“This mythological creature has the head and body of a lager and the antlers of woodfired smoke, balanced on the wings of lightly spiced aromatics. Notes of caramel and honey carry you high above the forest to soar like the Rasselbock.”

Glassware: Half Stein.

Appearance: Not many sights can present better than a Stein glass full of gorgeous amber fluid which has excellent Co2 activity and a billowing four finger head. That is precisely what we have in front of us.

Aroma: So only one of us Hopheads got to enjoy MC’s Rauchbier Festival. The other has been hearing about it ever since so we thought we’d (re) acquaint ourselves with Hop Nation’s entry for it. Like all good smoked beers it displays a hearty dose of smoked ham hock/bacon, burnt wood and peat. Other delectable scents of cured meats, toast, spice/esters, smoked caramel and honey also come through.

Flavour: Loving how they’ve scaled the smoky element back here. More of that classic rich malty sweetness and dark fruits we come to expect are evident. Some light toasty notes here and there, subtle chocolate/cocoa and nutty malt appearing before it rounds off on a smoky, woody and semi sweet finish. Good length too.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and slick. Medium body with mild-medium Co2. The 7.8% ABV is very well behaved.

Overall: Hop Nation have really surprised us lately. Particularly with Rattenhund but this smoked Doppelbock is a really well structured and nicely balanced beer as well. Kudos!