Schlenkerla Erle (Schwarzbier)
Brewery: Heller (Schlenkerla)
Town: Bamberg
Style: smoke Schwarzbier 4.2%
Color: dark mahogany
Head: ivory, rocky
Nose: complex mix of roasted malt and smoke
Body: medium
Palate: balanced, roasty, light complex smoke
Finish: lingering, semi-dry, semi-bitter
Served: from a bottle bought at the brewery
Impression: Right on the heals of their stunning Rotbier Weichsel, Schlenkerla comes out with an even lower octane Schwarzbier called Erle at 4.2%. Using alder wood, the smoky element is complex in both the nose and palate. The high concentration of roasted malt blends with this well to make a flavorful but easy drinking session beer that is still quite flavorful. The lingering finish is just dry enough with a nice slight bitterness. It’s not quite what I expected but I’m looking forward to the kegged version as those beers (Weichsel, Rauchweizen) have all beer drier than the bottled versions lately. It’s another winner from Schlenkerla.
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