Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen - Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla

DKight

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

WOW!

Probably the best beer I have had so far. Would make a great grilling beer. Tastes exactly like it smells! T,he taste is like nothing I have had before. You can definitely tell that this is a smoked beer. has a meaty taste to it. A few that tried it with me thought they tasted smoked hot dogs. The smell and taste are almost exactly the same. Amazing.

TRY THIS BEER IF YOU LIKE MARZENs or SMOKED BEERS!!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 21:39:46 | More by DKight

chaduvel

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Deep dark brownish red with a creamy tan head. Smell is overwhelmingly smoky. Woodsy campfire aromas, smoked meats, fish and cheese, everything smoky and wonderful. Seems as though my glass should be smoldering. Taste is smoky as well. A sweet malt Marzen flavor underlies the smoked pecan or apple wood. Touch of smoked hops, but mostly malt complexities. Smooth full smoky mouthfeel. Halfway through the glass I had some smoked cheese and sausage, and this beer went with them perfectly. Eating some smoked foods actually brought out more of the sweet flavors in the beer. Goes down very easy. I'd go back to this beer again and again. An amazing style.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2003 14:34:23 | More by chaduvel

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear ruby red color. The head is three finger in height, and recedes very slowly into thick lacing. The aroma is like a camp fire, all smokey and warm. The taste isn't nearly as smokey as the aroma, but is still heavily so. The smoke, however, is balanced out nicely my malt. The mouthfeel is a touch lighter than medium bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, this is a fine rauchbier that I will certainly have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2006 00:41:41 | More by KarlHungus

willjansen

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from the wooden casks at the Heller-Trum Wirtshaus Zum Schlenkerla in Bamberg, Germany.

Appearance: Big, fluffy whitish-head, dark amber color, without strong carbonation obvious. Even has a hazy, smoky look, if you will.

Smell: Smoked meats, savory, porky smell. Much like a smoked ham hock... almost salty. Fresh smell.

Tastes: Smoked malt kick to the face... though smokiness becomes less pronounced as you drink (presumably through numbing of the tastebuds. Cleaner and fresher than the bottle, with an aftertaste of ashy wood. Similar smoked, salted, spiced meaty flavor throughout from beginning to end. Finish is not dry, but slightly warming and certainly smoky.

Mouthfeel: From the wooden cask, so the carbonation is rather restrained. Smooth, silky-bodied with somewhat watery mouthfeel... akin to a nice, fresh lager.

Drinkability: Quite drinkable, with somewhate less smokiness than the bottled version, and a great balance of smoke with the hops. Beautiful beer fresh from the casks and a world class experience at Heller Trum in Bamberg...

Serving type: cask

05-21-2008 18:30:12 | More by willjansen

dbek

Greece

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a very unique and special beer. It has a dark brown color. Its aroma is pretty strong but not strong enough compared to its taste. It will surprise you the first time you try it: It tastes more like bacon and ham than beer. Trying it a couple will get you addicted as you will often feel the need to have this delicacy. It goes perfectly with meat (it won't change your taste) but you can also drink it alone. If you can handle the strong taste, then there is no limit in how many of these you can have in one drinking session.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 12:14:07 | More by dbek

karst

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pint & 0.9 oz from Chef's Pantry (as were the wonderful steaks, chocolate, and cheese). Served @ 45°F and sipped slowly warming through about 55°F.So aromatic from beechwood smoked malts, each taste was total pleasure and full of rich complex taste with mouthfeel that invited you to never swallow.

"Schlenkern" is an old German expression for walking not straight (just like a drunk person does). Allegedly one of the former brewers had a funny way of walking due to an accident (or maybe due to the beer), and so he was called the "Schlenkerla" This name was assigned to the tavern also and ultimately the beer.

Aecht is old German for "genuine" and Rauch is German for "smoke". wonderful illustrations of the beechwood fires used to dry the malts are on the website.

