The audience for Schlenkerla

Okay, so my mom called me yesteday. They spent the weekend in Bamberg and brought a 5 l-keg of Schlenkerla. I'm invited over to join destroying it!

 

The Helles isn't a "base" beer, as it uses no smoked malt. But they brew it in the same tanks as their other beers that *do* use smoked malt, so it has a light smoky taste to it.

 

Below is what Ron Pattinson posted on his blog concerning Schlenkerla Helles:

“Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier 4.3% 11.5º Pale lager. Bitterness 30 EBU.

Coriander grass and smoked aromas; bitterish taste with pepper and smoke aromas; bitter finish with pepper and bacon.

A very interesting beer - a smoked helles. It has a good combination of smoked malt and spicy hop flavours. Very full-flavoured for its strength. It doesn't contain any smoked malt in the grist, but picks up its smoky character from the filter”

Cheers!

 

I don't think "Rauchbier" eliminates it from also being a "Dunkel". I think to Germans, Dunkel just means "dark". For comparison's sake:

Spezial:


Schlenkerla:


Fassla's Dunkel:

 

I don't know about Spezial and Fässla (I haven't found them yet), but that's why Schlenkerla has a Märzen, a Urbock and a Weizen (plus the Lager). Still, all of them are so heavily smoky, that their original style is hard to discover.
The Lager that's been talked about before, is one of my alltime favorites. I only had it last weekend. The subtle (yet clear) smoke aroma is something that other breweries would already sell as a smoked beer. And it has only 4.3 % ABV!

 

Most definitely not -- a Rauchbier is usually a certain style of beer brewed with smoked malts. It's why the breweries have different styles.

It's all about the lighting -- that Märzen doesn't look at all like the last one I had over here.* In fact, it looks more like the Urbock.

*And I always use a .3l Willi Becker as well!

 

Yeah I didn't have a good Märzen photo. I will just have to correct that!

 

My friend and I did Bamberg a couple months back for a few days - not a lot of American tourists. I visited both places and I enjoyed both, but I had to say I liked Schlenkerla a bit more in terms of the beer and atmosphere. That said, Keesman Herren Pils and Huppendorfer Vollbier were awesome.

 

How's 'bout:



(and thanks for the photo advice -- worked like a charm!)

 

Not to thread hijack, but I think Herren Pils might be one of the most underrated beers around. That beer is simply amazing.

 

You bet! Otherwise I don't know what to say except that the waitress at Spezial told me their Rauchbier was their Dunkel.

 

Yeah, it sounds like one of those in-between, regional interpretations that we may have to call in Ron Pattinson to mediate. After all, Köstritzer Schwarzbier is up from the northern regions as well and it a whole lot darker than anything from Bamberg that isn't labeled Bock!

 

I would also imagine a repitch of the house yeast would give a fair chunk of smoke to the helles.

 

The 2 times we went there we were the only non locals in the place and the tables were all pretty full. It's a beer brewed for the local culture,not for the American export market.

 

The one & only time I was there, I felt like I was in if not Graceland, maybe Valhalla. Bamberg is such a beautiful town. I was 2 years into a 3 year tour & wondering why the hell I hadn't visited sooner. ( Some work obligations probably got in the way to be sure).

 

I know in late February the only non-locals I saw in there were a couple of GIs who, like me were there for the beer

 

Interesting. I'm assuming that is fully intentional though, as Schlenkerla's Helles is still more smokey than many other brewery's rauchbiers.

 

You went there twice! Well consider me jealous homie.

 

It's important to remember that when people talk about 'visiting' either of these places you are not visiting the brewery. Neither of which are normally open to the public. You are visiting the brewery tap or keller. Bamberg is a touristy town. I have always seen tourists at both places. I don't think the crowd at these brewery's kellers has any relation to the the predominant consumers of the beer. Both are fantastic.

 

Herr Burgess lived* there for a few years... hurt me.

*Bamberg, though it sounds like he may have been in-residence at Schlenkerla nonetheless!