Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier probably is German for “Sausage in a bottle,” or maybe it’s anti-semitic, or perhaps it’s simply the sounds I’ll drunkenly utter after “You’re not the boss of me!” and “You don’t own me!” Whatever the translation, there is no questioning that this beer is a smokebeer from Bamberg (like Hamburg but with more bamming), and it is deliciouß (like delicious but with more invading of France).

For non-German-speakers, smokebeer is German for beer that is smoked, although apparently not (according to “Wikipedia”) in a giant watertight doobie. In fact, Schlenkerla smokebeer uses malts that are dried over open flames–one of only two breweries to do so– giving the beer its distinctive smoky flavor.


The Smell/Appearance :
Pours a dark, reddish brown with a somewhat creamy tan head. Smells immediately of–this is weird–summer sausage or barbecue… sweet, smoky, malty, and, uh, porky? Is this beer kosher?

The Taste:
Beers that smell so distinctively rarely fail to to deliver the goods, and this beer is no exception. It tastes like sausage to the extent that beer can taste like meat, and this is somehow really good. The strength of its flavor and the maltier notes it hits are evocative of some of our previous bocks, especially the Aventinus Eisbock, but this beer has a personality all its own.

The Verdict:
Weirdly great. And it’s only 6.5% ABV, so you can drink it in lieu of Bud Ice… if you’re an asshole.