The name of this beer is anything but subtle. Aecht means genuine. Schlenkerla refers to a hobble/not walking straight, which was ostensibly a reference to a former brewer of Bamberg, who had a strange way of walking. Very apt for such an eccentric beer. Rauchbier, of course, means smoked beer. Bamberg is an area name, and Marzen is a style name. Okay, so that’s a lot to think about before even taking a sip. But if you think the name is a mouthful, wait until you taste the beer. This is a genuine smoked lager, indeed. Beechwood is the tree of choice over which the grains are smoked before the brewing process. This is the touchstone version of a smoked beer.
The Pour: The beer pours with a somewhat darker, marzen beer color. Perhaps light chestnut or maple syrup would be a fitting color description. A soft-looking, stable, two-finger-high head graced the top of the body. Schlenkerla looks pretty clean and straightforward in the glass. But that’s the end of it.
The Nose: Smoke is the first quality noted when smelling this beer. It’s a campfire clothes aroma with a touch of the typically powdery German yeast strains. A touch of sweetness and bready tones also come through the nose of the beer…but make no mistake, smoke dominates.
The Taste: The first quality that comes out of the beer is a fairly intense smokiness. I personally enjoy the smokiness of the beer, but it might be a bit much for some. A tinge of sweetness, yeast, breadiness, and a dose of caramel also played a role. From the middle to the end was a firm and pleasant bitterness, which with the lager cleanness, made for a very refreshing quality. This Rauchbier is a straightforward and uncompromising smoked beer. Expect that if you try it.
Overall, I love this beer. The intense smokiness is somehow very refreshing, both on the palate and as a change of pace. If you are afraid of the smokiness, then try to drink it with food. My wife wasn’t loving the beer until I showed her that I brought home some garlic seasoned smoked pulled pork. The beer was simply brilliant with the pork. The fat was lifted by the carbonation and bitterness and the smoke flavors matched beautifully. On top of that, the marzen flavors really open up when paired with most smoked meats. Of course, German beer does particularly well with pork. If you smoke cigars, this might be a good beer to have that way. The pulled pork was maybe the best beer pairing I’ve had.
Mike’s Review:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other Smoked beers:
This sounds interesting Mike. I could see smoke beers going well with German foods too, like a nice sourbraton or a Kielbasa. For some reason it seems like it would go well with other smoky meats too like a smoked salmon or a goose. I don’t know I could be talking out my rear here having never had a smoke beer, but it does sound like they would be good pairings. It seems some beers just scream for food pairings, and I would think a rauchbier is one of those.
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beer_scientist Reply:
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:23 am
Absolutely, Don. Smoke with smoke is a good pairing.
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Jäger schnitzel, spätzle und weinkraut… das ist gut!
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beer_scientist Reply:
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
Das ist gut, freund
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