Smoked Beers

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by mrmattosgood, Jun 18, 2019.

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  1. mrmattosgood

    mrmattosgood Maven (1,301) Nov 6, 2010 Canada (BC)

    Who is doing beers with smoked malts? Not necessarily rauchbiers but using smoke as a means through which to create something innovative and new.

    Near me, there’s Jacks Abby (smoke & dagger), Silvaticus, and even Oxbow did smoke with their bobasa beer. This is kind of what I’m looking for, but nationwide.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. islay

    islay Savant (1,211) Jan 6, 2008 Minnesota

    HammerHeart in Lino Lakes, Minnesota is, I believe, the most smoked-malts-oriented brewery in the Upper Midwest, with a large proportion of its beers using smoked malts to varying degrees. It does produce some Bamberg-style rauchbiers, but it uses smoked malts in a variety of nontraditional styles as well. I rank it among the top ten breweries in the state.
     
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  3. Lone_Freighter

    Lone_Freighter Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2017 Vermont

    Uhmmmm....not sure who is doing smoked beers in Liechtenstein and I didn't know Jack's Abby and Oxbow distro-ed to Europe. That's cool that they are, good for them and that you're able to get their beers there.
     
  4. dcotom

    dcotom Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,637) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Alaskan Smoked Porter is a standout.
     
  5. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Against the grain in Louisville does some but I'm not sure how many they distribute.
     
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  6. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Notch has a smoked lager on tap right now. It's good too.
     
  7. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,884) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Everything I've had by them has been great!

    One of my desert island beers.
     
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  8. Roadkizzle

    Roadkizzle Initiate (0) Nov 6, 2007 Texas

    Live Oak in Austin, TX has some of the best smoked beers I've had outside of Bamberg.

    They replaced their IPA with a Grodziskie in their year round lineup. The Grodziskie is a smoked wheat beer at ~3% ABV.

    I loved their smoked Schwarzbier.

    They also make a smoky Oktoberfest among others.
     
  9. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just want to add in re: Against the Grain, their Bo and Like BBA stout uses smoked malts and is my favorite new beer of the year last year. I've seen it out here on the west coast so I know they distribute it.
     
  10. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Sly Fox Brewing produces smoked beers on a rotating basis. Draft only to the best of my knowledge:

    · Smoked Baltic Porter

    · Rauch Bier

    Cheers!
     
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  11. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not
    Not sure if serious......


    But, if so, you don't think people travel or trade?
     
  12. Coronaeus

    Coronaeus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,744) Apr 21, 2014 Canada (ON)
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Up here, Godspeed does a great job with smoke.
     
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  13. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (5,822) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Moonlight out of Santa Rosa periodically brews a smoked beer or two. They’re delicious—the last one I had was a smoked lager—and I only wish I saw more of them on a semi/regular basis.
     
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  14. cheeseheadinMinneapolis

    cheeseheadinMinneapolis Pooh-Bah (2,011) Sep 20, 2017 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

  15. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

  16. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    By your statement of "Really?", does that mean you do not think there should be a beer style of "Smoke beer'?

    The Brewers Association has a style of "Smoke Beer" in their style guidelines. Below are the medal winners from last year's GABF:

    “Category 34: Smoke Beer - 50 Entries

    Gold: St. Chuck’s Smoke, Rogue Ales Issaquah Brewhouse, Issaquah, WA

    Silver: Pro-Pro Porter, Wormtown Brewery, Worcester, MA

    Bronze: Raucher, Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, MI”

    Cheers!
     
  17. eppCOS

    eppCOS Grand Pooh-Bah (4,570) Jun 27, 2015 Colorado
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Once a month or so I dive in for a classic smoked beer (Aecht) or an Alaskan Smoked.
    When in Chicago, it's Dovetail's Rauchbier or their awesome Grodziskie that wins my heart.
    Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
     
  18. Coronaeus

    Coronaeus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,744) Apr 21, 2014 Canada (ON)
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I wish more local brewers around here would make Grodziskie. There was a one off a few months ago that was great. Such a refreshing and gentle beer style. The smoke doesn’t overpower. Love it.
     
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  19. islay

    islay Savant (1,211) Jan 6, 2008 Minnesota

    I agree with the implication of "Really?" "Smoke beer" isn't a true style; smoked malts (or in some cases smoked hops) can be used in any style. The most renowned smoke beer brewery, Schlenkerla, famously makes smoked versions of a variety of traditional German styles and labels them clearly as being in those specific styles. Smoke is just a flavor attribute, albeit in some cases an overwhelming one. "Smoke" probably better fits as a tag or a secondary "style," with the whatever the underlying style in which the beer has been brewed belonging as the primary style for core classification purposes.
     
  20. Ranbot

    Ranbot Pooh-Bah (2,463) Nov 27, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    This is an obvious answer, of course, but classic Aecht Schlenkerla probably has the widest distribution of smoke/rauch beer in the US. You can't go wrong... Schlenkerla has spent several hundred years perfecting their techniques.

    You'll find other US brewers dabbling in smoke beers with a one or two in their line-up, but none specialize in it... with the possible exception of HammerHeart mentioned above, which I hadn't heard of till now. I'll be on the look-out for them.
     
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