Let it be written: doppelbocks are my very favorite style of beer in the world. Also let it be written: rauchbiers are also pretty high on the list, too. So, when you have a doppelbock that’s also a rauchbier? Yeah, I’m gonna be all over that. And so I was with Enegren The Big Meat Smoked Bockbier. I saw this being sold on Craftshack.com and boom! Into my cart it went.

Not a lot of American breweries brew doppelbocks, and not a lot of them brew rauchbier, either. Far fewer still are those that brew a doppelbockrauch. The benchmark for these is, of course, Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock, and that is a high standard indeed. Extra credit, though, to Enegren just for brewing this in the first place.

Enegren says on their website:

The Big Meat is a German style Smoked Doppelbock brewed with rich German malts and a clean lager yeast. The majority of the malt is kilned with beech wood to impart a distinct smoky flavor - making this beer a perfect addition to a BBQ or charcuterie board.

And on the label:

This Bamberg-style Rauchbier is brewed with rich beech wood smoked malts & clean lager yeast. This beer has a big smokey flavor and is probably unlike any beer you have ever had before. It is the perfect pairing for a juicy bacon cheeseburger, porterhouse steak, or sticky BBQ ribs. (No meats were harmed in the making of this beer).

Wait what? Probably unlike any beer you have ever had before? Do they know who they’re dealing with here? Of course I’ve had beers like this before. Anyway, here are the ingredients Enegren lists on their website:

MALT

Beechwood Smoked Malt

Munich II

Melanoidin

CaraMunich III

Carafa Special

HOPS

Nugget

Hallertauer

Enegren The Big Meat Smoked Bockbier has an alcohol content of 7.8% by volume with 20 IBUs. I paid $4.49 for a pint can, a fair price I think. I don’t know what it sells for in stores.

Enegren The Big Meat Smoked Bockbier pours to a deep mahogany color with a moderate head of foam and a thick smoky hickory nose. I just wanted to sniff it and sniff it. Taking a sip, the beer is rich in body with big toasty nutty malts, a hint of caramel, green olive, and wonderful notes of smokey goodness. The smoke is not as acrid as it is in the Eiche, and where the latter intensifies with smoke in the finish, this one becomes thinner. The Big Meat is infused with smoke, but unlike the Germans, not permeated with it.

All that said, this is still delicious and one of the better American rauchs you may find. If you see it, drink it. Before I do.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled, Canned

(D)=Draft