Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen - Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.54/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First, an interestingly dark beer, with a tanned neck. Inviting. Then, however, the aroma is absolutely devastating: the smokeness is clear and strong. You feel also some... ham (!), with a background caramel. Impressive.

The hopness is well-balanced with the slim body, and the aftertaste is lingering, very pleasing. Fantastic beer, different from everything I ever had before.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:03:58 | More by HabiMendes

mmmbirra

Italy

4.46/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Best before date of 05/2013, beer description on the back in German. I wonder how long of a shelf life they give this beer?
ABV: 5.1%

Deep red, almost black, but when held up to a light it's a perfectly transparent copper. The head holds up well and leaves a solid thick lacing on the way down.

An intoxicating sweet smoky woody aroma that I just can't get enough of. A little dark malt in there too. The first time I had this beer, a few years back, it smelled justlike my parents' old fireplace the morning after a fire. It was just a little too much for me. Today, it's perfection.

The taste follows the aroma, at least at first. The sweet wood and smoke dominate upfront and then diminish, leaving the drinker with a drier beer than expected. It has a nice flavor of some darker malts after the smoke, similar to a chocolate or carafa. It's good, but ultimately nothing too memorable. The fact that the malt doesn't hit with the same force as the smoke is its only negative. Still, that dryness and drinkability keeps you coming back for more; each seidla is better than the last.

Nice. Lightly carbonated.

The archetypal smoke beer from a fantastic brewery. Can't wait to get my hands on the Urock and the Eiche Doppel Bock.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 18:50:25 | More by mmmbirra

slammo

New Jersey

4.39/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A true smoky beer experience as billed. Bacon,sausage and meaty favors come to mind. A mild slight caramel as well. The amber -black hue imparts a final touch of campfire goodness. I really enjoy this style and want to revisit the offerings from Schlenkerla.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 22:54:24 | More by slammo

Dodt

Pennsylvania

4.66/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

ran into a fellow beer geek when he recommended this wonderful beer to me. popped off the cap and the smokey aroma that reminds me of pork or smoked bacon. deep amber hue with a fluffy head and lacing around the glass .

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 00:47:15 | More by Dodt

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown colour, verging on black. Small white head.

Smells nicely smokey and dark. Reminds me of smoked Bavarian cheese.

Tastes quite dark, nutty, and malty, with that smoke constantly in the background.

Overall I really like this beer, the smoked flavours really make it great.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 20:42:01 | More by CwrwAmByth

cocojoe

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: dark amber brown color, little head

S: sweet, floral, smokey caramel

T: the smokey notes are much stronger in the aroma than they are in the flavor. Flavor is ver clean, crisp, darker malt qualities. Toasty, nutty, light, refreshing.

M: light body, clean and crisp.

O: very much enjoyed this beer. Truly hit the spot. Sets a high bar for smoked beer. Satisfies a want for a savory quality yet balances itself out with that clean, refreshing quality.

Highly suggest this.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 08:35:10 | More by cocojoe

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a stange glass.

Appearance
Dark mahogany with red highlights. 2-3 fingers of creamy, off-white head that dissipates slowly. Excellent clarity and very lively (mod-heavy) carbonation. Thick clouds of lacing.

Nose
Smoke, smoked sausage and caramelized bread.

Taste
Campfire smoke and smoked sausage. Huge caramel notes and bacon saltiness. Some bready malts and candy sugar.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, silky and smooth.

Overall
Another excellent Rauchbier from Aecht Schlenkerla. Has a really nice balance between the Marzen's sweet maltiness and smoke. This is freakin' tasty!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 22:00:32 | More by justintcoons

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Waitress is rocking socks with her sandals. Guess I really am in Germany. Holed up in the Bierstube. The märzen is the only thing on tap so I guess I'm drinking that.

The beer is a dark orange/amber that is still transparent. Lightly tanned two finger head that falls down fairly quickly leaving a film on top and lacing down the glass.

Smoky meaty aroma. Kind of weird but the way it should be. There is some slight caramel sweetness underneath.

Tastes smoky and meaty and leaves the same flavor lingering in my mouth. A little malt sweetness hides in there.

It's light-medium bodied with medium carbonation. Drinks fairly smooth and easily.

