You might take your favorite craft beer for granted because you can find it almost anywhere, but some beers are more ephemeral. With limited quantities and restricted distribution, brewery special releases are often one-off opportunities. The window opens, and you get your chance. Then it’s gone. Some people stockpile those beers into a cellar full of magical elixirs, but I generally prefer to enjoy those experiences in the moment and trust that another peak awaits me in the future. Usually, I’m satisfied to savor the brewer’s craft down to the bottom of the glass and then move on. But sometimes, that’s not enough.
One of my lucky pleasures in life is that I sit on the blind-tasting panels for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®. In each session, we’re served a series of mystery beers to evaluate and score. After we’ve discussed a beer and turned in our comments, we finally get to know what we were rating. Last November, my panel was judging barrel-aged stouts. My favorite beer of the night was wonderfully complex. On top of the normal mélange of higher alcohol, rich malt, and barrel aging, this one stood out with a host of strong flavors that supported one another perfectly. It was deeply smoky, with a light spicy bite. Along with the expected mocha and malty depth, it featured a distinctive wash of cacao nibs and maple.
I didn’t just enjoy this beer. I was inspired by it. The key was the smoke, which is one of my favorite adjunct flavors. Around here, I’m recognized as Mr. Smoke. I’ve spent enough time at Spezial Brewing in Bamberg, Germany, that they recognize me and remember me between visits. A couple of local craft breweries have brewed my Spassmacher Rauchbier recipe. In my homebrewing, I’ve added smoked malt to a number of base styles, including a smoked barleywine, a rauchbock, and even a smoked Kölsch. That last one might not have been the best idea.