Rauchbier? Let me tell you about Rauchbier.
Christmas came early at Binny's last month as I walked out into the chilly Downers Grove air with not one but two Rauchbiers. (And a rye lager. And a couple intriguing Polish brews.) I felt what I imagine a new father feels like after his first child is born - all giddy and elated. But, instead of the pride of having sired offspring, I felt the satisfaction that I would be able to enjoy the autumn nights with a luscious, smoky companion.
Sadly, the first Rauchbier that I tasted from my stash was a disappointment - just too much fizz. So I looked to Pipeworks to rectify the situation. Their Oaked Smoked Helles Lager had proven to be excellent and I felt that the (presumably) beech wood version would be as well.
It's funny to me how my perception of Pipeworks has changed over the years. When I first became aware of them I sought out their fruited Berliner Weisses. And then they seemed to go all unicorn IPA on me. I was once at a party with a bunch of brewers from a local brewery - the grunt type of brewer, not the brewmasters who get all the glory - who were a fair bit younger than me. Pipeworks came up and they all bent over backwards to praise, if not worship, their unicorn IPAs. It was as if the hops used in their beers were unique to the brewery and no other had the Precious. I couldn't help but think "What the hell is wrong with kids these days?"
But now Pipeworks has this Pastrami on Rye beer that is infused with rye goodness and seasoned with spices not normally found in beer. It's like a gruit and a Jewish deli made the beast with two backs and had a delectably toothsome child. Then this fall I discovered that they have not one but two different Rauchbiers, each brewed with a malt that was smoked with different variety of wood. Pipeworks deserves tons of credit for escaping the gimmick trap that holds many a craft brewery tied to a routine of brewing barely distinguishable IPAs. I no longer think of unicorns when I think of Pipeworks which is a testament to their willingness to brew with ingredients I prefer over fruity hops and their ability to make quality beers.
For once my photograph is more or less in focus and does a decent job of portraying the foam situation as my pour produced a smallish head that was just off-white. These bubbles were positively kinetic like soda and they burst fairly quickly. On the other hand, my camera's rather poor white balancing makes the beer look a deeper gold than it truly was. The brew was clear and I spied a goodly number of bubbles inside. As expected, a smoky aroma wafted up from my glass and set the olfactory part of my brain all aglow. After it had settled down, I caught a hint of bread as well as some grassy hop scents.
A medium-light body was adorned with a firm, but not overwhelming, fizziness.
Whew!
I mean, was there ever any doubt?
Upon my first sip, waves of ambrosial smokiness caressed my tongue. They weren't tsunamis nor were they mild spilling waves. They hit that nice Goldilocks mid-point. (Though, truth be told, I wouldn't have minded if it had been even smokier.) A bit of bread joined the fray along with grassy hops. On the finish, all the malty goodness slowly faded - smoke tends to leave my palette more slowly than sweetness - letting the hops come to the fore with a more spicy flavor. This, along with the fizz, made for a moderate dryness with slightly less bitterness.
Pipeworks really came through here. Although less bready/Maillardy than Schlenkerla's Helles, this and its oaken sister are excellent Rauchbiers. Luscious smoke and the fizz/hop combo provide balance and a nice, dry finish. Fine brews indeed.
Junk food pairing: As with the oaked smoked stuff, this smoked Helles pairs well with potato chips, especially the All Dressed or Cheese & Onion varieties.
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