Kaiserdom Rauchbier

Formerly brewed at Kaiserdom Privatbrauerei
Style: Smoked
Bamberg-Gaustadt, Germany

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Only smoked beer I tried, did not care for it. Very smokey, not bad, if I were having some sharp cheese and crackers. Like most though, I would not mind trying it in the home country.

Date: 10/12/1996
Mode: Bottle
Source: DC, taco mac

clear dark amber, scant head, sweet malt aroma with slight pleasant smokyness, high carbonation, rich malty flavor with nice and slightly bitter smokey highlights lingering through the finish
-------- /> Date: 04/05/2006
Source: tasting

sweet smokey aroma with some really nice carmel sweetness, thin, very dry malt flavor with lots of smoke,
-------- /> Date: 10/17/2006
Source: tasting

stirs up a nice beige head with drippy lace, still a huge smokey aroma with lots of carmel sweetness, very thin watery body, flavor is mostly smoke with just a hint of former carmel sweetness

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 4/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4

Pours a clear copper amber with a thin, wispy off-white head. Aroma of dry, toasty aged caramel malt with a touch of smoke. Starts lightly smoky and caramely sweet with a thinner semi-sweet, drier finish. Probably too old and past its prime, but still drinkable.

Wow last ratings are from 2004 until now. I need to check my bottle date. Poured a clear amber color with a minimal sized off-white head. Sweet aged malt aroma. Smoke plays a small part in the background. Aged malt flavor with a smokey backbone. Kind of dull in the flavor and dull in the mouthfeel. Not a whole lot going on.

This is an awfully mild beer to be applying smoked malt. The aroma is soft and grainy, with the smoke being more pronounced in the actual taste. There is a platate saltiness that makes me thirsty after finishing - strange.

Rauchbier is a German beer style which has its roots in the Northern Bavarian brewing city of Bamburg. Rauchbiers are very pungent with salty, sooty, smokey flavor and aroma. A portion of malt in brewing of this beer style, is smoked over a beech wood fire. Its a very distinctive aroma and flavor, even a small portion of this malt in a beer goes a very long way. This portion of "smoked" malt added in some cases, can be as high as 60% of the grain bill. That makes for an intensely smokey beer. It has been said the locals in Bamburg say you need to try six or seven liters of this beer style before you can really enjoy it. I’m like Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter when he said: "I loved it the first time I ever tried it.". I love rauchbier, and Kaiserdom Rauchbier, was my introduction into this style. Schlenkerla Ur-Bock and Marzen, are my favorite German examples, and I belive Degroen’s Rauchbock is the best example I have ever tasted. Kaiserdom doesn’t use a marzen or a bock as a base to their rauchbier, though I wish they would. They use a helles, and while outstanding, I belive a beer style such as bock or marzen is more suited for rauchbier. Kaiserdom Rauchbier pours to a deep blonde/golden color, with a nice white head, and a good carbonation. The nose is very smokey. Whiffs of salty, sooty, beech wood smoked malt aroma flood the nose. The palate is a lean malt back bone of pale malts, and of course that salty, sooty rauch malt flavor. Smoke dominates in this beer, the pale malts don’t stand a chance. This beer finishes with a long, dry, salty, smokey finish. This beer is liquid smoked ham in a glass. It really is a great introduction into rauchbier, you’ll know what smoked malt tastes like after one sample of this. I have had mixed experiences with this beer. On draught it is devine. In bottles, you have to be careful. Kaiserdom Rauchbier is packaged in green bottles, and if old and light struck, you’ll get some "skunky" aroma and flavor with your smoke. This beer is a bit pricey as well, Schelenkla is a better example of the style in my opinion and can be purchased a little cheaper. Still a great beer to try and a good example of rauchbier. I would match this with grilled bratwurst, roasted chicken, and smoked cheeses.

its funny,this brew smells alot like a samuel smiths brew.the appearance is also alot like a sammy smiths.as for the flavor,its alot different.it has a light watery body with al little smoke taste at the end.(and when i say smoke,i mean camel non-flitered smoke)not very good at all.

Aroma of chicory and treacle, hint of smoke. Hazy reddish brown, not much head. Flavour is more nutty, woody than smokey. Thin, pretty good beer, but it's a far cry from Bambergs big boys. Thanks joey_capps.

(Bottle) Pours a medium, white head and a orange-amber body. Nose of smoke, soya sauce and molasses. Think and quick flavour of soya. Interesting.

Amber w/ off-white head. Aroma of molasses & licorice w/ a whiff of burnt smoke. Thin palate. Soya sauce & sweet molasses flavour w/ a hint of smoke. Sweet, extremely quick finish giving the beer an almost bland quality.

Body is light amber. Head is present but nothing out of the ordinary, and leaves soon after the pour. Aroma is slightly smokey and smells heavily of caramel and molasses. Taste is smokey, but not as strong as expected. Semi-sweet finish, with a minopr smokey aftertaste. A little watery as well.