Good things take time - that’s a lesson each of us has to learn, but there are people whose patience is tested every day. Brewers, for example: The men and women behind the kettles usually have to wait at least four weeks until their creations have matured. However, there are no upper limits, which is why there are sometimes waiting times of several years. Barrel aging has become increasingly popular recently, which is why brewers are having to wait longer and longer for their creations to be completed. In the end, however, they (and we) are rewarded with complex, intense and wonderfully well-rounded brews that are worth every ounce of patience.
One of these perfectly formed brews is Sauerland Smöke. The brew, lovingly called Funky Barrel Aged Rauchbier by its makers, matured in wooden barrels for an incredible four years and comes from a collaboration between four breweries. Freigeist Bierkultur from North Rhine-Westphalia has teamed up with the Birds Fly South Ale Project from Greenville in South Carolina, Sibeeria from Prague and Westbound & Down from Lafayette in Colorado.
The smoked beer was fermented in Freigeist Bierkultur’s cool ship and refined with yeast from partner breweries. It brings a wonderfully strong smoky aroma into the glass and combines tobacco, leather, peat and a fruity acidity to create an incomparable taste experience.
Freigeist BierkulturWater, barley malt , hops, yeast
