Schlenkerla Heller Aecht Märzen unfiltered
Brewery: Heller (Schlenkerla)
Town: Bamberg
Style: Rauch Märzen 5.1%
Color: unfiltered mahogany
Head: tan, creamy
Nose: smoky but a notch down from the filtered one
Body: full
Palate: smoky, malty, underlying hops (less ham than filtered one)
Finish: lingering, semi-dry, semi-bitter
Served: gravity dispensed from wooden barrel at Schlenkerla
Impression: This special unfiltered version of the flagship Märzen is a touch less smoky and smoother. The ham aspect is much less pronounced and it seems a bit fuller-bodied. I had to buy a bottle to see how it fared not only against the bottled filtered one but also against my experience in the pub.
