Na Zdravi !: Rauchbier Hell

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Rauchbier Hell

Heater Allen Brewing (McMinnville, OR) and Wayfinder Beer (Portland, OR)
"Hell/Helles" in German translates to bright, light, or pale. "Rauch" is smoked in German. So ... pale smoked beer.
Rauchbier is an old German beer style with origins in the 1500's. Typically dark to amber in color, it shares similarities with Oktoberfestbier. Green malts are dried over an open fire of beechwood, imparting a unique smokiness to the final beverage. Expect toasty-rich malt in aroma and flavor, restrained bitterness, low to high smoke flavor, clean fermentation profile, and an attenuated finish.

"This smoked or 'Rauch' beer gets it smoky flavor the traditional way, from Beechwood-smoked barley malt." Subtle smoky aromas are complemented by a bright and crisp finish."

Surprisingly delicious. The smoke is present and noticeable, but a really well crafted lager lies beneath. Sweet and malty with a slightly acidic finish.
Not sure what I was expecting. It seems the possiblilty for disaster would be huge in this type of beer, but Heater Allen pulled this off ... I'm coming to expect that from them.

ABV 5%

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.