Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

This was the second smoked beer i picked up last month, the other being their Marzen. This is their Urbock, strong at 6.5% abv, volume is 500mls. Its brewed once a year, and is stored for a month longer than the Marzen, and uses more malt in the brewing process too.
Rather than apprehension like last time, its excitement on opening this one.Once again you get the definite smell of smoked ham, and a more richer malt aroma.

Quite smooth and creamier, but a little more carbonation i think which helps in it the mouth. Smoke, spicy, sweeter also a little i think.
This is a brilliant beer, i enjoyed it so much more than the Marzen, and i honestly think its less smokey than it also, because it seems really well balanced. So so good, go out and find one!

I had this with a pepperoni and chizio pizza which went really well together. The smoke, meat and creaminess of the cheese matched the beer.

Bigger picture here

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

I was a little concerned about this, after reading peoples comments on the Ghostdrinker post about the smokiness and some able to only drink a half. Doesn't sound fun to be honest, and on ratebeer people talking of it tasting of meat, its beer for christ sake, i mean come on, meat???.

Its described as: 
"Bamberg’s speciality, a dark, bottom fermented smokebeer, brewed with Original Schlenkerla Smokemalt from the Schlenkerla maltings and tapped according to old tradition directly from the gravity-fed oakwood cask in the historical brewery tavern."

 The disinctive taste is made in the malting process thus:
In order to stop germination and to stabilize the involved biochemical processes, the green malt must be dried (kilned). That is where the secret of the Original Schlenkerla Smokebeer lies. A beechwood log fire underneath the kiln heats the air, and the smoke gives the malt its typical smoky flavor.

Okay, onto the beer, i thought of the two i bought i would start with the Marzen rather than the stronger Urbock.  And i dusted off my big big Krusovice glass for the pour.
Upon opening a sniff from the bottle gives me....bacon?!! A real smoked bacon aroma, woody ash too.
Its colour is a dark ruddy brown, with a small froth of a head.
Next another surprise, its not as smoked in the mouth as i was expecting, a good medium body with smoke yes, but a sweetish malty taste too. And before i knew it I'd drunk more than half of it, a dryness was forming in the mouth. The second didn't go down as quick but it was okay, i had some German ham from Aldi with it, and that worked too.
So in all an interesting experience, still a little apprehensive about the Urbock though!

A dull day turns good.

A manual handling study day is not the most exciting thing in the world, in anyones world. But on the plus side it meant i was around the corner from the Cardiff beer shop mentioned in previous posts. Seeing as i worked all over New Year on nights i thought a little treat was in order.

So...

Paulaner Oktoberfest - never had an oktoberfest beer, there was a choice of 3 but i choose this one.
De Koninck Belgian beer
Samuel Smith Old brewery pale ale - yup i went for another Sam Smith, well actually 3 of them!!
Samuel Smith India Ale
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
Durham Brewery Evensong - where as last time they had a few of this brewery's bottles and i was, on ChrisM  advice hoping to get their stout Temptation, but this was the only bottle left on the shelf! not complaining i'm sure it'll be good stuff.
Marble Dobber
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier  Marzen and Urbock. - smoked beers, i felt the need to try these, why not?

Again there was alot of choice, i was almost tempted by the Cantillon gueuze but it was a bit pricey, next time i will pick up an Afflingem blond, and Westmalle tripel, and they had the Australian Coopers sparkling ale which i almost took off the shelf this morning.