I like smoked foods, when I went vegan that love of smoked foods didn’t go away, but the foods I smoked did. So it should come as little surprise that I like smoked beers as well. I know many a beer geek who turns their taste buds away at the notion of smoked beers, but there’s something wonderful about rauchbiers. They’ve got a little bit of malt sweetness, a solid backbone of smoke, and a touch of bitterness to bring it all together. All the traditional rauchbiers I’ve had are super drinkable and surprisingly refreshing.

This beer is near and dear to my heart. It's one of the few beers that I make regularly (this'll be the 4th batch of it in 2+ years of brewing) and it's a beer that a lot of people seem to love. A few people have told me it's the best beer they've ever had, and while I understand tastes are subjective, there's no way that can be true. Don't get me wrong, it's a really, really, really good beer, but I'll never be smug enough to take that kind of praise without questioning their sanity.