BJCP 2021 / 32A
Classic Style Smoked Beer
A smooth blend of the base style with a pleasant smoke note that enhances the beer.
- Drink fresh
- specialty beer
- smoke
Serve: 46 to 54F, Mug, stein or pint
The BJCP gives no numbers. Follow the base style the brewer declares.
Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Smoked malt in balance with the base beer
- Smoke from faint to assertive
- Sometimes a particular wood shows
- Vague
- Smoky
- Better
- Smoke over base malt
- Best
- Moderate beechwood smoke over toasty malt, hops quiet, smoke clean and meaty
Appearance
3 pts- Follows the base style
- Often a little darker
- Normal head
- Vague
- Dark
- Better
- Base color, a bit darker
- Best
- Base color deepened slightly by smoked malt, clear, head near the base style's
Flavor
20 pts- Smoke echoes the aroma
- The base style's malt and hops still show
- Smoke dries the finish a little
- Vague
- Smoky
- Better
- Smoke with base malt
- Best
- Moderate smoke matched to the base malt, bitterness suited to the style, slightly dry smoky finish
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Follows the base style
- Smooth
- Harsh phenolic grip is a flaw
- Vague
- Smooth
- Better
- Smooth, base body
- Best
- Body of the base style, smooth, smoke gives a little dryness without harshness
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Smoke in balance with malt
Drops it
- Acrid or medicinal smoke
Writing tip
Name the kind of smoke. Example: 'Beechwood smoke like bacon over toasty malt, smooth and dry. Smoke leads without harshness.'
Pour these
- Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier MärzenSchlenkerlaBeechwood smoke in a Märzen
- Rauchbier LagerbierSpezialGentler smoke in a lager
- Smoked PorterAlaskan BrewingAlder smoke over roast
Often confused with
- 32B Specialty Smoked BeerSpecialty Smoked Beer adds other ingredients
- 6B RauchbierRauchbier is the classic German form of smoked beer
Fine here
- Phenolic: Smoke phenols are the point
Ruinous here
- Phenolic: Medicinal or rubbery smoke
- Astringent: Ashy, burnt grip
- Sulfur: Struck-match smoke
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.