King River Brewing Rauchbier

There was another German-inspired beer waiting in the wings from King River Brewing when we published our take on their helles, maibock and bière de garde but, given it was due to debut at Carwyn Cellars' Oktoberfest, we figured we'd keep it in the locker until that deed was done. Which it is, so...

Rauchbier is their take on the smoky beers made famous by the brewers of Bamberg: a Märzen injected with a hearty dose of smoked malts. You barely need to be in the same room as this deep copper liquid to be hit by smoke galore, conjuring memories of everything from Bacon Fries in their crimson packets to something a little more potent and Islay peat-like. There's a backing choir of comforting toasted malts that both round out and soften the impact of the stars of the show, before the curtain comes down with a suitably dry and smoky finish.

James Smith

Published October 15, 2024 2024-10-15 00:00:00