Lager
Brauerei Spezial

Pours a cough syrup amber with a short head that evaporates instantly. Aroma of smoked meat and bbq. Taste follows nose. Medium bodied, smokey clean finish.

 

 

500 ml bottle from the brewery (had on tap there also) - returned to Canada safely in suitcase. 4.9% ABV.
Pours a beautiful clear amber colour with copper highlights and a finger of tawny head.
Aroma has a definite smoky air - caramel, toasty malt - hints of smoked meat.
Sweet and smoky caramel malt - bready, toasty with, again, a bit of bacon, smoked ham.
Medium mouthfeel - nice carbonation and a satisfyingly smooth and smoky finish.
Perhaps my favourite beer this calendar year…..

 

i didn’t even notice this was beer 1200. i usually seek out a bad beer for centuries, but won’t complain about having a nice one. bought from ratsherrn’s bottle shop in sternschanze, hamburg. it’s always nice to have rauchbier, this is a good offering in the style, and although to be fair it is pretty close to its best before, it’s still a very nice hearty, smokey, lager. woody, dark fruit, brown bread, little sweet, just lacking a bit in depth.

 

 

Poured and drunk at the source in Septembr 2023.

L: Bright copper colour with lighter highlights where the sun plays on the beer. Thin, mocha-colour head. No carbonation in the glass.

S: Rich, smoked ham. Minerally. Actually exactly what I was expecting!

T: Largely follows the nose, with the addition of burnt toffee. Some mild dry tobacco notes too. Mildly bitter and finishes very quickly and dryly.

M: The mouthfeel is slightly thin. Carbonation is mild to medium.

O: A very approachable Rauchbier dialled back on the smoke but still with enough to keep novice and experienced Rauchbier drinkers alike satisfied.

Cheers!
#345

At the brewery in Bamberg! Lightly smoked and very barny/funky, a beautiful amber color. Truly unique in every way. What a beer. Could drink this the rest of my life.

Update: brought a 0,5L bottle home from the brewery dated 17.08.23. Label says 4,9% alk vol. Beautiful amber brown color. Quite rich and smoky in the aroma and flavor. Lots of smoked malt and charred wood throughout. A proper rauchbier.

 

 

Look: clear amber with a medium white head

Smell: moderate smoke smell, a little meaty

Taste: the smoke comes through, but is not overpowering like Echt Schlenkerla

Feel: smooth with moderate carbonation

Pours a very slightly cloudy, deep amber coloration with a medium, creamy head. Smells of smoked, bready malt and honey-glazed ham, with some grassy, herbal hops also coming through. Taste is a good balance of smoked, bready malt and grassy, herbal, slightly floral hops, with the smoke note being reminiscent of smoked, honey-glazed ham. Finishes with a light/medium bitterness and some smoked, honey-glazed ham lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a light/medium body and medium carbonation.

This is a decent enough Rauchbier, but doesn't compare to Schlenkerla in my opinion, because the smoke isn't nearly as distinct and more reminiscent of honey-glazed smoked ham than campfire smoked bacon, while the whole balance is a bit on the sweeter side, although not too bad with some slightly bitter, grassy, herbal hops providing a certain counterpoint here. Overall an enjoyable example of the style that's a bit more light and sweet than Schlenkerla's offerings, with a somewhat different and more subtle smoke note.

 

 

 

 

amber, clear, lively, sweet, roasty, smoky, toasty, nutty, bread, spicy, seltzer-like, crisp, light, oily, smooth,