Spezial Rauchbier Lager

Made with barley malt cured by natural beechwood smoke right in the brewery, in the old tradition of Bamberg.

3.5

717 reviews

Bamberg, Germany

Community reviews

4.0 Schlenkerla kennt jeder, dann kommt lange nix und dann kommt die Brauerei Spezial als zweitbekanntester Hersteller von Rauchbier. Endlich kann ich das Bier mal verkosten. Deutlich dezenter rauchig als das Schlenkerla. Man wird nicht vom Rauch erschlagen, er ist zwar deutlich vorhanden, fügt sich aber sehr harmonisch in Gesamtbild. Man schmeckt auch florale Noten, Malz und Getreide. Eine leicht bittere Note (die irgendwie immer mit dem Rauch mitkommt) stört überhaupt nicht, im Gegenteil. Unglaublich süffig, ja geradezu erfrischend - und das bei einem Rauchbier. Noch nie habe ich ein Rauchbier so schnell in mich reingeschüttet. Das habe ich (mit dem eher schweren Schlenkerla im Hinterkopf) so nicht erwartet. Ein tolles Bier!

3.5 Siempre recuerdo cada cerveza Clásica rauche bier de tradición de Bamberg. Hago esto para tenerlas en mi lista principal

3.7 Klar bernsteinfarben mit weißer Schaumkrone. Malziger, rauchiger Geruch. Geschmacklich malzig, rauchig, Speck und Schinken mit süßlicher Note. Mittlere Süße mit leichter Bitterkeit, mittlerer Körper mit spürbarer Kohlensäure.

3.7 Nice amber colour, with a creamy white head. Aroma smoky bread malt, a bit look the aroma of cured meat. Taste is nice and smooth, subtle smoke, and a soft mouth feel. Nice.

4.2 Pours amber with nice white top. Nose is smooked bacon, Wood, campfire. Taste is wood, moist, smoke and ham, little hint of grass. Long taste 👌 insanely fresh!

3.6 Pours a very slightly cloudy, deep amber coloration with a medium, creamy head. Smells of smoked, bready malt and honey-glazed ham, with some grassy, herbal hops also coming through. Taste is a good balance of smoked, bready malt and grassy, herbal, slightly floral hops, with the smoke note being reminiscent of smoked, honey-glazed ham. Finishes with a light/medium bitterness and some smoked, honey-glazed ham lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a light/medium body and medium carbonation. This is a decent enough Rauchbier, but doesn't compare to Schlenkerla in my opinion, because the smoke isn't nearly as distinct and more reminiscent of honey-glazed smoked ham than campfire smoked bacon, while the whole balance is a bit on the sweeter side, although not too bad with some slightly bitter, grassy, herbal hops providing a certain counterpoint here. Overall an enjoyable example of the style that's a bit more light and sweet than Schlenkerla's offerings, with a somewhat different and more subtle smoke note.

4.3 Bamberga, 8.18

3.7 clear reddish amber colour, medium sized dense creamy beige-ish head; aroma and taste of smoked cheesy, caramel and rye bready notes; good one!

3.1 Risch amber color, stable white head. Spicy, smoky aroma. Really different from any other beers I've had. Taste is very interesting: somehow offputting, somehow satisfying. Very odd, but very good. Smoked malts are dominant, hops are in the background. Medium body and mouthfeel. Not bad, but won't be my fav.

3.2 Bott. 0,5 l - Lager ambrata con schiuma bianca a poco persistente. Si sente l’affumicatura che ricorda lo speck e il barbecue. Al palato rimane comunque abbastanza dolce e gradevole.

3.6 Medium smoke, but it is quite pleasant. Underlying super crisp light bodied lager. Online hier gibt bier

3.3 Rami Rami is drinking a Lager Rauchbier by Brauerei Spezial at Kufle i Kapsle Chyba to to, choc z dupy w kiku opisali. Wedzonka milo serowa w nosie bardziej, w uscie zbozowo, dosc chlalno. Calkiem niezly jak na wedzonke taka jednoznaczna. Az szkoda, ze jak zawsze niemal przegiecie wedzone

3.7 17Dec2019 Intensely smoked flavours, savour bacon, sweet grain malts. Clear, dark gold, medium, creamy, off-white head. Light bitter. More smoked flavours, savoury bacon, toasted bread, sweet grain and cereal malts, medium carbonation, medium bodied. Very nice. Bottle from Ghost Whale - Putney.

3.8 50cl fles. Helder amber kleurig bier met grote crème kleurige wand klevende schuimkraag. Geur: gerookt beukenhout, gerookte ham, ietwat grassig. Smaak: rook, wat moutzoet, ietwat grassig/stro, hint van appel. Romig mondgevoel, ietwat vlezig. Goede koolzuurprikkel. Afdronk: rook, licht zoet en ietwat kruidig.

3.7 Proefglas van 50cl-fles. U: Helder roestkleurig met een witte schuimkraag. G: Rokerig, echte grills en bacon. S: Moutzoet. Rokerig, gerookte ham en grills. Semi-droge afdronk. M: Doordrinker met medium carbonatie.

