Rauchbier

Check out Laschett's, Resi's, The Radler, and, as mentioned, the Map Room. I've seen Schlenkerla on at Laschett's and The Radler personally.

Edit: I see you responded already having tried it. My bad. I'll leave this up for others to seek Schlenkerla and other great German/Austrian beers in Chicago.

 

Never seen Schlenkerla at Resi's or Laschett's. They might have it in bottle, but not on tap.

 

I got the Urbock on tap at Laschett's a few months ago.

Resi's I thought I saw a Schlenkerla on tap, but I could be wrong.

 

Grodziskie is not considered a Rauchbier per se but it is a smoked beer brewed with 100% smoked wheat malt. Earlier today I ‘discovered’ the below video and I found it to be very interesting. I thought others might enjoy watching it as well.

Na Zdrowie!

 

Intersting. Maybe they're expanding their portfolios, but the old crowd would have turned their noses up to Rauchbier.

 

So I pulled this one from storage and chilled it down for a "bachelor night." Was surprised to see that this is almost 6 years old! Equally surprised (concerned?) to see it's only 4.5 ABV.

Poured into my short Becher glass and had more head than beer... and then the bomber had a slow gusher. The head is very dense and the beer is very clear. Pretty big, phenolic smoke in the nose and first taste, with lightly sweet, bready malts following.

The phenols are bigger than my first review 5 and-a-half years ago, and they linger more into the aftertaste, but it's still a pretty drinkable beer. Uh, if you like smoked beer, that is.

 

Addendum -- lots of yeast in the bottom of the bottle of Luther, so I'm sure this was bottle-conditioned. Probably helped a little with the preservation... and the gusher.