Rauchbier Questions

To me, rauchbiers go best with autumn: chilly evenings, heartier foods, and the smell of rain and fireplace smoke in the air. I wouldn't call it my favorite style, but it is certainly in my top 3 by now.

They seem to be tricky to brew. I've had so many that were harsh, phenolic, and terribly unbalanced. Too many brewers who attempt the style seem to treat smoked malt like hops: more is good and too much is never enough. A good rauchbier is all about balance: a gust of smoke, a satisfying body of malt, easy drinkability.

 

On tap from a wooden keg in Bamberg. As it gets older, some of that clean smoke goes away.

Stone smoked porter uses peated malts, and I don't like the phenolic flavor. Some do.

 

You must not be familiar with the state of Franconia. You see red and white much more than blue and white in Bamberg. Much more. Look i

Crabapple juice is good for adjusting the acidity of cider. The smoked beer was too one dimensional and sharp, sort of acidic. Go figure.

 

I'll be right over! Sounds and looks great.

 

I had the Fastenbier a few times on tap earlier this year and it was absolutely delicious.
The Marzen is one of the biggest reasons I love beer. The Eiche and the Urbock are both amazing too.

No American beer I've had compares to any Aecht Schlenkerla bier. None.

 

2. Every minute of every day

3. I don't have a favorite style.

4. I loved them even before I tried my first. Does that still count?

 

OP, note that this thread is dominated by one brewer. Could you imagine quite the same thing of any other beer style?

2. Anytime
3. Perhaps one of, but a problematic notion since so many smoky beers leave much to be desired. I gravitate to any smoky beer regardless. I am not sure how I feel about it qualifying as a "style."
4. Enjoyed them from the first sip taken in Bamberg. In fact, I enjoyed that first impression so much that it started me on the road of being interested in beer. A kagillion beers later, I am still enamored with Schlenkerla.

 

I was intrigued and kind of liked it. Victory Brewing does a very good one, but only when the mood strikes them. I think they called it Scarlet Lady.

 

On recommendations from this site, I got the cojones to finally pick up an Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen after fearing it would be an utter waste of $6. I'm damn glad I did. It sounds over-the-top maybe, but drinking it was a bit of a exercise in discovery; a beer mini-journey. First came the initial burst of fairly intense smoke: smoked salmon without the fish, or smoked bacon without the pork - part intriguing, part shocking. At first that's all I could concentrate on, but the further I got into the glass, the more I noticed a really excellent, clean, smooth, toasty marzen lurking just underneath the prominent smoke. Towards the end of the glass I had realized that despite being very boldly flavored, that beer was damn drinkable - At no point did it seem heavy or overbearing. It became very obvious Schlenkerla totally nailed that beer, and apparently the whole style.

All that being said, you've got to enjoy smoky flavors at least somewhat to enjoy that beer, and REALLY enjoy smoke to put down multiples. I like the beer and respect how it's so masterfully crafted, but I don't think I could put down more than a few bottles in a sitting, nor do I have an urge to go buy more any time very soon (especially @ $6 a bottle). So, while not my favorite style, it's definitely one I can appreciate and come back to occasionally. I can see how it could make for some awesome food pairings too!

 

I feel like a kid on Christmas Day reading this thread. I know what I'm drinking tonight.

 

Actually, I always found Schlenkerla's Rauchbier too heavy on the smoked flavor. I've always Speziel's Rauchbier, which I find more balanced in malts other than Rauchmalz and doesn't just hit you over the head with the smoked flavor.

Brauerei Rittmayer also makes a very good version. Below is my review of it from Dec 19, 2012.

 

Best meal I ever had anywhere in Germany. Either the onions are looking smaller these days, or my memory wants to remember it much bigger.

 

You're lucky you missed the Kasierdom days (at least I think it's no longer brewed), that beer was heavily smoked -- so much so that, since it was my only experience with Rauchbier, I thought a trip to Bamberg was going to be a nightmare. Silly me.

 

Victory does indeed make tasty Rauchbiers. The one that you drank is called Scarlet Fire.

Victory also makes Torching Blonde which is a Rauch Helles Lager; that beer is very, very good!

Cheers!

 

I'll bet. Do they bottle any of them?

 

1. since spezial and schlenkerla both make a very tasty rauchbier weizen, i would say- no. most are, but not all.
2. when i still lived in franconia i enjoyed rauchbier quite often, it was an everyday beer for me. esp. in the colder month.
3.i would not say I have a favorite beer style, but rauchbiers are def. still one of my go to beer styles. and they are very diverse.try schlenkerla helles lager, schlenkerla eiche and schlenkera urbock and compare them and i think youll agree.
4. I liked them the first time I tried them. but it was more of a funny gimmick for me at first, and i couldnt stomach more than say 2 seidla.it took a whille for it to become a sessionable style for me which i can drink like 6 seidlas or more from.

 

1.yes, BJCP has rauchbier as finished with german lager yeast, there are other smoked beers that are awesome as well that are finished like an ale.
2.I like a Good rauch with a heavy meal, or on rainy/ cold days, great beer to break away from a stout or porter.
3.I would like to have more of a variety of them, been taking down some shlenkerla but fort collins z lager does the job.
4. i had Ur-bock shlenkerla about 5 years ago and instanly thought i was drinking liquid bacon, loved the first few sips and after that it got overwhelming. now i can crush them.

 

got me drooling over here!