Wagner Bräu Kuckuck
Wagner Bräu Kemmern e. K.

Wagner Kuckuck – from Wagner-Brau Kemmern. 500 mL bottle purchased from the Die Bierothek, 20/06/24, Price unknown. Reviewed 24/06/24 (Review 3305). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Front label dated “24: 10: 24”. Stored on room temperature shelf at Bierothek, then room reefer at hotel (cold as it would go!). Served at 64.9 degrees F in a hotel-supplied glass. The final temperature was 64.5 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.5.
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), clear.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.3 cm, aggressive center pour), white, medium density, poor retention, leaving a 1.1 cm crown and cap.
Lacing – Excellent! Torn curtain lacing covers the entire inside of the glass above the crown.
Aroma – 4 – Smoky and grainy. No yeast, no malt, no alcohol (5.8 % ABV, according to the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Smoky and grainy. No yeast, no hops, no alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
Palate – 4 – Medium; watery; soft carbonation.
Final Impression and summation: 4.25 Seems a bit light for a rauchbier – smoke is evident but more than Spezial and less than Schlenkerla.

Half litre bottle poured into pint shaker.

A: Golden, clear, small head which faded quickly.

S: A combination of smoked meat and some noble hops.

T: Quite malt forward with hints of smoke in the background.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp enough to go down well.

O: A very quaffable smoked Helles. Kept the smoke in the background.