Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Brewed by Brauerei Heller
Style: Smoked
Bamberg, Bayern, Germany

Rated 9/15/06: Smokey treat indeed! Wow I’m constantly amazed at how diverse beer can be and this one is amazingly out there. Aroma is heavily smoked malty and meaty, how could this not deserve a 10. Pour is dark and opaque creating a fluffy off white head leaving generous amounts of lacing. Mouthfeel is creamy and surprisingly delicate. Flavor is in step with the aroma. Smokey and rich and so good. Next time I’m picking up some meats and cheeses and having one hell of a go at it. Incredible.

Wonderful bier! It is very beautiful. Dark brown with beautiful head. The aroma is amazing! It is smokey with a hint of sweet malt. It tastes very nice, some smoked meat, and very good malt presence. Mouthfeel is very good, chewy. Overall a very good bier, I’d like to have some more, but it’s not available here. :(

Bottle at the Köbenhavnske Öldager 2007:Deep red colour,flat head. Aroma of wood,tar ashtry,tar. Flavor is a mix of the aroma and has long bitter finish. Rauchbier is not my favorit, but this one was ok.

YEAH!!! I was a bit cautious when I smelled the ashy smoke but noticed hints of cherry oak, and it reminded me of when I was a child at a camp out. I like the flavor slightly better than the aroma. The dry smoky tones are wrapped in a creamy leathery meaty envelope with well carbonated dark chocolate chestnut bitter ends jumping off my tongue. There is an almost dark bourbon feel to this which would be nicely accentuated if the alcohol content was amped. It feels good going down my throat. I should have saved this one for a cold July night in Cooperstown! Bottle from the always rocking Oak Tree Buy Rite in Edison, NJ. My revelation here is I thought I hated smoked beers, and it turns out I love them when they are done right.

1 pt, .09 oz bottle poured in a shaker. I’ve traditionally only liked smoked porters and this beer was no exception. In my own 5 star rating I gave this a 1 star. Lately though I began to suspect that this was a decent beer and maybe I had under rated it. I drank it again and found new value in this beer. It really isn’t bad once you accept the style. I’m not completely sold on the style, hence the low aroma rating. This beer pours deep mahogany with a medium head. The smoky aroma is nearly overwhelming. It has a good medium body with a touch of alcohol. The smoky wood fire flavor, of course, is quite prevalent.

16.9 oz bottle. pours brown with hint of red with white head. nose is loaded with smoked ham or other meats. very smoke meaty and wonderful. some wet grain in the nose too. flavor has lots of smoked meat, charred sausage, perhaps smoked beats and raddishes. some plums and grapes too. mouthfeel is medium. finish is dry and smokey. a great example of the style.

Cold 16.9oz bottle: Pours a clear dark orange color with a minimal off-white creamy head. Aroma is of smoked hickory, wood and earthy hops. Taste is of smoked malts, earthy hops and some dark fruits. Full bodied and robust, with ample carbonation. Ending is of barbeque pork. Wow.

When paired up against its cousin - the Marzen, I have it rated lower. It isn’t as assertive or as pretty. Where the Marzen takes stylistic control all the way to the edge of reason and back, the Urbock seems to be a bit boring. Where the Weizen is just plain stupid, I enjoy the daring approach taken by the Marzen, a fireball in your mouth that never seems to loose its balance, the Urbock didn’t impart such feelings from me. Nonetheless when judged alone, it is a fine smoked beer,