Rauchbier Questions

I had read about the style before I ever had one, so I knew what to expect. My first rauchbier, a Schlenkerla urbock was amazing. I've loved them ever since!

 

I love rauchbiers. They're not my favorite style, but they are up there. The first one I had was Aecht Shlenkerla's Urbock. The taste was overwhelming, but I took to it immediately. Been buying that, and the other versions, ever since. Jack's Abby does a nice one called Smoke and Dagger. For those of you in and around Massachusetts I suggest you grab one and pair it with baba ghanoush. They go beautifully well together.

 

Sam Adams Bonfire Rauchbier introduced me to the style and I fell in love. I've had most of the Shlenkerla variants and I have to say my favorite is the Urbock. Second would be the Marzen.

 

I believe the traditional way to make babaghanoush is to roast the eggplant over an open flame, so the smokey flavor is definitely there. That's how the Syrian joint around the bend from me prepares it. It's amazing.

 

Yeah- if it's not smoky there's no point.

 

Recently tried my first six pack of Smoke and Dagger. I have to say I was very disappointed, due to the lack of smoke. It was more or less like an overly chocolate schwarzbier. Almost a porter/schwarzbier mix. And while I dig porters, and I dig schwarzbiers, I don't want them mixed. And at 5.8% abv it's well above what most schwarzbiers are at (~4.8 to 5% abv), which makes them sessionable. Worst of all, I really wanted more smoke in the beer. It doesn't have to be intense, but it was very faint. Maybe I'll try Fire in the Ham?

On the Rauchbier note, a local liquor store had multiple bottles of the Urbock, Weizen, and the Eiche (Doppelbock). I thought the Urbock JUST came out, and the Doppelbock isn't out yet. The Urbock had dust on them. I didn't buy any of them because I suspect these are VERY old (this is also based on this store's reputation).

 

Bummer about Smoke and Dagger. I enjoyed Fire in the Ham as well. There's definitely more smoke in that one.

 

PROST!

My fav...
(photos by me)

 

Okay -- a little retraction and/or reversal on my preferences. Had a Schlenkerla Märzen on Wednesday and an Urbock this evening. While the Urbock was definitely good, I think I like the smoothness of the Märzen better. Can't go wrong either way.

 

1. Schlenkerla make a weissebier, as noted above many times.
2. Not my favourite style. I feel like I go mad on Munich Helles and get bored of them, reach for a Schlenkerla Lagerbier Hell and I fall in love all over again.
3. Not me.
4. First rauch I had was Schlenkerla Weiss bier. I didn't know what I had bought, I just knew it was a German bier I hadn't had before, there was no English translation on the bottle. I poured the bier and it was grey. Grey. At first I thought WTF, then I smelled and thought, my god, this cannot be happening. Then I tasted it and thought, why has someone put a cigarette in my bier? So the first time, was a big no. But my friend is a big rauch fan, so I persevered and now Schlenkerla Lagerbier Hell is in my top 10 biers.