Do you love the flavor of smoke? As in, bacon, country ham, smoked sausage, hickory seasoning? I surely do, and that's why I'm totally bowled over by this here Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbeer I discovered tonight. It is not just tinged with a light hint of smoke, it is downright smokiness personified, which excites me greatly. (If my bit about Bacon-infused Old Fashioned didn't do it for you, then this most certainly will not either.)
I checked out Schlenkerla's website to learn more about this new and powerful elixir, which actually turns out to be not so new after all: the brewery goes back to at least the year 1405, which is when the first known mention of it occurs in the historical record. It's name, "Schlenkerla", is a pun on "Schlenkern" which means to walk erratically and drunkenly.
Whoever wrote the ad copy for the website is my kinda guy:
The connoisseur drinks it slowly with relish, but steadily and purposefully. He knows, that the second "Seidla" (half-liter) tastes better than the first, and the third even better than the second. He drinks during the morning pint and during the afternoon break. He drinks it in the evenings, drinks it alone and with company, especially with company, as "Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier" makes one talkative and exuberant. It brings together the local with the stranger, as it is common in Franconia to share your table with others. Even if the brew tastes somewhat strange at the first swallow, do not stop, because soon you will realize that your thirst will not decrease and your pleasure will visibly increase.
I obtained mine at Whole Foods Market on Shelbyville Road in Louisville - not sure where else in Transylvania a gentleman might procure this fuel. Possibly at Sergio's or the Louisville Beer Store.
- - JSH
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