Acclaimed in Michael Jacksons Great Beer Guide it is said to pair well with smoked ham or sausages. If I could live my life over the one thing I would surely change was having Schlenkerla in place of the Lonestar with the succulant pig we roasted in S. Texas earlier this month. We followed this with Stone Smoked Porter - never thought I would find a Stone lacking in the flavor catagory. Never say never.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2005 01:47:56 | More by karst

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This has to be the most fascinating things i've ever had. Being the first Rauchbier i've had, i'm very very fascinated. This looks good, dark brown with a nice amount of lacing. Smell is like, campfire. With hints of a smoked sausage, totally delicious. Taste is absolutely phenomenal. This would go so so well with a side of summer sausage. carbonation is just right and delivers the aromas just perfectly. Drinkability is pretty good, but for some the aftertaste might be a bit too much. Personally this ranks among the best i've ever tasted. Very unique and quite flavorful. I'm getting some of these next time I have a barbecue.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2006 02:55:03 | More by funkengruven

mmmbeer

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Finally got my hands on a rauchbier. I saw their lager at the store and woulda bought it as well if I had known that so few people had reviewed it. Anyway, from a big German bottle into a German mug, it pours a rich, deep copper with very active carbonation and an inch of khaki head that consists mostly of small bubbles and retains a quarter inch throughout, leaving some nice patches/rings of lace. The aroma is very smoky from the beginning - I can smell the wood they used, and the aroma reminds me of a good smoked meat or cheese. By the end there are notes of faint hops and clean malts, and the smoke seems to be sweeter, if that makes sense. The first sip kickstarts my bacon craving, which by end becomes a smoked salmon craving. The taste is highly smoky at the start with notes of spices, but I soon find notes of faint coffee and green, almost citric hops with a mild to medium bitterness that intensifies as I progress, as does a tobacco flavor which leaves the taste of chaw in my mouth. The mouthfeel is medium to full, and incredibly smooth and creamy for a lager, leaving a long finish that makes me want another bottle. It is surprisingly drinkable, as I was a bit hesitant of the style, but it is a wonderful beer that is totally unique to my palate. I must try their other offerings. A great deal at under $4 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2006 02:07:35 | More by mmmbeer

Lupe

New York

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep clear ruby in color with garnet hues. Thick and rich tan head that leaves behind lots of sticky lace on the glass. A quick swirl brings up a milkshake looking creamy head. Very appealing to the eye.

Incredible smoke aroma - similar to what you would get with smoked salmon. Very much present but not overpowering in the least.

Dominant smoke flavor throughout, but again - not overpowering. Some malt sweetness is present along with a hop light bitterness that rounds things out. Finishes up with caramel sweetness and linger smoke.

Silky smooth, medium in body and a mildly chewy. Dries up a bit and begs for another sip.

I really like the beer. Incredibly drinkable. Smoke is not overpowering at all. The malt sweetness and light hop twang add complexity. I am a big fan of anything smoky, and this beer is no exception. Had with some BBQ chicken wings and sharp cheddar, which made a very nice pairing.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2007 22:55:48 | More by Lupe

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep redbrown color with nice even carbonation feeding a off white, almost light brown , creamy head which holds on for a while and leces very nice.
The smell prepares for exceptional smokehouse aromas, yet has still some fruitiness in it.
The taste is phaenomenal. From fruit to smoked ham, nice caramel undertones and a smooth finish.
Mouthfeel is very smooth yet has great carbonation in the beginning and finishes smooth in the back.
I want more, fantastic beer which rarely gets better.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 03:04:48 | More by Hopfenpeter

Lev

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amazing beer, I have been dreaming of it for days... imagine if some gouda cheese got it on with a beer and had its love child, THIS would be that love child and i would want to drink it and wait for the cheese and beer to get it on again....

Seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to try this beer do not hesitate. Extremely tasty, amazing smell, and it even looks good to boot!

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 23:16:49 | More by Lev

Takahiro

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: clear, ruby brown with an a almost white head.

S: smoky and leathery. reminds me of camp fire, and smoked ham. Smoke is dominating and almost intimidating at first.

T: nice maltiness that is very smooth and rounded. very clean finish. It's so much better than majority of lagers out there.

M: good body, smooth and very tender. very silky texture.

D: Highly drinkable.

Based on the smell, i was expecting more "in your face" smoky flavor, but was I WRONG. There is no smokiness at all in the flavor, and it is surprisingly very smooth and clean. a beautiful beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 01:20:04 | More by Takahiro

anakar

Israel

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Amazing beer. Maybe because it's my first "smoked" beer but still...

App - It poured out of my pint bottle in a very dark bronze color with a large and steady head which stuck around for a long time.

