Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier
Bonfire pours a deep mahogany into my SA Perfect Pint glass. The head starts strong, but quickly falls to a patchwork film. No lace is left behind. The beer starts out promising enough. A pronounced smokiness dominates the nose and flavor. Once past the smoke, there isn't much else happening. A light lemon bitterness adds interest. There's a hint of straw too. Toward the end, the beer gets rather astringent and finishes quite dry. The body is fairly light and a touch undercarbonated. Overall, this is a pretty tame Rauchbier. I'm glad Boston made this, but it doesn't stand up to the best of the breed.