Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Doppelbock Vintage 2018

At Heller-Bräu Trum, affectionately known as Schlenkerla by the people of Bamberg, wood plays a major role The traditional brewery is one of the last breweries in Germany that still malts its own grain As was the case hundreds of years ago, the germinated grain is kilned over the aromatic smoke of beech wood The special malt gives Schlenkerla beers their strong color and the unmistakable taste of smoke Some people associate the aroma with campfires, others taste smoked ham or bacon in the beer

For their Doppelbock series, however, the brewers decided against the intensely smoky beech fire malt and instead used grain that was kilned over oak wood This malt has a softer, rounder and milder taste that is deep and multi-layered To further intensify the complexity of the aroma, the beer was stored in the brewery's rock cellar after the brewing process was complete

The Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock appears in different vintages and is labeled with the year in which it was brewed Over time, the magnificent bock matures more and more and refines its character The basis is a full-bodied strong beer with smooth caramel, smoky malt and honey notes, which, paired with a hoppy bitterness, create a well-rounded overall picture