German beer series: Rittmayer Rauchbier

Biergarten Collection box

The third beer from Costco's Biergarten Collection is Rittmayer Rauchbier, a smoked lager from Hallerndorf, a village about 20 km from Bamberg. My wife's family comes from the Bamberg area, I love the region's beers, and Schlenkerla is my favorite Rauchbier. Rittmayer is a lighter, gentler take on the style, and I liked it a lot.

The beer#

Rittmayer Rauchbier

Rittmayer Rauchbier is 5.0% ABV and comes in a 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) can. The brewery describes it as a copper, bottom-fermented smoked beer made with barley malt, smoked barley malt, and Tettnang aroma hops. It notes fruity malt with fine smoke notes of smoked ham. It's brewed year-round, and the brewery suggests serving it at 8 to 10 °C.

The brewery#

Brauerei Rittmayer traces its brewing back to 1422, when it started as a count's brewhouse supplying a hunting lodge in Hallerndorf. It calls itself one of the oldest family breweries in Germany. Georg Rittmayer is the owner and brewmaster. He has been president of Private Brauereien Bayern, the association of Bavaria's family-run breweries, since 2018. His nephew Simon Friedrich has been co-owner since 2014.

The brewery makes about 30,000 hectoliters a year across roughly 20 beers. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) lists Rittmayer as a commercial example of Rauchbier, next to Schlenkerla and Spezial. The brewery reports a long run of European Beer Star medals for this beer, including gold in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2024.

The style#

Smoky beer used to be the norm. In old kilns, smoke from the fire passed straight through the drying malt, so the malt always tasted of whatever fuel was burning. That changed in 1817, when Daniel Wheeler patented a drum roaster that kept the malt away from the fire. Smoke-free malt with a controllable color made styles like porter, pale ale, Märzen, and pilsner possible, and most brewers moved on.

Bamberg didn't. The BJCP calls Rauchbier "a historical specialty of the city of Bamberg." Today's version is a Märzen-style amber lager brewed with beechwood-smoked malt, so in its current form it's younger than Märzen itself. Two Bamberg breweries still smoke their own malt the traditional way. Schlenkerla germinates its malt in its rock cellars and kilns it over a beechwood log fire. Spezial has brewed Rauchbier since 1536 and also dries its malt over beechwood. Rittmayer doesn't say where its smoked malt comes from.

The style reached American craft brewing in 1988, when Alaskan Brewing released its alder-smoked porter. Founder Geoff Larson cites Schlenkerla as an inspiration.

Appearance#

Dark, smoky amber with excellent clarity and a light head.

Aroma#

A pleasant caramel smell with light smoke.

Taste and mouthfeel#

A solid malt flavor comes first, followed by a quick burst of smoke. Next to other Rauchbiers, the flavor is muted, but not in a bad way. Unlike stronger examples, it doesn't call up smoked meat or smoked cheese. A moderate bitterness on the finish pairs beautifully with the smoky aftertaste.

The body is a bit heavier than it looks.

Verdict#

Prost! It's a well-balanced, approachable Rauchbier and a great introduction to the style. Schlenkerla is still my favorite, and I prefer its bigger smoke, but I enjoy how light this one is. If Schlenkerla sounds like too much, start here.

Previous in the series: Schanzenbräu Rotbier