Staat Die F****** Dampkap Aan?

When I see 'Rauchmärzen', I - and doubtlessly most beerlovers with me - automatically think of Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, the most classic smoked beer in the world, technically a Märzen brewed with beechwood-smoked Rauchmalz. Dok, unsurprisingly, tries to outdo the master by throwing in additional malt variants (including rye malt) - I wonder what kept them from adding other hops than Hallertau too... Can from the Delhaize supermarket at the Sterre in Ghent. Medium thick, snow white, tiny-bubbled and dense, slowly breaking but generally stable head on a crystal clear, merigold blonde beer with deeper burnt-orange glow and fine strings of visible sparkling here and there. Aroma of very clear Rauchmalz indeed - smoked bacon and, oddly, smoked peaches, next to much less strong impressions of dried chamomile, unsalted peanut, cold ham on warm toast, fried onion, rye bread dough, smoked paprika, white bread crust. Clean 'lager onset', neutral and non-estery, with minerally yet soft and very fine-bubbled carb (perhaps even a bit too soft for the style?), hopping straight to maltiness, which in this case indeed feels a tad more complex than usual for the style: the smoked malts are dominant of course and feel very 'authentic' and beechwood-smoked, with all the smoked ham effects one associates this lovely style with - but they are also a bit 'mitigated' and softened by the caramelly and rye bread-like effects that were added. Dry finish, with that smoky umami flavour connecting with a sweeter caramelly undertone (though subtle) and a more grainy base, as well as a balancing, elegant, grassy hop bitter element stretching deeply yet softly into the finish, where a sweet ham-like flavour keeps lingering as well. Interesting but convincing, very clean like any German style lager, pure and to the point, with the familiar Rauchmalz effect being the key element - but not quite as strong as in Aecht Schlenkerla, actually more like Spezial, the somewhat softer variant in the field of historical Bamberg Rauchbiere. Regardless, this feels even more 'authentic' than I was expecting - and I love this odd yet classic German lager style, so I surely enjoyed this one. Should have bought more cans, also considering how well smoked beers can be cellared without deteriorating.