Oh yes this is a beer. No telling how many of these I had in my couple days in Bamberg.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 07:21:58 | More by MattSweatshirt

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle, day 20 of the 2012 Craft Beer Advent calendar, and 5.1% ABV in this go-round. The first 'well-known' brew so far from this German/Austrian-laden (welcome) daily distraction.

This beer pours a crystal clear, dark copper-amber hue, with two fingers of foamy, rocky beige head, which leaves some cumulus cloud lace around the glass as it slowly seeps away.

It smells of roasted caramel malt, a tad bready, and a huge dose of smoked meat, a bit of sausage grease, peat, and some soft, almost fresh-seeming tobacco. The taste is quite a lot less smoky, and gamey than the nose, which comes as a not so surprising relief - there is still a roasted character to the grainy, bready malt, and a fading porcine meatiness, but the effect is mostly moderated, letting some of the inherent sweetness come out of the shadows, as well as the latent earthy hops.

The carbonation is a bit peppy, in a low-fi simmering manner, the body medium-light in weight, and generally smooth, the lingering puffs of smoke not really detracting from things. It finishes off-dry, the meaty wisps holding steady, and the grainy malt rising from the ashes more or less unscathed.

A neat shape-shifter of a beer, this one is - the initial aromatics are so pungent, that I could see lesser mortals turning away at this point. However, if one persists, a more agreeably smoky, malty offering emerges, one that is actually rather drinkable, and even enjoyable. Also, a bit of an appropriate metaphor for tonight's supposed end of the world theatrics.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 05:08:02 | More by biboergosum

sbauer

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: amber brown, light lacing

S: smoked peat, campfire

T: nutty malt at first with bright bitter hop flavor, some citrus balanced with gain flavor, smoke coming out the long aftertaste

M: medium bodied, crisp

O: not a beer to be taken lightly, definitely pair with a strong flavored food. amazing late night beer with ass-kicking (but well balanced) smoke flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 18:50:52 | More by sbauer

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a dimpled mug.

A - Pours a clear brown with ruby highlights. Nice three-finger tan creamy looking head. No lacing to speak of.

S - Wow! This beer smells exactly like meat. I know it's supposed to smell smoky, but this smells like a smoked sausage or something. Amazing.

T - Again, wow. Incredibly intense smoke flavor, with a decided mineral saltiness. Like drinking a piece of beef jerky, and I mean that in the best possible way. Base beer underneath seems to offer decent enough support, and there's just enough malt sweetness to balance. Hops are an afterthought, but I'm sure you'd notice if they weren't there. Finishes clean and dry.

M - Light bodied but creamy. Your brain tells you that a creamy feel shouldnt work at all, and yet somehow it does. Medium carbonation.

O - I loved this, but then again, I really like this style. Definitely the best Rauchbier I have ever had. The American attempts don't hold a candle to this German beast. (I'm looking at you Sam Adams) This is the real deal.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 05:10:29 | More by TempeBeerMan

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-dark maple syrup colored with a thin white head

S-pretty great scent of bon fire smoke and honey. its actually a great scent. i want to make a sauce out of this beer and use it on chicken and pork.

T-comes in tasting like a log cabin fire. its a great taste that lasts. eventually some sweetness, bitterness, and rawness begin to creep in the flavor and make up a decent lasting after-taste. its a high quality flavor.

M-creamy medium carbonation with a dry finsh

O-maybe the best rauchbier i've had. it just has the perfect amount of smoke to it. a lot of rauchbiers i've had were more like novelty beers. you try them when you want to impress your friends with something unique, but not this beer. this is a good beer to sip, or quaff, by the fire on a nice relaxing night. the flavors are complex, but mellow. the smoke is there, not as a punch in the face, but as a nice reminder of all those good times you've had by a nice fire.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:02:23 | More by AdamBear

socon67

New York

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Brown pour that is very clear. Hearty light creme foam rises high and retains pretty well. some patches of lacing is present, and no carbonation of note.

S - Smells like smoked pork, bacon grease, and a bit of tabacco. The smoky malta give this a refined and pleasant character. There is a slight amount of brown sugar as well if your nose can find it.

