Alder - Black beer

Hellerbräu from Bamberg is one of the last breweries to still kiln its own barley Following the tradition of its ancestors, the team smokes the germinated grain The dense, aromatic smoke is produced by burning beech wood and gives the malt a wonderful smoky note, which is often referred to in and around Bamberg as a ham flavor Most of Heller's beers are brewed with this special ingredient

One exception, for example, is their Schwarzbier: the classic of bygone times is brewed with malt that was dried in alder smoke rather than beechwood smoke Before the industrial revolution, Schwarzbier was widespread; every brewery had its own recipe The slow onset of mass production knocked the beer style off its pedestal and replaced the characterful brew with lighter, milder beers Today, Schwarzbier is making a comeback and the Bamberg Rauchbierbrauerei is also part of it

The Aecht Schlenkerla Erle Schwarzbier has a mild smoky flavor that is complex and multi-layered A generous portion of roasted malt provides an intense roasted aroma that goes perfectly with the fine spiciness of the beer With an alcohol content of 4.2%, Erle is somewhat leaner than Heller's other smoked beers, but is in no way inferior to them in terms of flavor intensity

Beech or alder - which is your favorite?