yeast. A pretty good taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Juicy and very smooth.

Overall: A very good smoked Pale Ale. Nice mix of smoke and citrus hop flavor.

 

Very smoky but balanced, great one to have around a campfire.

 

 

From a 750ml mini-growler:

Appearance: Cloudy orange-amber, good head.

Smell: Beechwood smoke, bacon.

Taste: Starts with a bit of sweetness, then a blanket of smoke arrives. The smoke covers all, with hints of citrus sweetness underneath.

Overall: Fautzrauch is a smoked pale from Hammerheart. It's another great beer from them, solidly smoky without being too much, and enough input from the hops to give it another dimension. Good stuff.

 

Strange combination of citrus fruit, floral notes, and smoke in aroma. Smells like bacon dipped in fruit salad. Nice smoke quality that avoids bandaid notes. There's a touch of resin.

Flavor reveals muted citrus at the base, becoming fairly bitter and earthy in the finish. A purposeful sip shows notes of pineapple, grapefruit, and papaya emerge. The smoke is prevalent initially, lending a sweetness, then fades to the hops and re-emerges in the resiny finish.

When not savored, smoke and bitterness dominate, with a hint of citrus.

Very complex beer. I love the quality of smoke, and the profile is absolutely intriguing. Well crafted. A little added malt presence would make this exceptional. There's a bit of harshness in the finish, as well.

 

 

 

Haven't been reviewing much lately, but had to strap down a quick review for this one because it is a beauty.

Dark Golden hazed body with a frothy off white head. Aroma is really nice. Perfect. Perfect blend of smoke and citrus, which is what this beer is all about. The palate follows suit. The blend of the smokey phenols and the oily citrus flavors of Citra hops is perfect. Significant amounts of rauch malt were used and it's noticeable.

Props to this brewery for thinking outside the box. Rauch Malt + Citra Hops = Delicious. Just a gorgeous beer.