T - Smoky peat malts make this a liquid backyard pig roast. And that's a good thing! The flavors leave a roasty feel on the palate. Smoke is present throughout giving off embers of charred meats. Finish is rather dry.

M - Surprising to me this is a smooth beer. I felt it was on the thinner side, but that could be more to style. In the proper context this could be sessionable, but at the expense of tasting much else.

O - This is the iconic German example of a style that few make, and even fewer do well. When in the mood I would absolutely get another of this. And the price and availability make that very likely.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 00:31:28 | More by socon67

Chris_Cali_2o9

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From a bomber to a sam adams cup

A- Beautiful dark chestnut brown, head was about a half inch with a rough pour and wuickly dropped to a small lacing

S- burnt wood, sausage? Nuts, leather, no hops, some hints of malt, but not sweet like you would expect from a marzen

T- Mmm, liquid sausage, i sense a slight nuttiness at the end, almost like a brown ale

M- Medium body, nice carbonation

O- I have to admit i just review 3 belgians through out the day and though i was craving any thing but a belgian, i don't think it affected this review. All and all it was a great beer. My only complaint was that it was more like a brown then a marzen. I tasted no sweet malts, as i would expect from a marzen/ocktoberfest. I was very nutty, which taste wise, complemented the smokiness. Style wise forced me to lower the score one this awesome brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 04:32:22 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

badandy

Ontario (Canada)

4.9/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Frothy, creamy head. Nice lacing. Deep, rich chestnut in color. Clear

S: Rich, dark smoke. Earthy. No hops on the nose.

T: Wow! Wonderfully complex. Layers of smoke and dark, nutty malt intermingle. Hops are overpowered by the smoke, but that's to be expected.. it's bitter enough that I know they're hiding in the back. Palate cleans quickly, no unpleasent off flavors. I would have thought the smoke would leave something undesired.

M: Medium/light bodied, which is surprising given the complexity. I owuld have thought this would be much heavier.

An amazing beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:55:59 | More by badandy

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.9/5  rDev -53%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

500ml Bottle from Peckhams, Glasgow (£2.75):
Reddish brown to mahogany colour with an inch tall, slightly off -white head that is quite bubbly and manages to stay quite well with only a slight reduction in size over the course of a few minutes.

The strangest smelling beer I have ever had and that was my opinion without giving it a proper whiff. There was an overpowering ham aroma right off the bat and that was almost putting me off trying it. It was quite smoky and had a little bit of wood in there once it began to open up a little. The only thing that was noticeable without really close inspection was the strong smell of cured ham and it wasn't all that pleasant.

A strong smoked taste to begin with, there is also some of the cured ham but thankfully it wasn't as strong as the aroma. There was a malty base to it along with some peat and wood to it. The meaty taste is one that lingers for some time after the sip and overall it was quite a strong flavoured beer and has quite a strong oak flavour to it.

Smooth and medium bodied with a strong wood feel to it. There is also a lingering meat and bitter flavour.

Not a good beer at all, this one had such a strange and unusual taste that it wasn't enjoyable at all. It was a hard one to get your head round as it basically tasted like a ham or broth and nothing like a beer for the most part. There was a smoky flavour in there but it wasn't a beer that I liked at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 15:59:59 | More by flyingpig

warrenout330

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle... decided to use a duvel for pure indulgence...

A- pours a deep dark almost black color.... thick white froathy head... thick white lacing to my glass

S- smells of a bonfire in the cold nights of Warren... or a pig roast in the spring months. Hickory wood is the dominant trait here

T- smoked Ham, smoked hickory. Caramel malt after taste, earthy balance... lingering of jerky smoked meat snack in the back

M- medium bodied... smokiness all over the beer in a good way.. sweet caramel and earthy hops to balance

O- this might be my favorite marzen to ever touch my glass... even though this is a rauchbier this really puts a damper on all marzens to touch my lips.... this is a hearty fall/winter beer to keep you warm even though the ABV is low

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 04:05:47 | More by warrenout330

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into tulip 7/12/12

A clear ruby red with a few tiny suspended particles, just a few bubbles but a solid thumbs width of light tan foam hangs on for a few sips leaving some partial rings of lace

