Smoked Lager
Riggs Beer Company

A: Pours a brilliantly clear golden/yellow color. A dense white head forms with good retention. Lacing for days, this is a looker.
S: Noticeable smoke for sure, but not over done. Baked bread and toasted malts give this a nice rounded aroma.
T: Oh, there it is. Up front the smoke is big and apparent. That goes from woody to meaty. Again, I really like the malt character, with baked bread, toasted malts, honey like sweetness. Just enough grassy hops to be noticeable in the finish. Really well balanced, and all around excellent.
M/O: A light to medium body with crisp carbonation. This is ultra clean, even taking the smoke into consideration, and finishes wonderfully dry. Really easy to drink,. Smoked/Rauchbier's are a style I enjoy, but its never a style I drink a lot of in a sitting. I certainly can with this one.

This is an excellent Smoked/Rauchbier. I had Triptych's version the last time I came through town, and glad I got a chance to try Riggs' version finally. Both are excellent. Glad Champaign/Urbana/Savoy have two excellent examples of this style.

 

On tap at the brewery.

This is a very drinkable and enjoyable smoked lager. I'd be happy if it returned every year, or if seasonal variants of it were released. As someone who enjoys rauchbier to a high level, I'd always welcome higher levels of smoke aroma and taste in the beer, but this remains a good balance between the two: approachable to those who might be curious about a bit of smoke in their beer and acceptable to those who would welcome a lot more.

Pours a just slightly off-white foam with average retention, fading to a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass. Lacing good, not great, with some medium-sized blotches and dots clinging to sides of the glass. Body is a very light golden yellow color, with light bringing out pale yellow hues (SRM 1-2). Transparent.

Aroma is of medium-light intensity, pleasant smokiness, with a hint of pale malt sweetness and character in the background.

Flavor of medium intensity smokiness that still comes across as pleasantly mild: dominant, yet not overwhelming. Front: pleasant woody smokiness with a very slight phenolic twang, with well-balanced background pale malt sweetness and character. Mid: medium intensity wood smokiness with pleasant background notes of pale malt character and sweetness. Back: medium-light intensity of wood smoke with a gentle background of pale malt character and sweetness. After: well-balanced pale malt flavor, slight graininess, and smokiness.

Beer is fairly light in body, with carbonation of medium intensity (~2.3 vol CO2), resulting in a pleasantly soft, foamy mouthfeel (small bubbles). Closes fairly dry, with light stickiness on lips and palate.

(B, B, B, A, B)