Smoked Beer Appreciation Thread (2023)

When you walk in there are room to the left and right where you can be seated and order food and drink. There is also the small outdoor biergarten, but that probably will be closed when you arrive.

Futher in side there is a window on the left where you can get the Märzen from the barrels. You pay for the beers and there is a deposit on the glass, as you can go out on the street it is too crowded. Return the token when done drinking to get your deposit back.

Further in there is a kiosk with swag for sale, bottles, and draft beer. That is where they poured the Weschel and Erle in September. What is on draft and in bottles depends on the season.

Have fun.

 

Well smoke and ash have different aromas.

 

Bamberg Onion. Thank me later.

 

Trust me. Great with the Schlenkerla Märzen.

(unless you're vegetarian -- if so, I apologize for the suggestion!)

 

I did not mean to give the impression that the beer was bland. It was a very tasty helles. And it is possible that Throne of Ashes is meant to be a tribute to Schlenkerla Helles (which, as you point out, has a low level of smokiness).

Wayfinder makes several rauchbiers each year, all of which are significantly smokier than this one. So between that and the name, I was expecting the smoke to be a lot less timid than this.

 

Enjoying this one from Notch.

Notch Brewing Lost In The Dream



Full review here. Getting a pure campfire wood smoke, no meat vibes, with a light tobacco hint. Focused, not nuanced in terms of smoke notes, but really enjoying what I'm getting with this one.

 

Enjoying an amazing Smoked Coffee Porter from Cellarmaker Brewing Company in Oakland, CA! Thank you @ronricorossi !

 

It's not really a taproom as you might imagine it. You don't sit at the bar and work your way through the different beers. In fact, there isn't even a bar really (there is, but it's the staff’s work station, not one you sit at or get served at). In the rooms, you will be served by a waitress. In the hallway, you go to the hatch and pay cash per beer.

The Märzen isn’t even on a CO2 tap. It’s a big barrel that's just set up and poured by gravity (it's quite something to see a fresh one being rolled out and set up). As you'll be there in December there will probably be one of the Bock beers too, Urbock or Eiche, in a little barrel next to the big one.

 

Both Schlenkerla and Spezial produce a Weizen which is top-fermented, so an “ale” in US usage, and they are considered Rauchbier.

I've also seen old references to Grodziskie from times when part of today’s Poland was under German rule, and the “Grätzer Bier” was occasionally also classed as Rauchbier.

But if someone says Bamberger Rauchbier without any qualification, then yes, I am thinking of the lagers.

 

Me too!

Cheers!

 

Glad to finally join in on this thread, smoked beers are one of my favorites!

Fair State Lichtenhainer


Appearance: Slightly hazy pale yellow, small head that fizzles out quickly.

Smell: Very interesting, reminds me of barbeque pork with a vinegar base sauce.

Taste: Pretty tart arrival, vinegar and lemony. A little bit of wheatiness in the middle, then finishes with more tartness and a little bit of smoke.

Overall: I'm always on the hunt for smoked beers, so picked up a bottle of this sour smoked wheat at Fair State's taproom. I'm a fan of the smoke but not as much the sour. This has more pronounced sourness/tartness than the other local lichtenhainer (Waldmann) here in the Twin Cities. Still an interesting beer and glad to try it.

 

Drinking my favorite rauschbier, Aecht Schlenterla Rauschbier Marzen

 

Cross-posted in the What Mid-Atlantic beer are you drinking now? (2023) forum.



Human Robot Brewing - Smoked Rösten. It's so good. Inspired by Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier. Personally, I liked this one a bit more than Rösten.

#properglassware

 

I don't think I've chimed in on this thread yet, but happy to now!

Cross posted from both NBW and WBAYDN, just finished renewing my BA society membership as well.

Offset Bier - Rauchbier Märzen



Adding my full review because if it's an appreciation thread, thoughts count!

70% Beechwood smoked malt
Homage to the breweries of Bamberg keeping the smoked beer tradition alive
Dark Amber in color. Smoke, crusty dark bread, soft, smooth.

No canning date, though new as of 2 days ago.
Purchased from Homebrew/beer store, 4pk for $13
Poured at fridge temp into a dimple mug.

Pours a beautiful dark brown sugar/caramel cola color with a hint of amber reddish hue. Just as pretty lacing and head retention. 4.25

Smoke immediately noticed upon pouring. It's not acrid, burnt or char, but smells like a smoulder/dying embers. Light hint of dark sweet bread as well. 4.25

Wood smoke, very dark fresh bread crust, pumpernickel perhaps? Some lightly sweet caramel and maltiness, fleeting earthy honey like hop character. 4.25

Very soft pillowy feel, with matching carbo levels. Some lingering hoppy oils. Dry. 4

Overall a nearly as can be consistent delightful beer across the board. It didn't taste like chewing on a piece of charcoal, or have a mixed meaty scent like a smoker at a BBQ joint. Looks, aromas, taste and feel were all an experience I'd be ashamed not to report on. So glad I have additional of these, well worth the price and would heartily recommend 10/10. Plus at 4.8% it's an all day drinker, and light enough in taste and overall feel not to be a 'one and done' 4.25

Cheers friends!

 

Cheers. Glad you like it. Thanks for the positive words. We’ll have the Rauch Helles out in a week is so. No smoked malt but we used the yeast from this beer to ferment the Helles as would be traditional. Ended up blending 3% of the Marzen back in as the smoke was just a bit too faint.

 

This is Guernsey Lager, a Rauchbier from Allerton Brewing, Independence, IA. According to the brewer's notes, this is Allerton's Oktoberfest Märzen with some smoked malt swapped into the malt bill. It probably falls somewhere near the lighter end of the style spectrum in color, body, and smoke intensity. Good food beer, but a pleasant sipper on its own as well.

 

Good point.

Based on the specifics of Schlenkerla's branding, I always assumed they wanted to reserve their use of the term Rauchbier for beers made with beech wood kilned malt specifically (as opposed to other woods). Their Weizen branding seems to show that they are not as concerned with the Rauchbier label and the "unsmoked" malts used in a beer. It's interesting.

Looking at Spezial's site. They market their offerings as Rauchbier except for the Weissbier. Perhaps they are less open with applying the term than Schlenkerla. I see from reviews that it is smoky. Do you know anything about the ingredients used in the beer? I'm wondering if the malts are similar to Schlenkerla's wheat beer... or if the smoke quality carries over from other beers that Spezial produces (like with the Schlenkerla Helles).

 

You are correct, I hadn't noticed that.

I confess I don't know how the wheat beers are made. Both Spezial and Schlenkerla make their own malt but I don’t know if that extends to making their own wheat malt too.

On the subject of malt, I heard Mathias Trum of Schlenkerla on a podcast a couple of years talking about it. He made the point that their malt, because the whole drying process is done on the smoke kiln, is different to what you get from buying finished malt and smoking it.