mystery German beer

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:43 pm

I had the following query arrive in the news@bartowel.com inbox, and I can't figure out what beer this guy is looking for:

"2 years ago we were able to purchase, from the LCBO, a German BEER(WITH NO ENGLISH WRITING ON IT ), that was an original wood brewed and tasted as such. i never bothered to write the name down. can anyone help me??"

Does this ring any bells for anyone?

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:48 pm

Really vague question. "An original wood brewed," what does he mean?

Rauchenfelser Steinbier is of a style that was originally brewed in wooden vessels. You can't put fire under wood (duh) so they threw in searing hot rocks for the boil.

(Marktoberdorfer brewery.)

Oh and it was sold here 3-4 years ago maybe, perhaps longer.

Blankboy · Post by **Blankboy** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:50 pm

My guess is he's referring to the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. He probably mean's smoked instead of "wood brewed".

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:53 pm

Blankboy wrote:My guess is he's referring to the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. He probably mean's smoked instead of "wood brewed".

Ah, good call! You're probably right.

BeerMonger · Post by **BeerMonger** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:27 pm

If that is the smoky one then I tried it...not rushing to get anymore but to each his own.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:30 am

It's pretty smoky alright. Think of deeply wood-smoked ham and a bit of hardwood ashes mingled in there just for bite, and that's pretty much Schlenkerla Märzen.

Steinbier is more session-drinkable and, while smoky gets its 'burny' character from the caramelization of the malt sugars onto the searing hot stones rather than the malts being smoked beforehand. It is not a 'smoked beer' though the taste may suggest it somewhat.

Yes it was sold here at LCBO in swing-top 500ml bottles with funny Nazi-era font script. Sorry but its true.

Wheatsheaf · Post by **Wheatsheaf** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:45 pm

So is Schlenkerla the beer that the guy was looking for? It would be my first guess, too, but Schlenkerla is pretty widely available; you'd think that someone who was looking for it would easily find it--and recognize it, given the distinctiveness of the label.

Has Rauchenfelser Steinbier ever been available in Ontario? I could be wrong, but I don't think it has--not at the LCBO, at least.

I find it funny how Raftman--a beer with, to my nose, not a whiff of smoke--gets constantly categorized as a smoked beer. And now it's a smoked witbier??? I think you've created a new beer style there, Belgian. Can an imperial smoked witbier be far behind? Someone inform BJCP immediately!

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:10 pm

Wheatsheaf wrote:So is Schlenkerla the beer that the guy was looking for?

I sent him the info, and he wrote back to say thanks, so I guess it was probably what he was looking for.

DAN-D-MAN · Post by **DAN-D-MAN** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:12 pm

BeerMonger wrote:If that is the smoky one then I tried it...not rushing to get anymore but to each his own.

Man, I love this stuff! I always keep it stocked in the fridge. In fact, I had one yesterday.

I agree that the Raftman isn't very smoky smelling or tasting. As an alternate, the Church Key Holy Smoke is pretty good too.

JWalter · Post by **JWalter** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:10 pm

DAN-D-MAN wrote:
BeerMonger wrote:If that is the smoky one then I tried it...not rushing to get anymore but to each his own.
Man, I love this stuff! I always keep it stocked in the fridge. In fact, I had one yesterday.

I agree that the Raftman isn't very smoky smelling or tasting. As an alternate, the Church Key Holy Smoke is pretty good too.

I'm a fan of smoked beers too, I think it's certainly a unique taste/flavor and some folks just don't really dig that flavor in a beer, to be honest, I couldn't drink pint after pint, but if I'm having an evening where we're sampling a bunch of beers, I love a little 4-6oz glass of this in there somewhere... It's also good when you're camping, around the campfire... Yeah... Or have it with some smoked Gouda...?