Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock

Brewed by Brauerei Heller
Style: Smoked
Bamberg, Germany

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Happy as a clam that they tapped this while I was at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn. Pours a waxy copper color with a trim off-white head. Smells of smoked malt and caramel. The most approachable Schlenkerla beer I’ve yet to encounter. Very balanced and relaxed flavors of smoke, meat, caramel, and hops. Would drink this on the regular, if possible.

Draught at ØLbaren. Clear brown - offwhite head. Lovely smokey aroma. High malty, medium sweetness, malty sweetness, caramel, ryebread, nice smokey taste and aftertaste, Smooth body. Soft smokey mouthfull.....

32oz growler courtesy of scrizzz. Thanks, Clint! Pours a deep, brilliant and clear golden-to-orange-to-ruby color; creamy head formation with decent retention and fine-bubbled lacing; really attractive color here. Gorgeous density of smoke character in the aroma: charred oak, smoked meats, and a fair amount of spiciness; not quite the same slim-jim / peppery character of some of their others beer, this is smooth and creamy and shows layers of smoked meat and vanilla and toasted wood; absolutely beautiful aroma here. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of creamy, well-attenuated maltiness here in addition to all the smokiness in the nose; relaxed carbonation; light caramel and fluffy, honeyed malts in addition to the smoke: roasted meats, fair amounts of spiciness, and a hint of something approaching pepperoni or spiced pork; beautifully creamy, full-bodied, well-attenuated, and highly sessionable; this hits a similar spot to the Fastenbier, which was similarly fantastic and fleeting in its availability. I need to find a place out here with cheap Schlenkerla bottles. Lasting finish: nicely toasty on the departure, including honeyed maltiness, toasted oak, and smokiness that lingers long afterwards.

UPDATED: JAN 21, 2010 Clear amber with a tiny white head. Swwet aroma with roasted malt, ham and plenty of smoke. Sweet aroma with roasted malt, caramel, plenty of smoke and ham. Very smooth and the alcohol was well hidden. Lovely.

Draft at redlight. Pours a mostly clear coppery amber color with a small, foamy white head that settles to a thin film and leaves tiny spots of lace around the glass. The aroma shows notes of a sweet caramel malt base, fresh floral hops, salty bacon, smoke, and oak wood. The flavor shows more caramel and doughy, bread malts which add sweetness to the smoke oak wood flavors. The smoke is present throughout, but doesn’t overpower and lends a salty, earthy overtone. Medium bodied with balanced carbonation leading to a dry, salty finish. I like the oak smoke in this one, but I think I prefer their other stuff a little more.

Tap at the Maproom.... Pours a mostly transparent orange cider brown with a medium fluffy white head... Medium degree of salty smoked malt on the nose upfront with more grain and a subtle sweetness on the backend... Less smoke on the flavor with more of a malty grain presence that adds a modicum of sweetness. A real treat with a good balance between smoke and malt. Carbonation is semi-lively and not as smooth as some of the other schlenkerla beers on tap here. Still tasty.

Draft at Map Room. Pours a somewhat clear bronze. The nose is very different, cleaner & less phenolic. Lots of ham and bacon in the nose with distant noble hop herbalness. On taste, it has a clean flavor, not overrun by smoke, though it does come through. Pleasant bitterness couples well with the fantastic base beer. Very elegant and fantastic.

Draught at Beachwood BBQ. Red-amber with a creamy head. Smokey meat and caramel aroma. Meaty flavor, but less smokey than the aroma, probably because of the malty sweetness balancing things. Some caramel as well. Full bodied but not thick at all. Nicely balanced considering that there is still a lot of smoke in here, though I still prefer the regular beech-smoked malt beers for their dryer, smokier profiles.

Tap at maproom, pours basically clear amber with creamy white head. Nose has ham, toasted oak, grains. flavors have toasted oak and malts, sweet biscuit, vanilla, as the smokey ham notes round things out instead of completely dominating like their others do so marvelously. Med body, sturdy carbonation, good but sweeter and less pronounced smoke than their others.

UPDATED: NOV 24, 2010 Draft. 1.8.10 Pours a clear glowing dark orange amber with a big frothy foamy eggshell head. Sweet and spicy aroma, light fruit, Munich malt, formaldehyde. Flavor is greatly well balanced, smooth glassy lightly fruity Munich Malt character, typical schlenkerla smoke, salty cured meat, hard to find the oak under the smoke but exceptionally mellowed. Medium bodied, fills the mouth nicely without being heavy, sharp smooth carbonation. 8.4.8.4.17 [O... I thought it was aged on oak... didn’t realize beechwood was replaced by oak... got it now] . . . . . . . . . [rerate bottle 11.24.10] Pours a beautiful vibrant glowing rich amber orange. Flavor as I remember, but it’s a bit more sticky, rich, didn’t realize it was a doppelbock before but can definitely tell now. Really is a fine beer, aroma is amazing, great smoked pork aftertaste, rich vienna, lightly grassy, very smooth, cinnamon, sweet but well attenuated. 8.4.8.4.16