32B
Specialty Smoked Beer
Smoked BeerColour varies by recipe
ABVVaries with the base style
IBUVaries with the base style
SRMVaries with the base style
32A
Classic Style Smoked Beer
A well-balanced fusion of the malt and hops of the base beer style with a pleasant and agreeable smoke character.
Colour varies by recipeParameter ranges
Alcohol · ABV
Varies with the base styleBitterness · IBU
Varies with the base styleColor · SRM
Varies with the base styleOriginal gravity · OG
Varies with the base styleFinal gravity · FG
Varies with the base styleRanges describe a style, not an individual beer. Colour depends on the base beer and ingredients. The transparent glass outline does not depict a fixed beer colour.
About this entry
Intended for smoked versions of Classic Style beers, except if the Classic Style beer has smoke as an inherent part of its definition (such as Rauchbier, which has its own description).
Appearance
Variable. The appearance should reflect the base beer style, although the color is often a bit darker than expected for the plain base style.
Aroma
A pleasant balance between the expected aroma of the base beer and smoked malt. The smoke character ranges from low to assertive, and may show varietal wood smoke character (e.g., alder, oak, beechwood). The balance between the smoke and beer can vary – they do not need to be equal in intensity. However, the resulting mix should be appealing. Sharp, phenolic, harsh, rubbery, or burnt smoke-derived aromatics are inappropriate.
Flavor
Similar to the aroma, with a balance between the base beer and low to assertive smoked malt. Varietal woods can produce different flavor profiles. The balance between smoke and beer can vary, but the resulting blend should be enjoyable. Smoke can add some additional dryness to the finish. Harsh, bitter, burnt, charred, rubbery, sulfury, medicinal, or phenolic smoke-derived flavors are inappropriate.
Mouthfeel
Varies with the base beer style. Significant astringent, phenolic, smoke-derived harshness is a fault.
History
The process of using smoked malts has been adapted by craft brewers to many styles. German brewers have traditionally used smoked malts in Bock, Doppelbock, Weissbier, Munich Dunkel, Schwarzbier, Munich Helles, Pils, and other specialty styles.
Characteristic ingredients
Different materials used to smoke malt result in unique flavor and aroma characteristics. Beechwood, or other hardwood (e.g., oak, maple, mesquite, alder, pecan, apple, cherry, other fruitwoods) smoked malts may be used. These may be reminiscent of certain smoked foods (e.g., hickory with ribs, maple with bacon or sausage, and alder with salmon). Evergreen wood should never be used since it adds a medicinal, piney flavor to the malt. Noticeable peat-smoked malt is universally undesirable due to its sharp, piercing phenols and dirt-like earthiness. The remaining ingredients vary with the base style. If smoked malts are combined with other unusual ingredients (e.g., fruits, vegetables, spices, honey) in noticeable quantities, the result is covered under Specialty Smoked Beer.
In the same category
Notes
This category covers beers other than Bamberg-style Rauchbier (i.e., beechwood-smoked Märzen), which has its own style. The defining quality is the balance between the smoke character and the base beer.