Bières sans frontières, Great British Beer Festival 2007. For more selections see previous post.
ABV: 5.1%
Origin: Bamberg, Franken/Bayern, Germany
Website: www.schlenkerla.de
Brauerei Heller: Wirtshaus zum "Schlenkerla" in Bamberg. Photo: Asio otus, Wikimedia commons.
Heller-Trum Schlenkerla is the most prominent of the two breweries in the classic Franconian brewing city of Bamberg specialising in the singular art of brewing smoked lager, and this beer, one of three variations that also include a wheat beer and a bock, is the straightforward benchmark of the style. The brewery was founded as a brewpub in the city centre back in 1678, and acquired its nickname from that of one of its landlords who was ridiculed in the local dialect for having an ape-like shambling gait, but since 1936 has brewed on a more peripheral site on Stephansberg site with its own lagering caves tunnelled into the hill. It incorporates its own maltings where the malt is smoked over beechwood before being brewed with the addition of Hallertauer hops, fermented in open vessels and lagered for 6-8 weeks.
The result is a deep chestnut brown with a thick and close yellow-white foamy head. The somoky bacon and vanilla aroma has hints of yoghurt, fresh sawdust and paint. The palate is smooth, creamy and lightly fruity but dry with rich nutty smoky notes, light caramel and marmalade. The hopping is quite firm, and there’s a peaty malt whisky-like character to the finish with dark marmalade and astringent hops. Yes, it’s smoky, but excellently balanced, with rich malt and firm hops offsetting the woodsmoke whiff.
Nonetheless the smoke character is powerful and, though the Heller beers are more obviously beer-like than some other rare traditional styles such as lambic, be warned they’re still an acquired taste — not everyone will immediately appreciate beer that reeks of bonfires, kippers and Islay malts.
More Bières sans frontières selections in the next post.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/aecht-schlenkerla-rauchbier-marzen/1269/
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