Name: Rauchbier - Weizen (Wheat)

Brewer: Aecht Schlenkerla

Style: Rauchbier

Vintage: 2007

Cellared On: March 21st, 2008

Original Tasting: April 12th, 2008

My second beer from Aecht Schlenkerla (their Weizen) started off a bit differently then the last. It was apparent that this brew was going to be a heck of a lot mellower then the Aecht Urbock. The flavor of the smell was still all smoke of course, but this time it seemed more like gentle whiffs coming off of a dying fire, rather then the powerful campfire smell I was exposed to before. This beer also looked much different then the Urbock. It was a deep orange, shading towards amber, and very clear.

Not too surprisingly, the flavor of this brew was also much less intense then the Urbock (or the Alaskan Smoked Porter, for that matter) Once again, smoke was not the initial flavor I got from this brew as it hit. A grainy malt/wheat flavor was the first to take hold. It’s not a strong taste, instead reflecting the rather gentle nature of this brew. Although it’s impact does start to fade as the flavor progresses, you can still taste the wheat until the end. Yes, the smoke flavor is here too, but it is asserting itself a bit differently in this brew. You can taste it’s presence throughout the tasting of the beer, yet it never asserts itself too strongly. The smoke is definitely most evident at the end, where it lingers on far after the long finish is done.

The Weizen is also much lighter in body, and has a bit of zippy carbonation to go with. This beer has nowhere near the depths of the Aecht Urbock, but it’s still a pleasant beer to sample. It might be a good starter smoked beer if you have a buddy who’s not sure the can handle an aggressive smoked brew yet.

Cellar Outlook: I think this beer will hold up well in the cellar, but I’m not expecting too see too much (if any) improvements in the flavor. I just don’t see a powerful enough of a malt base for additional tastes to emerge as the smoke starts to inevitability fade.

Next Tasting: September 2008

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com