6.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Imperial pint draught, Downers Grove. Deep garnet body under a half-inch white and brown head that slips off the sides of the glass as beer goes down. Smell is indeed smoky; not overdone, though, I need to nose in close to find it. Yes, smoky taste upfront, but more like a Gouda than the bacony whiff of Schenklera (if you ever get to a Tinkoff Rauchbier, it’s in that range. Anyway, equal balance of darker srystal malt and basic north German hop thread lets the rauch take center stage. Very nice.