Rauchbiers in America

I like O'Fallon smoke porter. To me it was smooth and not too smoky. I bought a sixer and really enjoyed it. I tried Alaskan smoked porter from 2017 and I did not enjoy it as much. Maybe it was something I ate earlier I don't know but it had a weird bite to it that I did no like. I do need to get another bottle and try it again or put it in the cellar. Gotta try it more than once.

But Schlenkerla anything is my favorite. The marzen is fairly available here in the fall. Urbock in winter. I tasted this first in Germany many years ago. The bartender brought up a cask from the cellar. I was told that I gotta try rauchbier. The first glass I was not so sure. It was really smoky as I recall. More so than the bottles I get here. The second and third glasses really smoothed out to my liking. For years I did not see it here in the states. Thankfully it is available now. I'm still looking for those helles cans.....

 

Hopefully you will find them soon. It think it is really cool that the US importer is canning this beer.

Cheers!

 

I'll echo others and say don't be afraid of Schlenkerla. You said you are trying to expand your taste and get to know other styles. You really can't get to know Rauchbier without trying one of the two main beers from Schlenkerla. That's no exaggeration. It's also a more specific thing than simply "smoked beers." Personally, I don't think you'll find it easy to get anything made as well by any other brewer. Sure, you can find a porter with gentler smoke, but it might not be nearly as tasty or integrated either. Some people will find Schlenkerla intense, but others will take to it easily. I will differ from others above in that I think you should go straight for the Marzen or Urbock (whichever seems fresher) - their true Rauchbiers. For me, their Weizen, Helles, and Eiche Doppelbock aren't the same and don't have the same harmony. It's also a perfect time to drink their Fastenbier if you stumble upon it.

Avoid Spezial. If you're "lucky" enough to find a bottle from them, it's probably a decade old.

If you really just want to carefully dip your toes in, there was a fairly recent Sam Adams mixed 12 pack called "American Craft Lagers" that had a smoked lager in there. Just don't judge the entire style on that one beer. I didn't try that beer or anything from that pack.

 

Chris, do you have some knowledge here? Will Fastenbier be imported this year? It has been several years (e.g., 2015) since I have seen Fastenbier.

Cheers!

 

You might recall me posting about how the roman numeral dates on the bottle neck labels are not accurate (the importer has confirmed this to me). As far as I can tell, the beer is being imported this year (but I have no importer confirmation on that). The Fastenbier bottle that I had this year with a 2016 label tasted fresh to me... but I could be wrong (and I've seen at least one keg listed as being on tap online).

 

Well, that is good news. I will have to keep my eyes open for this beer on draft.

Cheers!

 

Last Sept. I was really enjoying the ****ial Lagerbier, and it was nice and Smokey.

The Schlenkerla Märzen was not as Smokey as I remembered.

The Alaskan Smoked Porter uses Alderwood, so the smoke has a different character.

 

Do so... and same to the OP... but I’m just going from memory here.

 

I actually find Schlenkerla's beers pretty accessible. My first go at a smoked beer was Alaska's smoked porter. I fully anticipated not liking it, but I was wrong. It's very good. I had Surly's Smoke 5 years or so ago. Tasted like a campfire. Despite a lot of trips to the brewery, I haven't tried it since.

 

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An advantage of the canned Schlenkerla Helles 4-packs is that there is a canned on date (a sticker on the top of the 4-pack plastic holder). The bottled Schlenkerla beers are not dated.

Cheers!

P.S. It is a shame they don't date the individual cans because if you just purchase a single can you won't know when it was packaged.

 

The Trosten lager was still on tap at the brewery as of this weekend in case OP finds himself in the Stowe area any time soon.

 

A great beer... and in this case, you know that they aren't too old. It's not a Rauchbier, but it's a great introduction to Schlenkerla and smokey beer.

 

Second votes here for both smoked porters and Grey Sail's Leaning Chimney. Ommegang's smoked porter is one of the best beers I've had across all styles. I could drink it to the exclusion of all other dark-malt beers if I had to ... it's fantastic.

Michael's right about Schlenkerla: Don't avoid their stuff out of fear. And the Helles is a great starting point. In fact, I'd recommend beginning a session with one. I tend to enjoy them much more first rather than after a different style or two. That, of course, could just be me, but it's a method I've tested many times.

 

...and if the OP can get to Chicago, try Dovetail Brewing's Rauchbier if it's on offer. It smells and tastes of a smokey campfire of smores. Just awesome.

 

Sadly Stone's Smoked Porter is indeed retired. I was lucky enough to grab a couple bottles right before it went off the shelves a couple years back and really enjoyed it.

If they ever bring it back I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who didn't have a chance to try it the first time around. Makes a great "first smoked beer" in my experience, I wasn't sure if I'd like them at all before I tried that beer but afterward I started actively seeking out other smoked porters (and if I ever stumble across them again, rauchbier/smoked beers in general.)

 

Try Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout.

 

Embrace the smoke, my friend. Dive right into the Schlenkerla. I'll echo what a few others have said and say that in my opinion the Marzen and Urbock are the most representative of a rauchbier. Weizen is good, not amazing, and the Eiche is a totally different type of smoke than the others. The Helles is possibly my favorite beer of all-time, but it's more Helles with a hint of smoke, as opposed to rauchbier. Fastenbier is incredible as well, but I (like others) have only seen old stock this year. Any of them are worthy of a try, and if you're not into them right away, take a break and revisit them in a few weeks. They can be an acquired taste.

One of the things I love most about rauchbier is how the more you drink in one sitting, the easier it becomes to drink. That first pint can be a shock to the senses, but after that you really start to settle in to the smoke and it becomes very sessionable.