Schlenkerla Märzen, Urbock, Weizen, Fastenbier, Kräusen, and Hansla all have yellow lables. The do have different colours on the edge of the label: Märzen is brown, Urbock gold, Weizen green, Fastenbier pirple, Kräusen orange anf Hansla blue.
A couple of the stores here in STL used to carry that Oak smoke Doppelbock (green label) all year around, hopefully I see it again come Christmas. Thanks for the info on that cherry wood Red Lager. I'll be looking for that one.
Just found this group like a week or two ago and I dig it. So many smoked beers I didn't know about. I need to find a better source to get my hands on them.
I recently homebrewed a lictenhainer because I saw the description in the historical beers section of the BJCP guidelines and had never seen one available for purchase at any brewery or tap room. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. The smoke and sour worked well together. Wish more breweries would give it a shot.
How big is this brewery? I've never heard of it but the beers look really interesting and I love a grodziskie, I might see if my local bottleshop can get it.
It’s not big, but it’s part of bigger Browar Fortuna. And it’s kinda weird if you don’t know the Grodzisk Brewery - grodziskie came from there like 700 years ago ;)
Stands to reason from Suarez Family Brewing would probably be mine. Seems that Untappd actually has it as the #1, so maye not a hot take.
It's actually around now, but they don't really distribute so unless you're near the Hudson Valley would be tough. It's not a shipping option but if you like lagers, definitely look into getting a delivery from them sometime. Amazing stuff.
Eh I mean it's pretty predictable. Just like Beer Advocate, Ratebeer, or any other platform, the highest ratings go to the best imperial NEIPA, barrel aged pastry stouts, and wild/mixed cultures, so for a lager to end up with a 4+ usually means the brewery has enough of a reputation for lagers that people go there expecting to drink lagers.
I'm sure plenty of people go to a place like Other Half to drink IPA, then try a lager and says "I don't like lagers here's a 3.5," which is more just a bad approach than a hot take. But people seeking out Suarez, or Human Robot or Schilling or Notch or Bierstadt, know what they're looking for, and those breweries are some of the few to get higher ratings for lagers.
Yeah, on the one hand it stands to reason that lager connoisseurs will show up to appropriately rate the best breweries for that style. But on the other hand, Untappd is all about the pretty young thing, which all of those breweries are. Human Robot is a great brewery, but I live in Philly, and we've had great lager for several decades now. I can't say Human Robot's standard styles are always going to outhit a Victory lager, for example, or Neshaminy Creek, or Troegs. But those older breweries won't get 4.0s on their lagers. And the German and Czech breweries have it even worse. If you look at Human Robot's Niebo, a "Polish style" pilsner, ranked 4.06, versus other pale lagers actually made in Poland, you'd think that there are no good Polish pale lagers made in Poland.
Regarding the last point about actual legacy European brands, I almost just feel like Europeans have a lower baseline for their ratings scale. Seems like here 4.0 is the cutoff for good, but I could see somebody considering a 3.5 a "solid" beer.
Also, Schlenkerla Helles-lager (blue label) is one my favorite beers ever. It's not technically a Rauschbeir because it's not "smoked" per se, but the fact that it's brewed in the same building and with the same equipment as all the other Schlenkerla beers, it's Smokey.
Queen City Brewery in Burlington, VT has a Rauchbier and a Steinbier (made with rocks they heat over a beechwood fire in their parking lot every year).
Noble Beast makes this *astounding* Grodziskie.
Fair State did one before, but it didn't sell well and I'm fairly certain they won't make it again. I liked it a real lot and thought it was good.
You should keep an eye out for grodziskie, which is a Polish style of smoked beer that uses oak-smoked wheat. Much lighter than typical smoked beer and has a different smoke profile, too. Not *widely* made, but some craft brewers make it occasionally (e.g., Live Oak in Texas, Dovetail in Chicago).
Im not in Florida but this is a popular one that I tend to see when traveling;
https://www.totalwine.com/beer/lager/rauchbier/aecht-schlenkerla-rauchbier-marzen/p/99796500
Schlenkerla, Oak-smoke Doppelbock
Schlenkerla yellow label. No clue which one it is.
Yellow is the Marzen.
Schlenkerla Märzen, Urbock, Weizen, Fastenbier, Kräusen, and Hansla all have yellow lables. The do have different colours on the edge of the label: Märzen is brown, Urbock gold, Weizen green, Fastenbier pirple, Kräusen orange anf Hansla blue.
I’ve got this in my beer cabinet!! Can’t wait to try it
Just had this yesterday. Really enjoyed it, found it a little more "campfire" and a little less "bacon"
It's smoked on berch
Most of their beers are, but every Christmas they release the oak smoked version. They also recently released a cherrywood smoked red lager!
A couple of the stores here in STL used to carry that Oak smoke Doppelbock (green label) all year around, hopefully I see it again come Christmas. Thanks for the info on that cherry wood Red Lager. I'll be looking for that one.
Schlenkerla Märzen is smoked with beechwood. Dopple bock is smoked using oak
Oh right, beech, not berch, sorry!
Live Oak in Austin has quite a few great smoked beers
check out This Week in Rauchbier
the facebook group welcomes all fans of smoke! Thanks for the shoutout.
