Do you enjoy smoked beers?

I've only tried 3 so far. Can't say I dislike them but I also wouldn't drink them all too often. I had a fresh Surly Smoke last year and didn't care too much for it. Then had another one this year with a year on it and I really liked it. Just got a bottle today for next year, it's a shame their are so expensive this year. Alaskan Smoked Porter is great too, fresh or with some time on it.

 

Only if it's from Surly or Aecht Schlenkerla, which I absolutely love, but I sure haven't met many others that enjoy them which is great as no one wants to drink them when I get em. More for me.

 

I hate campfires and I hate smoked beers. Probably one of the only beer styles that I actually hate.

 

That is another great attribute about smoke beers - even limited releases are usually not hard to get at the store.

 

Love them.

 

How long have you suffered from a timorous palate?

 

Background: I am a non-smoker and I think smoking is pretty gross.

I generally do not like smoked beers very much, though I do find them interesting. I've had 8Wired's big smoke, Deschutes' smoked porter, and 3 or 4 local smoked beers. Oh, and HOTD Adam if that counts.

Adam was the only one I'd buy again because the smoke flavour was more integrated. So I like smoke flavours in beer to an extent but I don't like smoke-forward beers.

I do, however, love the peatiest of whiskies. Ardbeg Uigeadail and Lagavulin 16 are my two favourites. Oh, and Talisker DE - that stuff is mind blowing for the relatively low price.

 

Bo & Luke is the best representation of a smoked beer in my opinion

 

Aecht Schlenkerla Maerzen is the standard.
Enjoy them, but rare treat. I usually pair it with
BBQ feast during the summer about 1-2 times a year.

 

Oak Smoked Old Guardian reminded me way too much of bbq meat, which I found a bit disgusting in a beer... But I love the regular Old Guardian!

 

I think they're interesting, but wouldn't sit around drinking smoked beers all the time. I had the smoked porter from Stone and it was like drinking campfire...which was pleasing. I had a smoked saison from TRVE out here, and would probably order it again. But I really couldn't see having more than one every once in a while.

 

The "could only have one every now and again" is one of the biggest misconceptions about (classic German) Rauchbier -- or any beer, for that matter -- out there. Schlenkerla Maerzen is the quintessence of beers that get better and better the more you drink of them. Just have to get past that threshold of half-liter #3....

 

Tried Aecht Schlenkerla Maerzen without knowing what it was and the smoke hit me like a fist. I immediately flashed back to the Simpsons scene where Barney rejoiced at finding spilled beer in an ashtray.

I'll try it again after my palate matures a bit more.

 

Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock is the gold standard of smoked beers. The fact that its not in the BA Top50 or even Top 100 is outrageous.

 

Hell yes. Smoke Monster by Black Husky in Pembine, WI is the absolute best I've ever had. Like drinking smoked chocolate milk.

 

If you read every post in this thread I am sure that you got the message that smoked beers are not for everybody. Why you would state: “The fact that its not in the BA Top50 or even Top 100 is outrageous.” is an absolute mystery to me.

Cheers!

 

But smoked beers should be for everybody!

 

That certainly is what you and few others think but the fact of the matter is that they aren't. I enjoy drinking some smoked beers and I homebrew with Weyermann smoked malt in some of my beers but there is no surprise to me that a smoked beer is not in the BA top 50/100. Smoked beers simply are not for everybody and the reviews of BA reflect that (correctly).

Cheers!

 

So the fact that Schlenkerla beers are considered absolute exemplars of the style, almost single-handedly sustain and embody ancient brewing practices of utilizing smoked malt, and have been dubbed "classics not only among beers, but among all alcoholic beverages" by eminent beer writers such as Michael Jackson is meaningless because the members of a U.S. consumer Web site -- 95% of whom have never visited the worlds' great brewing nations (you included) -- don't rank it higher in a competition? Got it. Cheers!

 

But I like to think that with the right setting, and bit of encouragement, a quality smoked beer can be enjoyed by anybody. I could care less about BA ratings and top beer lists. Even if it's just a 2 oz taster in a carefully curated flight, smoked beers have a place in beer and brewing history that should be understood and respected by anyone interested in beer. They might not run out a buy a bomber of rauchbier, but maybe they'll pick up a bomber of Stone Smoked Porter. I get tired of hearing "This tastes like beef jerkey"- it's like saying, "That Jackson Pollock painting looks like spaghetti" or "That David Lynch movie didn't make any sense."