Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen
A- clear toasty brown, golden highlights with a dense stiff amazingly nice capper of beige foam. the stuff is bad ass. and it's taking so long to settle that i'm growing impatient as my area fills with the gentle aroma of smokes meats. poured gently, there's no haze from the yeast. lace is very thick and 3-dimensional, becoming patchy and crusty as it slides down. S- bacon and smoked ham, first off. campfire, bonfire, whatever. the main thing is-- barbecue pit. a big fat smoker with a half a pig inside. and maybe a turkey as well. subtle yeast and wheat aromas hide behind the smoke. some fruity tartness, clove, and grilled banana. a truly mouthwatering aroma. T- meaty, grilled, all goes without saying. i was unsure how this would compare to their unsmoked (though still smokey) helles, and i gotta give it to this weizen. the aroma is dominated by smoke but the taste is a great balance between a light flavored weizen, mildly sour fruits, and beechwood smoke. apart from some very faint clove type spice, much of the yeast flavors are blanketed by smoke while the tart snappiness of wheat pulls through. it's the perfect counterpart to the savory barbecue element and harmoniously they ride. a light touch of hops is merely a bitter accent in the long smoked out finish. MF- some acidic feel, and lighter than i expected, but still with the plush body of wheat. carbonation is lively and active and the bubbles seems to move in intelligent unison like a school of herring. finish has a dry, smoke bath feeling. D- with such intriguing flavor and good looks, not to mention an enticing aroma, this is a unique specimen that any 'real' beer lover should try. it's a man's beer, and unless a (american) girl has a bacon fetish, she might be turned off by this one. all things considered, it's as crisp and refreshing as any light bodied weizen. i wish the bottle was bigger, much bigger, but after one i'd move on to something non smokey.