Rauchbier (smokebeer)
Brauerei Heller, Bamburg, Germany
Founded 1405
They say, if you’ve been to Bamburg, Germany and haven’t tried the smokebeer, you haven’t been to Bamburg. Bamburg is famous for its Rachbier (smokebeer) and there are nine local breweries, with two that have been producing this smoky beverage for centuries. The smokiness is achieved by drying malts over the strong smoke of burning beechwood logs. The malts absorb the smoky essences and then impart that flavor into the waters used for making the final product.
So, I haven’t been to Bamburg, but I did try the smokebeer. Feeling a little adventurous, I grabbed this interesting looking bottle off the German shelf of my local brew supplier. Unable to decipher anything on the label other than the word smokebeer, I figured the subtle hint of smoke would be similar to some of my darker favorites that also assert a bit of smokiness.
I didn’t know what I was in for.
Smoke Signals
Upon opening, bam! Campfire memories. The smoke was intense, even overwhelming.
A hard pour burst into a fluffy off-white head that left the air thick with smoke. I brought the opaque brown ale toward my nose and hesitated for a moment while I contemplated the history of this beer. Brewed under the Cathedral in the center of Bamburg, this bottom-fermented brew matures in 700 year-old cellars at the Tavern Schlenkerla and is bottled straight from the wooden cask after aging.
I can’t use the word smoky enough in describing this beer and it definitely takes a few sips to get used to the flavor. It has medium body and medium carbonation, so it was easy to drink, but you really have to be ready for the smokiness to thoroughly enjoy it.
As I continue to explore the unfiltered, murky depths of this 5.1% ABV ale, I catch myself pining for some citrusy hoppyness. But, I carry forth, knowing deep down that this was a very refined beer, brewed with old-world craftsmanship.
Sweet and not bitter, with salty-clove flavors that waft above the smoke, Rauchbier is an acquired taste. The Schlenkerla website explains that the second pint tastes better than the first, and the third better than that. I’ll have to take their word for it.
The Tavern’s coasters declare:
Even if the brew tastes somewhat strange at the first swallow, do not stop, because soon you will realize that your thirst will not decrease and your pleasure will visibly increase.
Needless to say, the smoke is strong in this one.
Shlenkerla bottles several German classics such as Weizen, Märzen. and Urbock. I tried the Weizen which uses wheat-based malts and contains yeasts that continue to ferment in the bottle.
Shlenkerla Rauchbier is frothing with tradition, and its mystique is bolstered by a long list of awards including gold and silver medals at the 2014 Australian Beer Awards.
You may have to work at it to acquire a taste for smokebeer, but in the end it is a labor of love. Enjoy!
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