Fade to Black, Vol 2

So, it's pretty easy to make a bad smoked beer. I mean, up to this point I haven't really had one I liked. I don't think it's a coincidence that rauch sounds so much like ralph which is a euphemism for hurling, which is not an ice-based Olympic event. In other words, I was kind of expecting this beer to be disgusting, which would be a shame because I bought a six pack for my dad for Christmas because he likes to try unusual seasonal brews. (Irony alert: his name is Ralph, so maybe smoked is the style for him.)

But, long story short, this is not a bad beer at all. The smoke flavor is understated and doesn't at all remind me of my wife's ill-fated attempt to create home-made bacon substitute. (Not something I'd recommend, it nearly made me rauch my guts out.) But this beer tasted like a pretty good porter and made me feel really pretty good. Sad to say, you probably can't try this beer because it's a seasonal one-off, but if you do happen to find a six pack or a single around, I'd say you should try it. If my dad hasn't finished off that six, I'll definitely crack one of these next time I'm at his place.

Shiner Smokehaus

It's hard to make a good smoky beer. This one succeeds in something many do not: being non-offensive and not totally nasty. Otherwise, this is not a recommended brew. Germanizing the spelling does not help the flavor.