Schell's Stag Series Batch 3 - Rauchbier

Last week, I decided to get caught up on the Schell's Stag Series. I had a bottle of Batch 2 that had been sitting in my fridge for awhile, and I recently purchased some of Batch 3. That was my cue to get these sessions done, which I did. If you read my post from last week, you'll know how much I enjoyed the Wild Rice Farmhouse Ale. Now, it's time to have a session with Batch 3, a rauchbier.

What's a rauchbier? Well, translated from German to English, it literally means "smoke beer." It is a very old lager style that uses 100% smoked malt. Typically, all of the malt is smoked over beechwood, but Schell's added their own personal twist:

"This Rauchbier is our interpretation of a traditional Franconian Rauchbier (smoke beer). Rauchbiers date back to the early 1500’s when green malt was dried over open fires. The smoke from the fire was picked up in the grain and the smoky flavor carried over into the beer.

Our version of this ancient style was brewed using a blend of malts smoked over beech wood and cherry wood to create a twist on the traditional style. The remainder of the malt bill is made up of Dark Munich, Caramunich, and a touch of black malt. Tettnang and Sterling hops are used for a balanced bitterness."

This is definitely the kind of specialty brew you would expect from a German heritage brewery like Schell's. The stats listed on their website indicate that this beer is between 6-7% ABV. I wonder what would cause them to give a range instead of a specific percentage. If any of you know, I'd be happy to hear from you.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my mug. A 2-finger light tan head springs up quickly before it shrinks to a thin, even layer. The body is quite clear and the color brings dark maple syrup to mind.

Let's confirm that this is a rauchbier. Yep. There's a powerful wood smoke aroma with maybe just a hint of a bready undertone. It smells like my coat does after sitting around a bonfire for the evening.

Surprisingly, smoke is not the first thing I taste. First, there is a bit of sweet caramel, and then comes the smoke. Big time smoke. It makes me think of bacon and smoked brisket. A nice earthy bitterness does its best to battle some of the smokiness, but the smoke wins and hangs around long past the finish.

The pleasant medium viscosity slides easily down my throat. Mild carbonation on my tongue isn't all that noticeable, probably due to the strong flavor profile. There is no lacing at all on my glass.

I've had some of the imported rauchbiers from Germany, and this version from Schell's can definitely hold its own against any of those beers. The wonderfully full smoke aroma and flavor will suit any of your favorite grilled foods perfectly, not to mention smoked meats and cheeses. I was just recently snacking on some delicious cheese summer sausage (with actual cheddar chunks in the sausage), and I felt compelled to open a bottle of Batch 3 to go with it. Wow, that was a tasty combination.