Best Smoked Beer - Top 10 Ranked by the 2010 U.S. Open Beer Championship -- Beer Info

This Top Ten Smoke Beer list is from America's Best and from the results of the 2010 U.S. Open Beer Championship.

1. Z Lager – Fort Collins Brewing - Colorado
2. SmokeStack Lager – Maui Brewing - Hawaii
3. Fireside Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing - Germany
4. Church Key Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, Church Key Brewing
5. Cone Smoker - New Albanian Brewing - Indiana
6. Smokestack Heritage Porter - East End Brewing - Pennsylvania
7. Calumet - Brasserie Bièropholie - Canada
8. Scarlet Fire Rauchbier - Victory Brewing - Pennsylvania
9. Fireside Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing - Pennsylvania
10. Imperial Smoked Porter - Sierra Nevada Brewing - California

Smoke Beer / Rauchbier
Subcategory: Bamberg Helles (Smoke) Rauchbier Lager
Helles Rauchbier should have smoky characters that range from detectable to prevalent in the aroma and flavor. Smoke character is not harshly phenolic, but rather very smooth, almost rendering a perception of mild sweetness to this style of beer. This is a medium-bodied, smoke and malt-emphasized beer; with malt character often balanced with low levels of yeast produced sulfur compounds (character). This beer should be perceived as having low bitterness. Certain renditions of this beer style approach a perceivable level of hop flavor (note: hop flavor does not imply hop bitterness) and character but it is essentially balanced with malt character to retain its style identity. Helles Rauchbier malt character is reminiscent of freshly and very lightly toasted sweet malted barley. There should not be any caramel character. Color is light straw to golden. Noble-type hop flavor is low but may be perceptible. The aroma should strike a balance between malt, hop, and smoke. Fruity esters, diacetyl, and chill haze should not be perceived.
OG: 1.044-1.050
FG: 1.008-1.012
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5-5.5%
IBU: 18-25
Color SRM: 4-5.5

Subcategory: Bamberg Märzen (Smoke) Rauchbier Lager
Rauchbier Märzen should have smoky characters that range from detectable to prevalent in the aroma and flavor. Smoke character is neither harshly phenolic nor acrid, but rather very smooth, almost rendering a perception of mild sweetness to this style of beer. The beer is generally toasted malty sweet and full-bodied with low to medium-low hop bitterness. Noble-type hop flavor is low but may be perceptible. The aroma should strike a balance between malt, hop, and smoke. Fruity esters, diacetyl, and chill haze should not be perceived.
OG: 1.048-1.060
FG: 1.012-1.016
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5-6.3%
IBU: 20-35
Color SRM: 10-20

Subcategory: Bamberg Bock (Smoke) Rauchbier Lager
Bamberg-style Bock Rauchbier should have smoky characters that range from detectable to prevalent in the aroma and flavor. Smoke character is not harshly phenolic, but rather very smooth, almost rendering a perception of mild sweetness to this style of beer. The Bock beer character should manifest itself as a strong, malty, medium- to full-bodied with moderate hop bitterness that should increase proportionately with the starting gravity. Hop flavor should be low and hop aroma should be very low. Bocks can range in color from deep copper to dark brown. Fruity esters should be minimal. Diacetyl, and chill haze should not be perceived.
OG: 1.066-1.074
FG: 1.018-1.024
Alcohol by Volume: 6-7.5%
IBU: 20-30
Color SRM: 20-30

Subcategory: Bamberg Weiss (Smoke) Rauchbier
Bamberg-style Weiss Rauchbier should have smoky characters that range from detectable to prevalent in the aroma and flavor. Smoke character is not harshly phenolic, but rather very smooth, almost rendering a perception of mild sweetness to this style of beer. The aroma and flavor of a Weissbier with yeast is decidedly fruity and phenolic. The phenolic characteristics are often described as clove- or nutmeg like and can be smoky or even vanilla like. Banana like esters are often present. These beers are made with at least 50 percent malted wheat, and hop rates are quite low. Hop flavor and aroma are absent. Weissbier is well attenuated and very highly carbonated and a medium- to full-bodied beer. The color is very pale to pale amber. Because yeast is present, the beer will have yeast flavor and a characteristically fuller mouthfeel and may be appropriately very cloudy. No diacetyl should be perceived.
OG: 1.047-1.056
FG: 1.008-1.016
Alcohol by Volume: 4.9-5.5%
IBU: 10-15
Color SRM: 4-11

Subcategory: Smoke-Flavored Beer
Any style of beer can be smoked; the goal is to reach a balance between the style's character and the smoky properties. The brewer should list the traditional or experimental style of the base beer as well as the wood type used as a smoke source (e.g. “alder smoked dry stout”). Beer entries not accompanied by this information will be at a disadvantage during judging.