Beer of the Weekend #676: Exile Rauchbier
The beer tonight is the first I have tried from Des Moines’ Exile Brewing Company: Rauchbier.
Exile Rauchbier pours a hazy, medium to deep amber into a stange. Two fingers of off-white, light tan head leaves a spotted and bubbly skim and ring around the edge. Quite a bit of carbonation rises from the bottom. Smoked malt, reminiscent of smoked ham, dominates the aroma. There is also a little caramel. It reminds me of autumn. The flavor is smoky as well, offering the smoked ham from the aroma, but it is not as prominent. There is more toasted malt and caramel. It has an adequate bitterness. There is a little honey and perhaps a touch of pepper. The smoked malt slowly becomes more prominent as the beer warms. At the end, the toasted and smoked malts blend nicely.
Fun facts about Exile Rauchbier:
-Style: Rauchbier.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-According to the beer’s webpage, “Attempts to describe the sensory experience of the Rauchbier have included ‘autumn in a bottle,’ ‘a tailgate for the taste buds’ and ‘liquid bacon.’” I’m not sure exactly what “a tailgate for the taste buds” means, but I’ll go with it. When it comes to rauchbier, I am much more of a “campfire/autumn in a bottle” type of guy.
-A related thought: Is there such a thing as smoked tofu? There has to be.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Exile Rauchbier pours a hazy, medium to deep amber into a stange. Two fingers of off-white, light tan head leaves a spotted and bubbly skim and ring around the edge. Quite a bit of carbonation rises from the bottom. Smoked malt, reminiscent of smoked ham, dominates the aroma. There is also a little caramel. It reminds me of autumn. The flavor is smoky as well, offering the smoked ham from the aroma, but it is not as prominent. There is more toasted malt and caramel. It has an adequate bitterness. There is a little honey and perhaps a touch of pepper. The smoked malt slowly becomes more prominent as the beer warms. At the end, the toasted and smoked malts blend nicely.
Fun facts about Exile Rauchbier:
-Style: Rauchbier.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-According to the beer’s webpage, “Attempts to describe the sensory experience of the Rauchbier have included ‘autumn in a bottle,’ ‘a tailgate for the taste buds’ and ‘liquid bacon.’” I’m not sure exactly what “a tailgate for the taste buds” means, but I’ll go with it. When it comes to rauchbier, I am much more of a “campfire/autumn in a bottle” type of guy.
-A related thought: Is there such a thing as smoked tofu? There has to be.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