Smell - ahhh the smell. Smells like smoked beef on a winter morning, pardon the poetry but the smell demands it. If I could I would give this smell a full 6 points.

Taste - The taste is also smoked, very much like smoked beef. Although the beer apears heavy, it's a very easy drink. Unlike porters when it's hard to finish your pint, this one is very light but still very flavorful

Feel - the feel was great, exactly what I said about taste. It's light yet full.

Overall - Buy it today. Not a six-pack, this one you should savor.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 09:54:49 | More by anakar

acevenom

Louisiana

4.73/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a glass mug. Pours fairly clear dark caramel brown with an off-white head. I can see plenty of bubbles in the beer and along the side of the glass. The head retreats slowly. This beer definitely smells smokey and earthy on the nose. The smokiness in the nose is not overpowering in the flavor. I pick up some of those sweet malts. It's a little earthy. The body is light to medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is fairly clean and the drinkability is high. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 00:42:47 | More by acevenom

StevieW

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big 16 oz. European bottle. Label depicts an old tyme scroll of faded parchment paper.
Deep brown to mahogoney in color. When held to the light a faint ruby glow emerges. Tan bubbly head, tight. Laces the glass somewhat. Smell is full on wood smokehouse. From first whiff to last drop, smokehouse flavors ease into your nose. Not harsh at all, but very pleasant. Taste is equally striking at first. Reminded me of smoked beef jerkey or perfectly smoked bbq ribs. Creamy sweet malt is also noticed. As you drink, the shock of the smoke wears out a bit, and more full rich malty beer flavors emerge. Toasted toffee sweetness. Nothing really lingers. Medium bodied, rich creamy feel. A striking and unique beer, would get a 5 for originality. Highly suggested, I can see where you either love these or hate these. I will try it again with a smoked bbq ribs or smoked German Sausage and saurkraut. Yea ! Definitley worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2003 18:18:47 | More by StevieW

Frozensoul327

Michigan

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amazing beer. Poured out to a dark brown colour, with a medium brownish white head. Medium low carbonation. Amazing smell; inital odor of sweet smoke is followed by hints of earth, malt and roasted hops. Flavor was like no other beer I have ever had. Strong flavor of smoke, with earthy overtones, with the nuances of bacon. Yum. When they say smoked beer, they mean it. Full mouthfeel is not a turn off, as it doesn't go down heavy or make you feel like there is a brick in your stomach. Maybe not an everyday beer, but nevertheless one of the greatest beers I think I have ever had. Highly Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2004 16:40:04 | More by Frozensoul327

johnniemarg

New York

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a burnt brown color with a modest white head.

The aroma is an intense meaty smoky smell.

This is tasty. The smoke is very rich in the flavor. There is an iron flavor that combined with the smoke makes me think of beef jerkey as another reviewer said. The flavors are all in balance. Finishes with little aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is full and chewy.

I am really happy that my friend put this in my cart at the beer store. This is a fantastic brew. I love BBQ and think this would pair fantastically with some good slow smoked BBQ pork ribs. But the beer tastes like a meal in itself though too. I wish they carried this at Dinosaur BBQ. I will definitely seek out more beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2006 02:42:13 | More by johnniemarg

jp62099

South Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: gorgeous deep scarlet, nice head and lacing.

Smell: Wow! that's different, is your first thought, very pronounced smokiness. Salmon, cured meat smell, some charred wet wood also.

Taste: at first sip you're cautious given the intense smell, but it is very smooth. The taste is very much like the smell, but with a nice malt sweetness. Slight hop bitterness makes for a balanced finish.

My first German rauchbier, and I'm hooked. As for drinkability, you feel like you have gotten your protein for the day with just one, but it goes down very easy. Would drink lots if I could afford it.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2007 04:46:48 | More by jp62099

inebrius

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First sip: a suspicious glance. Second sip: A nod, a smile. Third sip: I'm out the back door scraping last years Salmon off my water smoker so I can brew my very own Rauchbier Marzen.

What a great beer!
Deep amber under nothing; the head was gone in seconds. Nose is smoky-sweet malt and a backyard in Autumn. A draught brings you toasty malts then a beautiful mix of bittering hops and lingering smoke that play off one another and compel another taste. Smooth and absolutely delectable.
What a great beer!

