Aecth Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Smokebeer), Germany (5.1%)

Ok, so went back to The Local yesterday with my brother and saw on the menu (food menu that is) a burger cooked in this beer, and was recommended to drink this beer with it. So decided to try it out...all I can start this review with are the words 'smoked ham'. in aftertaste and smell, this beer tastes just like that. it was quite different and quite intense, and if you did a blindfold test, you could be mistaken for thinking it was liquified smoked ham. it poured with quite a head on it, but this dissipated quite quickly. mind you, i was drinking it quite slowly because of the food but also the intensity. similar in the Haywards 5000 where instead of drinking the beer to cleanse the tongue of the food, you eat the food to cleanse the tongue of the beer. I was still tasting this beer 6 hours after drinking it. The other funny thing about this beer was that the body of the beer was quite light and while the beer was on the palate it tasted like a brown ale. it was only when it was mixed with oxygen that the smokiness would jump from it. I must say one of the most interesting beers i have tried, and got me researching a bit into it. No, I don't think i will try brewing it, but guess like burning green leaves on a fire, firing green malt would bring this smoke into the beer. Not a beer i will be going for very often, but then don't think i will forget the taste in it for a long time either. One of those interesting experiments in beer that bring profound change.

- Beef