Spezial Rauchbier Lager - Brauerei Spezial

cokes

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appropriately smoky honey-golden. The head is white and dies in moderation.
The rauchiness of the beechwood cured malt is evident, but not so forceful as, say, A-S. It smells like lager as well, not just smoke. Toasty, clean, with ham notations.
Tastes as it smells. Again, the lager pedigree is not lost. Dortmunder Export backing. Lightly sweetened bread dough. Hints of nuts. Traces of honey. Ever-so-slightly toasty.
Smoke is here, and full of dried wood and meat, just as one would expect. It's not dominating, however.
Hops mix pleasantly into the fray. Like a burn-barrel of fallen leaves in late October. Grassy, herbal, and dry. Not persuasively bitter, but sufficient.
A medium body that demands large pulls.

I entered this beer wanting to get smoked out. Instead, I got a well-crafted, clean, authentic German lager with enough rauch traits to make me endear it.
Recommended for fans and novices alike.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2003 05:59:18 | More by cokes

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap at the brewery.

This rauchbier poured a clear, dark amber color with creamy, light tan foam that settled but coated the glass. The smell was mildly malty. The taste was malty with a hint of smokiness and with tangy hops in the finish. Very nice, and not overly smokey. The mouthfeel was smooth with medium body and moderate carbonation. There was a slight smokey feel and a light tanginess. This was a very nice rauchbier with a light smokiness. Very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2003 00:57:38 | More by UncleJimbo

Jon

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful golden orange color with a foamy, bubbly white head. Smell is of a distinct smokiness most akin to smoked salmon with some caramel thrown in for good measure. Only moderate smokiness penetrates through the palate, leaving notes of bready malt, caramel, lightly spicy hops, and smoked meat. Medium-bodied, lightly carbonated with a smooth, round mouthfeel. Drinkability is good for the style, but this beer is still a little much for me to regularly drink. Nonetheless, an attractive rauchbier with lots of character that would be perfect with your next barbecue.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2003 02:30:21 | More by Jon

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Turbid orange based gold color with nice thicket of white head. Smoky nose to some extent, definitely not overwhelming. Smells more of a quality lager with a slight smoky nose. Almost as how one's clothes smell the day after being around a campfire (minus, of course, the humanly stenches of day-old clothing :^) I feel some smoked beers can be a little taxing in the drinkability department, but this one has the sublty to send it's drinkability sky high. A plethora of culinary delights could be paired with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2003 09:04:49 | More by crookedhalo

dmarch

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Orange-copper in appearance with a nice size head. A bit of caramel in the aroma, smokiness is very mild. Smoke is a little more prevalent in the taste, but still very mild. A slight metallic taste as well. Although this is a lager, it reminds me of an amber ale. I was looking for a more intense smokey flavor. A somewhat enjoyable beer, but it doesn't compare to some of the other rauchbiers i've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2003 19:21:10 | More by dmarch

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled from bottle in AZ:
A nice copper color pours with a good cream/ tan colored head. First aroma is of a hoppy spiciness (a bit surprising, in a good way), but then a background smokiness kicks in, and soon becomes all you can smell. Good amount of body to this brew, nice solid malt presence accompanied by a bit of malt sweetness, very nice. Finishes with a smoky finish, that soon infuses the whole taste of the beer from start to finish. The smoke is reasonably subdued though. Not quite as good and hearty as when sampled fresh at the brewery, but if this is all you can get don't miss it.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2003 22:24:05 | More by Gueuzedude

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another beer I'd never seen on tap at Redbones, which meant only one thing: try it and review it, here goes. Poured a dark straw color, with about the prettiest head I've ever seen: nice, creamy, and rounded (this was in a half pint glass, not a true pint glass, however). The aroma was woody, sweet/fruity, and of course smokey. Taste was actually slightly sweet and mild, followed by an all smoke finish. The adjective that comes to mind for this brew is mild...the smoke flavor is not overwhelming. Not a style I would go for normally, but certainely worthy of a half pint, which wasn't bad drinking. pat

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2003 18:08:32 | More by PatandDavid

stcules

Italy

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Clear amber colour,foam not so compact, and a with a little persistence. Smell of smoked (soot?), of a warm fireside... particular, but very pleasant (family, home, and stuff like that...).
Taste clean, smoked, grilled wurstel, but maybe too marked and invedent; you can only feel a light note of malt and hops. Light body, too, but with a great drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2003 10:35:37 | More by stcules

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Have had quite a few of these when staying in Bamberg... from one of the oldest Brauerei's in Bamberg.... from my room at their Inn I can see (and smell!) their bier brewing! This one has a decent medium bronze-copper color, with a thin, tan head, which fades quickly to almost nothing, with minimal lace. Nose is faintly smoky, with mild malt present, too. Body just under medium, as is the smoothness on the tongue. There's just a touch of malty sweetness to start; the underlying smokiness is evident, but not overpowering. Finishes on the dry side. Improves as it warms; Easy to quaff! (Original review from samples from Sep 2001, and updated Oct 2002).

overall: 3.5
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 3.5

66

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2002 09:37:31 | More by Bierman9

marc77

California

4.15/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear bronze hue w/ copious flecks of yeast aggregates. Thick, slowly disappating off - white head. Beechwood smoke aroma is surprisingly mild compared to other rauchbiers and is well integrated in the aroma-- toasty Vienna and /or Munich malt is discernible & light crystal malt sweetness is there as well. Although expectedly smoky in flavor, the smoke is well calculated & isn't overbearing. Rich, nutty, perhaps decocted malt aren't hidden and since the body is light this rauchbier is quite drinkable. The smokiness almost seems to dissapate, and malt flavors become more assertive as I drink this brew. Hop bitterness is moderate and pleasant, while the hop flavor is herbal Hallertauer. Finishes, clean and crisp, w/ a mellow and fading smokiness. This is the most drinkable rauchbier I've had-- it wet my appetite for smoked food. I will now comb the pantry.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2002 07:00:21 | More by marc77