S nice campfire smell with some of grandpas cabin, faint dried fruit and coco, more smokey goodness and the smell of rain on the campfire with a little

T a little more chocolate and a little less smoke, some fruity notes fighting their way through, earthy, woody and smokey, great stuff

M somewhat light bodied and refreshing in a strange way, more bubbles then I could see in the glass and a fruity smoke aftertaste that lingers

O this ones a great example of the style, smokes strong but allows other aspects of the brew to shine through, easy to drink and doesn't leave you feeling full

my only regret was not drinking this with my BBQ beef ribs last night, poor timing but great beer. the best brew out of my Advent Calender so far far, not sure if it was worth the 100$ but I'd pay a few bucks to drink another one of these

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 20:34:07 | More by wordemupg

Jetulio

Spain

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 500 ml Stange glass (Lowenbrau glass).

App- dark brown . 1'5 fingers head off-white colour
A- rich, smokey malt, wood
T- absolutely smoked but with a refreshing bitternes, well balanced in my opinion
M- long taste in mouth, smoked malt predominance but with a good presence of hop too
O- medium body and carbonation. A favourite for me, because it is drinkable and unique.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 09:53:45 | More by Jetulio

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

secondtooth

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark caramel-brown in color, with a thick head of off-white bubbles. Alas, the only lace is a thin line above the ring.

Nose is spectacular! Deeply woody, like a campfire embers and cured meat. Some say bacon, and that's not too far off.

Taste is definitely woody-smoky, with a tinge of sweet malts underneath, just enough around the edges to add some balance. This is a tasty, drinkable, and positively a unique experience that any serious beer advocate needs to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:30:02 | More by secondtooth

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fills the glass with an inviting dark and rich brown color and a noticeable but thin white head on top. Greets you with that wonderful Schlenkerla smoke. Savory smoked meats and campfire dominate and leave little room for anything else to come through.

The only other Schlenkerla beer I've had is the Urbock and as expected, this one is incredibly similar. First sip is smokey but not as overpowering as the aroma is. It plays the leading role but the sweetness of the malts plays a nice secondary role. Hints of brown sugar and caramel before the inevitableness that is the Schlenkerla savory smoked meat finish. The biggest difference between Märzen and Urbock would be in the body, with the lighter alcohol of the Märzen being noticeable in the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 01:56:35 | More by Kinsman

mgironta

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew poured a really dark brown with a one finger white head. The carbonation on the brew was moderate. The nose was exactly what I wanted from a rauchbier…lots of smoke and bacon. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with smoke and bacon. This was a really pungent nose, but one I enjoyed. The taste again is filled with smoke and bacon. There was also a hint of malt in this brew. The one thing that really shocked me on the beer was how thin it was and how mild the carbonation was. A beer with big flavors likes this should really be a little thicker, in my opinion. But, that’s my only complaint. This was also a nice session brew that was really drinkable and unique. I would definitely have this again, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 01:23:46 | More by mgironta

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured from bottle and got 1 inch head, then decreased to about 1/2 inch and is very steady. Head is off white (cream) in colour with good carbonation. Beer is clear with a ruby colour.

Smell: Smokiness is present with a slight metallic undertone in the back.

Taste: smokiness is present but not overpowering. Sweetness is low to medium with bitterness balancing it. A small metallic taste is present but malt/bitterness overpowers it after a few seconds. The flavour is medium lasting and a dry finish that is quick.

Mouthfeel: well carbonated. This beer would pair well with a strong cheese and would clean the palate very well. Body is light but not thin.

Overall: I am pleased with the beer. It's great for food pairing and it's a great introduction to smoke beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 18:00:07 | More by Kremlock

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Ruby, clear, white head has good retention and good lacing.

S/T - From hearing about this beer, I expected a lot more smoke. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while it is strong, the smoke taste and smell do not overpower the rest of the beer. Instead, it allows the bready malt sweetness to come through mid palate, finishing again with charred bbq meat, and some more smoke. Delicious.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Finishes clean and dry.

O - Fabulous, especially compared to what rauchbiers I've had so far. Smoke is strong, but nicely compliments other malt flavors in the beer. Most smoked beers I can barely have one of, but I could drink a few of these. Fabulous.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 00:23:37 | More by garuda