Rauchfest - Harriet Brewing

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stopped by the brewery to check it out, filled a couple growlers, and then wandered around back to check out the taps. Unfortunately, they didn't have this marzen available for growlers.

Poured into a tall flute, reddish amber with a sticky foam head. Aroma of light smoked malt, honey and caramel. Taste was lightly sweet honey, biscuit, nut, malt, hint of smoked wood-malt really added a nice layer of complexity. Small dose of bitter hop keeps the sweetness clean and the finish is fairly dry. Creamy feel, nicely carbonated and a well crafted body. This is a very nice marzen, one of the best I've had in recent memory.

Nice digs by the way. Will stop by again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2012 03:02:23 | More by JackieTH

capuchinpilates

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-03-2013 02:27:12 | More by capuchinpilates

sacrelicio

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.5%

02-26-2013 07:37:14 | More by sacrelicio

jera1350

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

11-26-2012 19:22:14 | More by jera1350

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

11-11-2012 03:34:44 | More by NilocRellim

Bobafett

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

09-04-2012 20:35:07 | More by Bobafett

brycelarson

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

01-10-2012 16:05:11 | More by brycelarson

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Harriet Rauchfest 2011. Growler.
Clear, bronze/copper-hued, slim-to-none head.

Aroma: smoked malt, German malt, bacon, yup. Slightly sweet. But, oh, so smokey.

Taste: more of the same. Rich, meaty maltiness, coats the palate, spreads semi-sweetness, matched by smoke. This delivers the sweet, malty flavors of a marzen wrapped up in the smokiness of a rauchbier. There's not a single damned thing wrong with this, and several things right.
Not too much to say about it.

Looking back, there's nothing to apologize for; simple is not bad, Oktoberfests are hardly complex, smoked beers, well, they're smokey.

Serving type: growler

12-21-2011 04:31:43 | More by feloniousmonk

therobot

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +24.4%

11-28-2011 02:38:09 | More by therobot

deebo

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copied from Harriet Brewing website: Rauchfest is our German-Style Smoked Lager. It celebrates Oktoberfest the Harriet way, with a smoldering savoriness! The 50% beechwood-smoked malt and tinge of noble hop character contribute a balanced layer of complexity to this toasty brew. The drink is medium-bodied with a moderately dry finish.
~ 25 IBU
~ 5.5% ABV

Aggressive first pour from a fresh growler:

A-2 fingers of rocky off white head, golden with a definite reddish hue, perfectly clear with a few tiny CO2 bubbles. The head breaks down quickly but hangs on to the side of the glass.
S-Nice whiff of savory lightly smoked malt, a bit like a freshly baked honey ham. Some spicy noble hops round out the aroma.
T-Nicely smoked malt taste-not overpowering like some rauchbiers, that balances perfectly with the hint of spicy non-resiny hop. Nice crisp finish that invites the next drink.
M-Moderate carbonation sting with a nice malty mouthfeel beyond your typical lager.
D-Very drinkable with the benefit of great taste. Yep-I might even say tastes great and less filling.
O-The combo of smoked malt and hops really gives a nice complexity to what may seem a simple beer at first glance. Will enjoy this growler. Another nice beer from HB.

Serving type: growler

11-05-2011 02:19:09 | More by deebo