Heller-Bräu Trum (Aecht Schlenkerla)
Regional Brewery
in Bamberg,
Bavaria,
Germany 🇩🇪
Associated Venue: Schlenkerla
Established in 1405
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Wow, interesting beer. I don’t think I can drink more than 4 or 5 oz a day. The smoke flavor just becomes too much. Poured out clear amber in color with a small khaki head. Aroma is pure smoke. Smells like a small fire is smoldering in my glass. There is just a hint of malt hidden behind the smoke aroma and really no hop presence. Taste is smoky and sweet malts. The smoke flavor seems similar to that of an Oak Cask aged Irish whiskey like Jameson Gold. But instead of the bright fresh wood taste and smell this is more charred wood embers in the flavor. I do taste some hops on the tongue and some bitterness does remain in the aftertaste. But the key player here is the smoke infused malts present throughout the taste profile. No mistake about it, it’s a smoke beer. For me this beer should shine when accompanied with the correct food. It goes OK with sharp cheddar cheese.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draught. Clear brown colour with a longlasting tan head. Has a smoked aroma with some hints of sausages. Malty and slightly smokey flavor. Has a long malty slightly smokey aftertaste, with some bitterness.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
On tap at the Reading BF 06. One of the beers of the festival for me. Served to me by Olaf even though they were 3 deep at the bar. What a guy! Attractive pale gold colour with thick white head. Light smokey aroma. Lovely smokey bacon in mouth. Creamy texture. Gorgeous re rate many times over the last 10 years. just a beautiful smoke lager with no smoked malt.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
On tap at Schlenkerla. Dark red brown with a fluffy head, some lacing. Aroma of intense meaty and campfire smoke and bready/toffee malt. Sweetish rich, smoked and malty flavour, with a light bitter finish.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Available only at the brewery. And in every streetcorner supermarket in the USA, ’t would seem. Full golden beer with a small, but nice white head. Very malty nose, definitely smoky despite the non-... Smoked bread-like, if that exists. Smoked but restrained smoked taste (they cannot get rid of it - thank God). Some Pilsner malt obvious but the smokiness keeps the upper hand. Finishes a bit empty, however. As above, the MF is very light - even for a Pilsner. Very surprising lager - of course. But IMO, its rarity wins from its distinctiveness.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5
Undated bottle from Belfast Co-op (I would guess it to be a fresh 2006 bottle) consumed on 4/15/06.
Full clarity, yet seemingly bottle conditioned? I don’t see any sediment, but the head is full, creamy, rocky and creates plenty of lacing. Strong retention. Pure, brilliant gold in color is the body, while the head is slightly off-white. Either it is bottle conditioned or it’s just extremely fresh and these guys are incredible at artificially carbonating their bottles.
Smells of lightly singed wood, touches of lightly grainy malts and a surprisingly low amount of yeast apparency. Touch of munich malts in the background perhaps, but it’s difficult to be sure in light of the smoke. Extremely clean and flawless. Light bacon, touch of spicy hops pop up with some moderate caramelized sweetness.
Effervescence swiftly carries sweet honey/pils-like malt notes about the palate upon first sip. Spicy hop notes tickle the sides of the tongue in conjunction with light smoked malt phenols. A hint of peachy-nectarine and a gentle reprise of soft honey on the end. I guess this is a smoked pils? Dosent seem much like a helles, as it would be overattenuated for that style and dosent have the yeast apparency or sourish munich malt notes. Whatever the hell it is, it’s absolutely stunningly-well brewed. Hops linger on, lengthening the spicy nature. Never a shade of thinning, even upon warming, and though the beer seems filtered, the mouthfeel has just enough residual dextrins to keep things lightly creamy and substantial. Moderate carbonation, perfect attenuation, smoke is not overdone for the size of the beer. Hops even seem to grow in flavor as the palate becomes accustomed to the smokiness. Head never falls below cover, with minor lace down the sides of the glass. I couldn’t help thinking about Russian River Redemption while drinking this one. Very similar beers (think smoke instead of brett).
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle (...also often sampled at the Dominikanerstrasse): Dark amber coloured with reddish sparks, small, lacing off-white head; strong roast-malty nose, also charcoal and wood in the aroma; sweet-bitter (like from ashes...) flavour, quite full bodied, oily texture; long smoky, malty finish with a moderate delicate bitterness. A class of its own ! Hard to drink for beginners, but the next one is always better...............
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
On draught at Redbones, 4/1/06. From what I gather, this year’s batch wasn’t quite as enjoyable as last year’s.
A beer of low filtration, but this has settled out to be nearly clear, with a bright orange hue hididng behind deep amber-auburn. Moderate amount of bubbles rising in the liquid creates a small, beige head that is neatly retained at cover, with a touch of lace.
The nose is the most softly understated smokiness I have encountered in a long time. Not in your face like the Urbock, and not even as strong as the marzen, but still just full, lasting and refreshing, filling the nostrils with applewood smoked bacon, smoked almonds, sweet vanilla cream and daintily arousing further curiousity with graceful, yet spicy hop notes on the end, coupled with light candied apples, pinches of cinnamon sprinkled overtop oranges and a fresh unpasteurized yeastiness.
The flavor combines a roasted meat fullness with an almost cheddar cheese-like robustness and deep saltiness. Things never get out of hand nor do they become overdone, as the hops are well apparent, bringing leafy, hay-like spices, tangy as well, but with bright herbal notes emerging on the end, in time. Never too heavy in the mouth, but with just enough unfiltered chewiness and the signature oiliness (which is light here) from the smoked malts. Tending towards the sweeter side of things, but playful, moreso than heavy, with sweet fruit notes adding a livliness I dont remember from the other Schlenkerlas. No alcohol anywhere. Very cohesive, homogenized beer, well-balanced and tastefully done in all aspects. Probaby the most delicate smoked beer I have had, though delicate is quite a relative term when it comes to smoked beers! Kind of like a smoked alt. Hopefully they do a smoked eisbock next.....
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Bottle at Ship & Mitre, Liverpool. I was looking through my ratings last night and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t added this. I think because I knew I had a bottle at home which I would rate. But then I had the one at home and thought, "Oh I don’t need to rate this, as I had it in Liverpool." Fortunately I still have my notes from the Ship & Mitre. Smokey bacon aroma, dark brown beer with beige head. This is good, I mean good. Like a dunkel in mouth with more smokey bacon on end. Stunning. And my first ever Rauch. Re-rate at brewery, fantastic in mouth, just the fullness is amazing, so smooth too, effortless
maniac (11830) reviewed Urbock from Heller-Bräu Trum (Aecht Schlenkerla) 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Dark mohogony color with a thin frothy off-white head. Aroma of smoke and hints of salt. Sweet smoke flavor with light salting. Taste of a smoked ham.
Brewery Stats
| Score | 7.27 |
| Beers | 20 |
| Ticks | 3019 |
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