Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier

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

Tap, Town Hall Brewpub. Pale shiny copper, nice dense cap of fine white foam. Deep clean malt, a nice leathery touch, but not particularly full-on smokey aroma. But in the flavor, the gentle bright malt flavor blends seamlessly with a big leafy layer of smoke. Some underlying pear notes. Delicate palate. Interesting, well-crafted beer. Less intense than I expected, but I suppose that makes it a lager for an evening session, rather than just one glass. As a side note, it’s cool when a brewpub like Town Hall not only makes great beer, but also gets in really top-notch examples of beer from around the world.

Pours quite clear and golden with a big fluffy white head. Honey, malt, light smoke and floral hops in the aroma. Sweet malt and mellow smoke in the flavor. Strange way to make a smoked malt just from the house flavor and not actual rauch malt. Has a bit of oxidation and a metallic note. Could be a little bigger bodied. Still, a clean enough lager with a satisfying bitter finish.

Very strong, smokey aroma - it is very much like apple-wood smoked bacon, and very full. The flavor is not quite as full as the aroma, but it retains its pleasant smokiness, now paired with a good dose of malts and a crsip hoppiness. I would have actually guess that the alcohol content was more due to its full flavor. Clean, slightly hoppy finish.Decent.

Very clear smoked nose (smoked like smoked chess, not like fx. whiskey) of barbecue and campfire, hoppy notes as well; Soft with a very fresh sourness to the body, a little thin though; Very nice long fresh malty finish. Strange beer!

Bottle. Aroma is smokey, slightly funky, with a hint of grain. Flavor is kind of nasty. I have never had this style before, so I have no idea what to compare it to. I think it tastes like medicine.

Clear, golden appearance; tiny head; no lacing. Woodsy, peaty, mild smoke aroma with some tart fruit on the back end. Moderately hopped, biscuit-like malt taste. The second hand smoke adds interest to the sometimes staid helles style. Medium bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel. Finish is dry, crisp, long lasting.

Sorry. I can’t stand smoke beer. That subtle smoke flavor in this one is not over-powering, yet I still had to stop after a bit. Too much. Smoke belongs in fish and meat, not beer.

A lustrous golden straw body props a small and wispy white head. More than a ’hint’ of smokyness comes across in the aroma, though it is quite tame as compared to other Heller-Trum offerings. Plump, bready malts and earthy noble hops round out the simple, but inviting and clean, aroma. Early in the flavor a delicate honey on toasted bread sweetness comes across, fading into a slightly sulfurous mid-palate and finally exposing crisp hops at the finish. A smoky, charred flavor develops in reverse--starting at the far back of the tongue, migrating forward after each sip with a retronasal experience akin to exhaling after taking a big wiff of expertly prepared smoked prime rib. The mouthfeel is sturdy, appropriate for the flavor levels, with a very smooth texture. Carbonation could be a touch brisker, though. Well played and intriguing, but it lacks the radiance of a great golden lager and the oomph of a full-on smoke beer by trying to be somewhere in the middle of the two. 500mL bottle, Burgundy glass.