3.9 Review based on the BJCP2015 guidelines (style 6B). Bottle 50 cl - Batch unknown (BBF 03.10.19). AROMA: initial medium smoky note with a bacon-like and woody character. malt background with a low presence and slightly toasty. APPEARANCE: amber color and clear. medium-low beige head, creamy, with average retention. TASTE: medium malt flavor with toasty notes, followed by medium to medium-low smoky presence (bacon-like). medium bitterness with an almost dry finish. slight malt balance. PALATE: medium body with medium carbonation. OVERALL: a nice rauchbier with all the elements present.

3.2 Keg at Zapfhahn, Bamberg in 2017. Very nice amber lager with a smoked malt flavour, which isn't overpowering.

3.8 Bottle from Beer Zoo. It pours clear deep amber with a thick, foamy beige head. The aroma is rich and oily, great smoked character, cured ham, wood, brown bread and cakey almost. The taste is firmly dry, bitter - sweet, oily, moderate smoke, oak, light tannin, earth, brown bread and nips of spice with a drying finish. Medium body and fine, foamy carbonation. Medium body and fine, foamy carbonation. Strikes a nice balance and for me rather drinkable stuff.

3.9 Bottle from Beer Zoo. Clear amber/ruby body with an off-white head. Lively carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of smoked cheese, cinnamon, apple and earth. Flavour of wood and salted raisins. Medium body with a slick texture. Soft fizz. Very satisfying, and less intense than Schlenkerla smoked beers. Great beer.

4.0 Clear, medium amber / almost brown with a big beautiful head. Very moderated smoke aroma compared to the really heavy Bamberg beers, nevertheless has that powerful almost-peaty burned smell. The flavor is light bacon, refreshing, woody, a bit of hops. The smoke comes through cleanly from nose to aftertaste. One of the only smoke beers I could drink all night.

4.9 a beer to die for

4.0 It’s already getting dark now so it’s a bit hard to see out here on the roof, but this bottle pours something that looks brown and seems clear, with probably an offwhite head. Sweet greasy rauch malts, peat, old tobacco, cola with brown bread and bacon. Moderate sweet and bitter, umami like a marsupilami. Medium body and soft carbonation. Seems a bit more watery than some other rauchbier varieties I’ve tried (at first), I guess that’s a consequence of this lager style rauchbier. My favorites are more malty and resiny, basically greasy like a pig. This is quite up there though. Decent stuff. Can taste the beechwood smoke. Loving it. I mean, is it love? It makes my heart race out of my chest and my head spin on my neck. Does smoked beechwoodresin induce an increased heartrate? YES. This ole redneck dont need no stinkin scientist to prove that jazz. Right here it casts boners in Valerian steel! The rumpathump is strooong in this one. Liquid forest fire man, think of it. Now think of it again and think of it for real! Put it in a bottle. This stuff is like an injection of three eyed raven juice, Ent DNA straight up the vein. But then like evil! Like the gnomes that brew this spirit enhancing juice have tortured the trees, taunted them with fire and wrung em out to drain them from their lifejuice. I can hear trees screaming in gnome tree torture hell while I drink this stuff. Scream beeches, scream! That’s why it’s called Spezial.

3.9 Tap at Zum Franziskaner. Pours amber. Aroma and flavor are bacon, smoke, malt, caramel, sugar. Feels slightly bit too thin. Overall: very good.

4.3 Keg at Zum Fraziskaner, Stockholm. Well, what a beer. It was dark as mahogany. Smoked but perfectly so for a lager style. Smooth af. Gluggable and yet fulll bodied. Great job.

3.6 Bottle from Csakajo. Pours deep copper with off-white head. Nose is sweet malts, some smoke, pleasant but quite moderate. In taste the same sweet, somewhat malty and smokey character appears with a longish sweet smokey finish. Light bodied with average carbonation, easy to drink. A nice and crisp lager with a decent, not overwhelming smokey character.

3.7 Im Gegensatz zum Schlenkerla Märzen ein sehr angenehmes Rauchbier. Süffig und rund, passt eigentlich immer.

3.8 Ungespundet at Zum Fransiskaner Stockholm. Big and fluffy long lastning white head. Clear yellow color. Mild smokiness and nice malt. Clean and crisp malty taste with a firm bitterness. The smoke is subdued.

3.3 0,5 l bottle from Beer Supreme. A darkest amber in the glass with an huge nearly three finger frothy pale beige head. Smokey nose as expected. Taste starts with less but present smoke. Malty, some fruity elements in the second row. Some sweetness. Thins out in the second part but long lasting smokey aftertaste. Nice and easy drinking stuff. Not bad but expected a little bit more.

4.0 Bottle from Biervana, Munich, 12th January 19. Love Biervana! Pours a clear light copper colour. Aroma is light smoke, caramel. Taste is light smoke, wood, oily palate, low carbonation, sweet smokey finish. Awesome.

3.9 Draught at Brauerei Spezial, Bamberg, Germany (€3.00/0.5l). Poured a slightly hazy coppery red with 1cm of off white foam that diminished slowly to a cap that laced OK. Aroma moderately strong of wood smoked ham/bacon with a slight underlying sweetness. Taste nicely of smoked ham and hints of sweet malt; not a smoke dominated as others and significantly different as well. Light body. Refreshing and very tasty.