Cheers to VENOM for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2002 05:38:42 | More by inebrius

gimmehead

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a deep ruby brown with a big frothy white head. This beer smells like a midsummer pig roast; like a well seasoned brisket; bacon frying, Easter ham! The smoke is overwhelming, not even a hint of anything else. Magnificent. I didn't even want to drink this beer, just swirl it in the snifter for hours. Tastes just like the nose, all smoke with just a little sweetness and a subtle sort of metallic tang. Medium body fits this beer to a "T". Highly drinkable in vast quantities.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2005 03:31:33 | More by gimmehead

hosehead83

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured into a standard pint glass
Dark tea/cola in color with a big off-white, tannish head of foam
Aroma-Wow! You get the aroma as soon as you open the bottle. Wonderful smell of hickory smoked bacon and burnt malt
Taste-Another wow! Woodmoked malts and smoked bacon/ham and subtle sweetness throughout, without being overpowering. Clean, smooth finish.
This beer begs for a food pairing: Sausage, smoked ham, smoked turkey, even a BLT or a landjager would be a fine match.
Truly a unique, delicious, must-try beer experience!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 17:06:56 | More by hosehead83

loren01

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark reddish color small head and slight lace down the glass.
S: Smell is very strong smokey scent. Smoked cheese/sausages and campfire
T: Taste is very much the same smoked cheddar cheese, a little bit of malty sweetness to balance things out a bit.
M: Medium bodies creamy finish going down...very nice.
D: I wasnt too excited about drinking this as its not really my favorite style however this really grew on me the more I drank of it...a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 00:07:33 | More by loren01

leeaa01

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown (little turbidity) with about one inch of light tan head.
Smells of wonderful woodsy smoke with a little malt behind the smoke.
Tastes of full smoke like smoked ham or bacon. The taste is actually reminiscent of cured meat. The malty but fully attenuated character supports the full flavored wood smoke. While smoke is the predominant character here, however, there is a ton of depth behind the smoke.
The mouth feel is full and malty with out a lot of sweetness.
People seem to love or hate this style. I happen to love it. This beer one of (if not) the best in its style. This is the quintessential rauch beer. If you haven't had it, try it.
One quick note on pairing. I would NOT pair this beer with smoked foods (i.e., pulled pork, briscut or cheese)! It is impossible to appreciate the smoke character when paired with smoked foods. I was at the American Royal in KC last year and decided to bring both the Aecht Urbock and Marzen to taste with some smoked pork shoulder a buddy of mine was entering. The shoulder ran roughshod over the beer. The beers both tasted like above average dark German lagers. Just my two cents.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 02:00:59 | More by leeaa01

nixhecks

Rhode Island

4.68/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had the store order this special as I have been aching to try a real rauchbier. Poured a dark soda brown color with a very large head with medium retention. The aroma was unlike any brew I have tried before this - so strong and pungent I can smell it while it sits on the desk in front of me. Aroma consisted of a chalky mesquite smoke, reminded me of smoked salmon. Taste was really something else. The smoke flavors were immense, the same smoked fish, with a sweetness like smoked sausage. Also a slight hoppiness, and roasted coffee. I am glad to have tried this, I would have to say this was one of my favorite beers so far to sit down and review.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2003 21:42:43 | More by nixhecks

Boilermaker88

California

4.68/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had to give one of the original smoked beers a try, seeing how much I like smoked porters. This brew turned out to be no exception. Released from its bottle, this brew had a uniform dark brown hue I could almost see through. A large light tan head flared and quickly collapsed to a thin ring, leaving no lace.
The nose was quite complex and compelling; a potent meaty smoke aroma dominated with a light malty sweetness and hint of caramel. There was a meatiness to the nose and taste, like a smoked sausage or ham, that kept me coming back for more. I finally had to find out what wood was used to impart the smokiness into the malt. Turns out it's beechwood. While the smokiness is easily the most noticeable, it's the blending in of the sweetness of a marzen that really made this a taste treat. The sweet caramel-laced malts on the palate melded perfectly with the smokiness for a medium feel that was smooth and dry.
This beer is awesome! So easy to drink, it's like a meal in and of itself. I can't wait to get hold of their Urbock and Weizen. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2004 04:20:17 | More by Boilermaker88