Holy Smokes! - Locally Available Smoked Beers

Our single favorite taste characteristic in a beer is possibly smoke.....or hops.....or coffee. Well, for today it is smoke.

For those of you that stick to macro beers and the like, this may sound a little odd. But, to those of you who enjoy craft beer and wine, this flavor profile should not be surprising. Smoke flavor can get into beer from essentially two methods: using malt that was roasted over an open fire, or aging beer in a wood barrel.

It is funny to think that smoke flavor in beer used to be a completely undesirable quality. Back when using an open fire was the only way to dry malt, brewers would try just about anything to keep smoke from affecting the flavor of their beer. The brewing cycle has come full circle these days, as there are many smoky beers available across the country. Brewers have learned that, when used correctly, smoke can be a very desirable trait in beer.

Two of our favorite smoked beers:

Alaskan Smoked Porter -- this was our first experience with smoked beers, and it is still our favorite. Their intention when making this beer was to pay homage to the brewing process used in the early days in Alaska. Brewers had to roast their own grain back then, and alder wood was the only local wood appropriate for doing so.

The beer appears pitch black and the aroma immediately reminds us of a campfire. Beyond the smoke, you can still taste the qualities of a good porter with some vanilla, chocolate and light coffee coming through. Just an absolutely lovely beer that is in our Top 10 all-time favorites. Another benefit of the smoked malt, is that it helps preserve the beer as it ages. The Alaskan Smoked Porter gets smoother with age, and the smoke becomes less intense. They have been known to do vertical tastings of different vintages at beer festivals. Tasting 8 or so different vintages at last year's GABF is one of our favorite beer drinking moments. This would pair well with certain cheeses.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen -- this traditional smoked Marzen is made by the Heller Brewery of Bamburg, Germany, one of the breweries that never took advantage of the Industrial Revolution and continues to use the traditional methods of kilning in order to stick with their local culture. This Marzen is low in alcohol at 5.1%, making this a fairly refreshing, light beer. The smoke flavor is not as intense as the Alaskan Smoked Porter; it reminds us more of the subtle flavor of nice smoked meat. It is a nicely balanced beer with just a bit of sweetness in the finish. This is the perfect beer to drink while BBQing.

There are two other Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers available locally: the Ur-Bock and the Weizen. You can also find the Stone Smoked Porter and Rogue Smoke Ale, and, sometimes, specialty smoked beers from other local brewers. You should be able to get the above beers at Bottleworks and other local quality bottle shops, and possibly Whole Foods. If we missed any, please post and let us know.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Geoff in Food on September 19, 2007 1:08 PM

Comments [rss]

Katelyn

Thanks Geoff. Will do.

Geoff

#4: Went to Stix last night and was told they don't have a Smoked Porter, and never have?

Their normal porter was quite tasty, but defnitely not smokey.

xanthus69

There's always Uber Tavern, with the Schlenkerla Helles (not a rauch, but smoky nonetheless) as a semi-permanent handle. And with PCC across the street, you can pick up some smoked provolone or whatever other cheese and meat you fancy for a delicious food and beer pairing!

Geoff

Katelyn - The Alaskan(or any smoked beer) would go well with a medium cheddar, fresh mozzarella, gouda or any smoked cheeses. Serve with some smoked salmon and bread/crackers and you've got yourself a nice little appetizer.

I do enjoy a good pumpkin beer - and Elysian happens to probably be one of the best Pumpkin beer brewers in the country. Try their Night Owl Pumpkin Ale:

http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/elysian-night-owl-pumpkin-ale/17642/

You can find that in bottles right now around town, or on tap at their brewpub. The Night Owl has a nice balance between the pumpkin, spices and malt...not too overwhelming.

Also, keep your eye out for Elysian's Pumpkin festivals that will take place in October. Last year they had about 5 or 6 differnt pumpkin style beers....all very interesting. Seattlest will likely have a preview.

Katelyn

What cheeses, precisely, are you thinking of pairing with the Alaskan? Just wondering, beer pairings are fascinating.

I bought a Badger Mountain NSA syrah at the Cheese Festival last year, and it tasted for all the world like bacon. Bacon! In red wine! I've read since that the smoky, porky attributes aren't as bizarre as I thought in many beverages. I'll have to give the smoked beers a go.

Final question, do you like pumpkin ale and if you do, what's your favorite?

Geoff

re: Stix Smoked Porter - I will definitely be checking that out, hopefully tomorrow!

Thanks for the heads up!

Geoff

I'm pretty sure you can usually get the Rogue Smoke Ale in Issaquah, but I'm not sure if I've seen bottles of it anywhere else.

Saxtor, that's a great point. These beers are definitely not everyday session beers...1 or 2 should definitely do you well. Even if you love the smokey taste like I do, it's a bit much to drink multiple pints of.

I just remembered I tried boiling shrimp in an Alaskan Porter once....yeah, that didn't work out so well. Maybe I'll try soaking shrimp in the porter and then cooking on the grill...extra smokey.

I've noticed that WA has recently starting getting Left Hand beers from CO. If we're lucky, maybe we'll see this smoked beer on our shelves sometime soon:

http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/left-hand-smokejumper/65635/

guest

You should try the Smoked Porter over at Stix. Their beers have greatly improved since they got the new brewer.

Saxtor

I can handle a pint or MAYBE two of smoked beers, and since I drink so many porters, I've had a handful. I tend to believe that the Alaskan and Stone smoked varieties are a bit on the smoky side, and I'm at a loss as to what others jump out, but I have had a few that are alright. They're not what I'd consider an everyday beer, though.

guest

As duly noted, bot the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen and Alaskan Smoked Porter, are excellent beers. Small batches make them sometimes hard to find though.

The Smoked Beer I've had a Rogue up in Issaquah is a bit of lame copy of the "original" from Bamberg. OK as a beer, just not as good as its German brother.

There is BTW another(?) good German beer that is a "Steinbier". The malt is heated with big rocks that are coming out of an open fire. So, there is actually a third way to get some "smoke" flavor into the beer...

guest

That Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier tastes like liquid bacon. I love it. Haven't seen the Rogue Smoke anywhere in these parts. Where can you get it locally? Have seen the Rogue Chipotle Ale, which is more like a smoke beer than a chili beer. It's pretty good. Bottleworks is starting to carry the Eisebahn beers from Brazil. They have a smoked lager called the Defumada that I tried in SF and liked. I bet it'll show up there before long.

Beer Retard