The usual Schlenkerla bottle shape, purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta, GA, USA. The pour is a particularly attractive, gold color with a moderate, white head. It looks really nice in terms of the color, but I would much prefer a bigger and better retained head. It lacks a little in that department, but the color is really superb. Very nice carbonation. The nose delivers the usual Schlenkerla bacon smoke, but it seems more complex and layered than some of the other Schlenkerla beers....
Notes on beers in the style
Smoked Beer
Smokey
Very surprised to come across this - I hadn't heard that this was out, but delighted to try in when I took a break from the Atlanta Cask Ale tasting by slipping into the bar at Taco Mac, Prado with the wife. Pour was a dark brown affair that was presented with far too little head. This was a pouring issue rather than a beer issue - a common problem when drinking at Taco Mac. The beer was also too cold, which had an influence on the nose. With time, the beer did release its aroma and when they...
Heavy Seas – Smoke On The Water
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. This is now a serious pattern rather than a few blips in the Big Beer series from Heavy Seas/Clipper. This is just not a very good beer - ANOTHER poor effort in the series. Pour is fine with the standard black body and a decent amount of early carbonation. Head fades quickly; no lace or retention to speak of. Nose gives virtually no smoke element which in itself is not an encouraging thing, but when the beer warms and there is only a tiny change...
Nils Oscar Rökporter
500 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I enjoy a smoked porter, especially in the winter months and if smoke s going to work in a beer at all, a porter is a great style to match up with the ashes. Lovely black body with plenty of brown/red highlights. Mocha head is high early, retention and lace are good. Solid. Nose and and tastes give some noticeable, lactose like milkiness. Smoke pushes the milk sugar away and the sweetness drops off to give a nice, authentic porter flavor. Smoke...
Allagash Burnham Road
On tap at The Brick Store. Interesting beer as it would appear that this is one of the few Allagash beers that steers away from your typical Belgian inspired styles and goes down a "road" that I was not expecting from them. Darkish, golden pour with excellent head, lace and retention. packaged in the Allagash flute/tulip, the beer holds its own nicely in the glass. Nose and tastes give a light smoke with plenty of peat in the background. it threatens to get quite strong but somehow is held...
Smoke Ale
22 oz, screen printed bottle. Usual Rogue presentation. Cloudy orange pour with a high head which is wispy and quickly dissipates. some scant lace. The orange color and the head makes it look a little like an American IPA. Pretty reserved smoke in the nose, and to be honest it seems just as reserved in the taste. In NO way would I characterize this as a smoked beer since it really just drinks like a typically unbalanced Rogue (large hop presence without much malt to back it up) with smoke...
Fireside Ale
12 oz single. Mid brown pour with a decent head and a little lace. Nose and tastes are rich malts with more than a touch of smoke (as the label suggests). It is a little more smoky than I was anticipating, and it was pretty sweet. I enjoyed the taste but to be honest, this is a beer that I can only really manage one of in a sitting. It's rich without beying cloying. Obviously the smoke dominates, and to be honest at the end it seems that this is a little subtley smoked than many rauchbiers...
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock
Additional notes 05/02/2022 Such a pretty beer (the 2022 version is pictured). Luscious smoke permeates every part of the beer, and induces a gulping motion in me. The sweetness is there as I noted back in 2008, and I always find this so tremendously satisfying. One 500 mL bottle is all I ever want, but the way that this beer fills a singular void that no other can is, well, uncanny. Original notes 07/27/2008 Took a long time to get around to formally reviewing this - I don't know why. 500 mL...
Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier
500 mL bottle, $3.99 from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Been meaning to try this for a long time, finally got around to it this weekend. Amazing yellow clarity in the body with a short lived head and no lace. Macro lager appearance. I thought I was losing my mind when I tasted this up front. There was smoke! Mild but noticeable nonetheless. Apparently, the beer becomes "smoked" just by virtue of the fact that it passes through the brewery where all of the other smoked beers are...
Norwegian Wood
$5.99 500 mL bottle, Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Big 'ole malty noisy pour and look. Good head but a surprisigly lack of lace. Rich, thick mouthfeel. Creamy. The smoke comes through strong, and frankly this is NOT my favorite feature of a beer (even though this is at least part of the point here). Drinkability suffers for me. Smoke overwhelms this a bit for me and there is a lack of subtlety.
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen
500 mL bottle, Tower, Piedmont, Atlanta, GA, USA. Nice looking with a decent darkish amber body and some attractive head. Very light lacing, decent carbonation. In typical Heller-Trum style, the aroma is a basically a side of smoked ham in a glass! A great beer to enjoy with your grilled or BBQ'd meats. Unlike some of the other beers in the style, I found that the smoke here did not really overpower the beer. In other examples I found the smoke to dominate to such an extent that other...
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
Additional Notes: 05/03/2022 This is the bottle pictured. Reading my original notes (below) from 17 years ago I’m a little surprised, since now I really enjoy this beer. To be honest, much more than a couple in any 12 month period is about all that I need, and I still find it best paired with food, but the words, “simply isn’t to my liking” is now just no longer true. I really enjoy it. Original Notes: 06/29/2005 Well, it's obviously an acquired taste, and it's going to take some people by...