Schammelsdorfer Rauchbier
Brewery: Knoblach
Town: Schammelsdorf
Style: Rauchbier
Color: unfiltered amber
Head: creamy, rocky
Nose: slight smoked malt
Body: medium-bodied, medium-carbonation
Palate: firmly bitter, smokiness creeping in more than dominating
Finish: clean, dry and bitter
Served: on tap at the Rauchbier Anstich at the brewery
Impression: Knoblach is is one of my favorite Franconian breweries. Their beers are generally very well-hopped, bitter and supremely dry across the board. I had my first one outside at the Anstich and mistakenly labeled this as the Räuschla, the brewery’s smoky Märzen. After going inside for a meal, I realized it was in fact an entirely different beer. In fact, they had both on tap inside! The Räuschla is a year-round offering while this Rauchbier is a relatively new speciality, this being only the 2nd Rauchbier Anstich. At 5.1%, it’s a bit weaker than the Märzen but it’s much more firmly bitter with quite a hop presence. The smokiness is more an undercurrent but is unmistakably there. I quite liked it and it was worth the walk from Memmelsdorf to enjoy it.
