Herevana -McLeod’s – Smugglers Bay Rauchbier
Being as how it’s a Tuesday I though I’d push the boat out with something special. Bottle 1859 of 2200 bottles. So now there’s one less.
McLeod’s Brewery McLeod’s Smugglers Bay Rauchbier, which that do in I the lovely Waipu, Northland, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, and it goes without saying this is a Smoked – Rauchbier with an ABV of 6.0% The 500ml bottle would then be 2.4 standard drink units in NZ.
There’s something very rewarding about smoked beers, I recently enjoyed the North End Pit Boss, a Smoked Dopplebock. That was very nice.
Smokey aroma, check. It’s quite sweet too.
The pour is a deep dark polished brown, with a lovely head that is off white and full and airy. Some of that smokiness carries to the glass, although I think that head might be holding it back a bit.
There’s two things at the same time, there’s a lovely sweet bitterness and there is also a lovely smokey sweetness competing at the front.
There is also a lovely fullness and roundness about this.
The finishing lingering note seems to stretch a while and leaves you with some lovely lip smacking bits to pick off your lips.
This is really nice, the whole is something quite smooth and silky, the smokiness is light, but is quite deep and mellow, the bitterness is intertwined and not a thing by itself you don’t get a, oh there’s the smoke bit, oh there’s the bitter bit, you get a smoke bitterness combo that you almost miss, because it seems just right, and in the right place, in the right amount.
This really is a bit of a celebration in a glass.
The Pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 on the arbitrary number scale. It is deceptive you don’t think there is a lot going on, where in fact there is, it’s just so go, so nice, that you miss it. There are no edges, no jarring step changes, nothing is lurking nothing is looming, it’s just well thought out measured gorgeousness in a bottle.
Music: the Murlocks – Bitersweeet Demons.
Herevana beers are those I drink at home, I’m not at some beer festival, like, for instance, Beervana, but am just in my kitchen, usually, dining room table, sometimes, or outside, occasionally, where I can take an average picture and write in real time about the beer that I’ve invested in, both in a monetary and emotional way.
Philip himself.
This is one of Head Brewer Jason Bathgate’s absolute favourite styles of beer. The style orginates from Bamberg Germany. The malts are slowly smoked with beechwood, imparting a deep rich smokiness. This is made in the stronger version, a bock or strong lager. Brewed like our Longboarder and cold conditioned. It is rich and smooth with a round integrated smokiness. Like bacon and eggs in a glass by the camp fire. Drink now or within two years.
Smoked – Rauchbier
The Rauchbier, or Bamberg-style Smoked Beer, is an medium amber/copper to dark brown colored, clear, malty German lager with a balanced, complementary beechwood smoke character. It has a Märzen-like toasty-rich malt in aroma and flavor, restrained bitterness, low to high smoke flavor, clean fermentation profile, and an attenuated finish which are characteristic to the style. Other classic examples based on other German Styles such as the Rauchweizen, Rauchbock and Rauchweizenbock are also included in this style.
A life just as ordinary 