Schlenkerla Märzen
Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla, Bamberg, Germany
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, Märzen
Rauchbier5.4% ABV 12 oz. draft into pint glass
The other Schlenkerla offering on tap was the Urbock, which my waiter described as a “bacon beer.” Most smoke beers (Rauchbier) remind me at least slightly of bacon, so I thought I’d go for a smoke beer more subtle than an outright bacon imitation and settled on the Märzen.
I had never heard of Schlenkerla before. I thought maybe it was some funny-named, off-beat Michigan brewery, like Kuhnhenn. Little did I know, it’s actually in the heart of Bavaria.
The beer: I liken it to a smoky, slightly-malty, amber ale, though it’s actually a lager. It has some flavor characteristics of black teas, like Puer, though Puer is actually a green tea.
Perry did not want more than one sip, but I found it surprisingly pleasant, if not a little weak in body. It went down easy. The smokiness was not too upfront or overly bacon-y, but it decidedly proclaimed its genre: Rauchbier. I would be curious to try the Urbock on some future visit and experience its bacon-y goodness. Who doesn’t love bacon?
The sloppy joe bikinis didn't work nearly as well
