Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier

Brewed by Brauerei Heller
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Bamberg, Bayern, Germany

(Sample Date: 6/23/2009 Source:River City Cellars) Spicy hops and light wood smoke in aroma. Clear light yellow golden with rocky white persistent head. Malty graininess with light spicy noble hop flavor and smokiness. Medium body with an almost creamy mouthfeel. Finish is medium, spicy, and grainy with light residual bitterness.

Citrusy, light hops, and thirst quenching. All the body of a good German beer with that classic Reinhetsgebot purity. Floral nose with tinges of hops and lemon/lime. Pours a hefty gold with a snow white head.

Bright and clear golden beer with thin white head. Musty, cereal nose like wet grains, and a mossy dampness there like a hint of smoked peat. Interesting aroma for sure. Moderate, wet-grass bitterness, medium body, pleasantly bitter aftertaste. Rough, honest, grainy beer. Begs to drunk in quantity. Addictive. Wish I had more.

Draught at Max’s: Corn, slight smoke, pale malts, and grains. Poured yellow/gold in color with a small white head that diminished but lasted throughout. Clear. Lightly sparkling. Flavor is slightly sweet. Tastes of sweet pale malts, smoke, faint corn, grains, and a hint of bread. Light body. Lightly sticky, lightly dry texture. Soft to average carbonation. Slightly sweet ,slightly smokey finish.

On tap at the Map Room; clear, pale-lager yellow w/ a foamy white head that diminishes fairly quickly; aroma is smoky w/ sweet maltiness; ditto w/ the flavor; ends smoky and slightly dry. Lacks the balance of the Marzen and the subtlety of the Fastenbier. Pretty drinkable though.

Pours a light golden color with a small white head. Aroma of smoked sausage, freshly crushed malted barley, and bacon. Flavor is sweet and smokey, with a slight hoppy bitterness in the finish. It is a bit sweeter and not quite as smokey as I expected from the aroma, but there is a definite smoke presence. Moderate carbonation, and a thicker than expected body. Wow, hard to believe that the smoke in this is just from the smoke residue in their filters, but considering how smokey their other beers are, I guess it’s not all that surprising when you think about it. I thought this was tasty as hell, and it would go great with some BBQ ribs. (.5 L bottle)

Aroma is light, citrusy and fresh. golden yellow with thin head. flavor is light and smokey with bitter hop aftertaste. light body, fizzy carbonation. There’s not much to it, but the smokyness keeps it from being a typical refreshing lager, it adds an unexpected complexity, but also kind of weighs the beer down.

Draft @ Redlight. Pours hazy golden color with white head. Malt aroma with light smokiness. Lightly sweet. Mild smokey flavor with some malt. Medium body with lively carbonation.