Smoke on the Lager

Draft at the brewpub and now again from a growler - seems like they were going for a Schlenkerla Marzen clone with this one, which, unfortunately for this beer, forces me to make comparisons between it and what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest beers in the world - this one doesn’t exactly compare, but it is a fairly strong smoked lager none-the-less - pours a dark ruby - nice campfire smoke in the nose, along with some rich maltiness (caramel, toasted grains) - there is a faint acidity way in the back that is a slight flaw in the nose - medium body - dry leafy bitterness and toasted grain flavors up front - not as much smoke as the aroma suggests, but enough to provide an nice woody, earthiness - a little caramel and toasted marshmallow sweetness on the back end - finishes dry, moderately bitter, and a little thin - a faint acidic tang at the end, too - not sure if the flaw is with the beer or the tap lines/growler fill - still a decent attempt at a difficult to balance style.