Letting the Smoke Clear: The Rest
Last week, I looked at the use of smoke in the porter style. While porters are the most common example of the use of smoke in beer, smoke has found it’s way into numerous styles of beer from traditional German Rauchbiers to brewers finding ways to introduce smoke by the use of barrels. Today, I look at “the rest” of the smokey beers that are in the market today.
For lovers of smoke, there’s no name that rings out louder than Aecht Schlenkerla. Big smoke flavors dominate these brews as the style of beer acts more like the canvas for the smoke to express itself upon. Whether it’s the light bodied Märzen or the more richly flavored Urbock, be prepared for significant doses of smoke.
Not all examples of rauchbier are so aggressively smokey. Iron Hill’s Rauchbier plays the sweetness of the malt against the sour of the smoke for a delicate balance that is distinctly rauchbier but not reminiscent of sleeping in a chimney. Grand Teton’s Sheepeater’s Scotch ale is another beer that introduced enough smoked malt to add a distinct layer of flavor to the beer tat plays well with the rest of the flavors.
For fans of more experimental style, Terrapin’s Hoptaneous Combustion has to be one of the most unique beers I came across using smoked flavors. This beer marries the west-coast double IPA style with smoked malt for a beer that people seem to love or hate. Personally I’m in love, not just with the citrusy smokey flavor, but with the creativity it takes to create such a beer.
Lastly, but definitely not least, are the boys from Scotland at BrewDog. While not using smoked malt to achieve the flavor of smoke in their beers, the barrels, formerly home to famously smokey scotch whiskey, are used to give the beers noticeable smoke character. Whether it’s the comparatively “sessionable” Paradox line or the weapon’s grade Tactical Nuclear Penguin, to describe these beers without the mention of smoke would mean you might not be tasting these beers at all.
While there are many more smoked beer styles out there, I did my best to expose the vast majority of what is out on the market. If you have a favorite style that I missed, please share. With new styles and ingredients being used every day by increasingly experimental brewers I am sure we will begin seeing smoked malt in mor styles and in unique ways never thought of before.