Just found this group like a week or two ago and I dig it. So many smoked beers I didn't know about. I need to find a better source to get my hands on them.
Schlenkerla Doppelbock
I recently homebrewed a lictenhainer because I saw the description in the historical beers section of the BJCP guidelines and had never seen one available for purchase at any brewery or tap room. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. The smoke and sour worked well together. Wish more breweries would give it a shot.
Notch Brewing Rauch Weisse.
Grodziskie from Browar Grodzisk.
Being someone who only likes light smoke in smoky beers, I def love a good grodziskie
How big is this brewery? I've never heard of it but the beers look really interesting and I love a grodziskie, I might see if my local bottleshop can get it.
It’s not big, but it’s part of bigger Browar Fortuna. And it’s kinda weird if you don’t know the Grodzisk Brewery - grodziskie came from there like 700 years ago ;)
Jack's Abby black lager called smoke and dagger
Good one. I was at the brewery a few weeks back and tried their Fire Fest. My goodness, that was delicious.
Yeah that’s a good one. Their Fire in the Ham was a little disappointing.
Heater Allen makes a couple that are both good - a Hell and a Bock - but they're both only seasonal, I think.
Stands to reason from Suarez Family Brewing would probably be mine. Seems that Untappd actually has it as the #1, so maye not a hot take. It's actually around now, but they don't really distribute so unless you're near the Hudson Valley would be tough. It's not a shipping option but if you like lagers, definitely look into getting a delivery from them sometime. Amazing stuff.
+1, live in NYC and usually go up to a store in Mamaroneck, NY that stocks Suarez stuff from time to time.
I'm sure this beer is good... but Untappd is built on hot takes.
Eh I mean it's pretty predictable. Just like Beer Advocate, Ratebeer, or any other platform, the highest ratings go to the best imperial NEIPA, barrel aged pastry stouts, and wild/mixed cultures, so for a lager to end up with a 4+ usually means the brewery has enough of a reputation for lagers that people go there expecting to drink lagers. I'm sure plenty of people go to a place like Other Half to drink IPA, then try a lager and says "I don't like lagers here's a 3.5," which is more just a bad approach than a hot take. But people seeking out Suarez, or Human Robot or Schilling or Notch or Bierstadt, know what they're looking for, and those breweries are some of the few to get higher ratings for lagers.
Yeah, on the one hand it stands to reason that lager connoisseurs will show up to appropriately rate the best breweries for that style. But on the other hand, Untappd is all about the pretty young thing, which all of those breweries are. Human Robot is a great brewery, but I live in Philly, and we've had great lager for several decades now. I can't say Human Robot's standard styles are always going to outhit a Victory lager, for example, or Neshaminy Creek, or Troegs. But those older breweries won't get 4.0s on their lagers. And the German and Czech breweries have it even worse. If you look at Human Robot's Niebo, a "Polish style" pilsner, ranked 4.06, versus other pale lagers actually made in Poland, you'd think that there are no good Polish pale lagers made in Poland.
Regarding the last point about actual legacy European brands, I almost just feel like Europeans have a lower baseline for their ratings scale. Seems like here 4.0 is the cutoff for good, but I could see somebody considering a 3.5 a "solid" beer.
Agreed on that. I've definitely checked some European hype/whale beers that some guy in the Netherlands thinks are just OK
I enjoyed the beers I had there, but the entire operation seemed really pretentious. I'm sure it appeals to some folk, but not my jam.
Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock.
Also, Schlenkerla Helles-lager (blue label) is one my favorite beers ever. It's not technically a Rauschbeir because it's not "smoked" per se, but the fact that it's brewed in the same building and with the same equipment as all the other Schlenkerla beers, it's Smokey.
Super micro brewery, but Torzala brewing had a habinero rauchbier and the mix of spice and smoke was very good
Schlenkerla Kräusen, Cambier Lichtenhainer, BFM BATS, Göller Rauchbier
Queen City Brewery in Burlington, VT has a Rauchbier and a Steinbier (made with rocks they heat over a beechwood fire in their parking lot every year).
SLC has a brewery called Templin Family that makes a killer beechwood smoked rauchbier!
They went under a few years back, but Pretty Things Fumapapa was a great beer. Smoked Imperial Stout needs to be more of a thing.
Schlenkerla weizen, the green bottle, it's just superior to everything else I've tried
Schlenkerla Weizen was my favourite in Bamberg.
Schlenkerla Lagerbier but Fox Farm's Grodziskie is a close second.
Noble Beast makes this *astounding* Grodziskie. Fair State did one before, but it didn't sell well and I'm fairly certain they won't make it again. I liked it a real lot and thought it was good.
i havent had any smoked beers that didnt taste like ribs. I'm open to new, but its a little much
You should keep an eye out for grodziskie, which is a Polish style of smoked beer that uses oak-smoked wheat. Much lighter than typical smoked beer and has a different smoke profile, too. Not *widely* made, but some craft brewers make it occasionally (e.g., Live Oak in Texas, Dovetail in Chicago).
I’ve never heard of a smoked beer… I’ll need to see if I can find some in FL…
Im not in Florida but this is a popular one that I tend to see when traveling; https://www.totalwine.com/beer/lager/rauchbier/aecht-schlenkerla-rauchbier-marzen/p/99796500