I saw a new label on the shelves the other day, and it got me wondering: have the beers of the Heller-Trum brewery, makers of Aecht Schlenkla, of Bamberg, Deutschland, home of the rauchbiers, made an appearance here? I searched via "tags" and only found two listed under "rauchbier", the version Harriet brews, Rauchfest, and one from August Schell. I've had the Aecht Schlenkerla brews before, but not, by this reckoning, in the past four years. Now I know I haven't had the dopplebock, so why not start with this one? Why not, indeed.
This one calls itself "Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche", the last word, I'm guessing refers to the German word for oak. Also on the label, below "doppelbock", "Schlenkerla Oak Smoke." I'll peruse the rest of the label once the bottle has been drained.
8% Alc./Vol.
Appearance: thick and hazy, deep amber-hued, with a caramel-tinted, off-white head of foam atop.
Aroma: Smoke hits the nose first, with toffee and caramel malt notes coming right behind. Cured and smoked meats remains the dominant association.
Taste: Rich and delicious. Smoked malt flavors remain high, but are more mellow and integrated with the doppelbock flavors. Chewing on a bite of wurtz before the deep malty goodness washes over. Full-bodied lager, with a long, malty finish. Hearty stuff, here. Good as it gets.
Okay, I'm getting the glasses on now, gonna read the label. Here goes…."While for the classic "Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier" beech has been--and still is--used, the malt for "Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Smoke" is kilned with oak wood. The resulting Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Smoke Malt is smoother and more multi-layered smoky note than the intensely aromatic Beech Smoke Malt. The hence complex smokiness in Schlenkerla Oak Smoke is paired with the multifaceted bitterness of finest Hallertau aromatic hops. With 8% alcohol and amber color, it matures for months in the deep brewery cellars underneath Bamberg into a special treat for smoke beer lovers."
I'll say.
Brewed and bottled by Brauerei Heller-Trum, Bamberg, Germany.
