Schell's Stag Series: Rauchbier Helles Lager
August Schell Brewing Company

Brilliant pale straw, topped with a nice sized off-white head. Seems nicely carbonated. Excellent lacing.

Hint of smoke on the nose, along with pale, bready malt. Seems to be a very traditional hop regimen, too?

Very pronounced smoke on the first sip! Sweeter than I like, and with a touch of oxidation*.

Hop bitterness is restrained, but keeps the sweet malt in check, and doesn’t detract from the beechwood smoke character in the least.

Very drinkable, and very well done all around.

*BBD: 091618 — whoops! I should’ve enjoyed this one a bit sooner.

 

Poured into a footed pilsner glass. Clear yellow-gold, vigorous carbonation, tall, thick, creamy white head, receding slowly. The pilsner glass really shows off this beer's appearance. Aroma is lightly smoky with cracker malts. Cured meat in the aroma after a bit. Thick mouthfeel. Subtle smoky taste, with, again, the cured meat-like flavor stronger than the smoke. Solid cracker, slightly sweet malts. Clean finish with the malt flavor and cured meat flavor lingering. Overall, a very easy drinking, flavorful lager, but could use a bit more smoke to live up to the name. (Although the smoke / meat flavors become more pronounced as you drink. While I started with the beer chilled to 42 deg., perhaps the smokiness builds as it warms.)

 

Look: Clear, pale, with a fluffy white head.

Smell: Weirdly enough, it smells a bit like ham. Smoky, woody, grassy,

Taste: Again, tastes kind of like ham, but also with campfire-esque smoky. Sweet malts, pleasant hoppy bitterness.

Feel: Normal carbonation, leaves a dry, warm, sticky mouthfeel.

Overall: Excellent brew!

 

Another from the 2018 "Biergarten in a Box" mixed 12-pack from Schell. Poured into my short Becher from the brown longneck.

A -- Clear, pale gold with a sudsy, but firm, white head.

S -- Woody, campfire smoke and light sulfur or DMS which, I'll admit, adds a sort of ham quality to the aroma when set against the smokiness.

T -- Same woody campfire character up front followed by lightly sweet, bready malts. Light spicy hops in the finish with a touch of astringency from the smokiness. Herbal bitterness from hops balances the beer nicely in the finish and aftertaste.

F -- Mouthfeel is soft to almost syrupy with a dry finish and medium body.

O -- This beer reminds me a lot of Spezial's Rauchbier -- not a bad influence to stand against. Schell seems to be knocking it out of the park with their examples of traditional German styles.

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Moderate smoke aroma, light at first but opens up.

Taste: Bready sweetness that transitions into a mild ham smoke finish. Tasty!

Overall: Picked up a single, I really like smoked beers. This is definitely a more mild approach to smoke than my usual go-to (Hammerheart), but still very tasty. Nice smokiness with a good malt balance. This would be great as a 6 pack summer drinker.

Was looking so forward to this as I love smoked beers and Schells killed it with their last Rauchbier.

This beer as a helles lager is terrific. I get no smoked malt in the nose or the taste at all. Color me extremely disappointed in the lack of smokiness. Good beer, not a Rauchbier which I know most people don’t like. Schells just played it too safe here.

This beer pours a clear straw with a moderate head. The aroma starts with a clean, cracker malt, then the mild smoke comes in, like a campfire just starting to give of fumes. The flavor starts with clean and slightly sweet malts, with some notes of roasted corn, biscuits, and hay, with just the tiniest, subtlest hint of smoke at the end. The mouthfeel is fuller, with broad, foaming carbonation. Overall this is a wonderfully tasty and subtle beer - though I would love too taste a little more smoke on it.

Clear golden color with a finger of head. Heavy lacing is left down the glass. The smoke malt is not overwhelming. It compliments the Helles malt in the aroma and flavor. It does give it the smokey pork smell that Beechwood smoked malt is know for. Notes of ham or bacon. It is not like a campfire. The body is light and lively. A very nice lager that should not frighten away people when they here it is a smoke beer.

White head. Clear golden yellow color. Lace left.

A very light amount of the smoked profile going on here. It adds a touch of bacon. Very light, crisp, clean, and refreshing. Floral and earthy hops. Bready and biscuity. This is a nice, flavorful helles/rauch.