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: on tap 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. As expected, it is much drier on tap and hence even more sessionable. It’s got the same roasty palate but it’s less sweet in the finish. Though I’m not generally a big fan of nitro beers, this would be an interesting one to see served as such.
