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Smokey The Beer

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Smoke is the point: this Rauchbier tastes of it, and the smoke flavour carries through into the full-flavoured finished beer. The malt comes from Bamberg, Germany, where it is smoked over a beechwood fire, and noble hops and a German lager yeast complete it. Brewed at Blind Tiger, which opened in 1995 as the first craft brewery in Topeka, Kansas.

ABV
5.6%
Bitterness
Mild11 IBU
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
amber12
PaceA Few

AWARDS

Silver · 2001
Great American Beer Festival
Gold · 2007
Great American Beer Festival
Bronze · 2024
World Beer Cup
Bronze · 2025
World Beer Cup
★Silver — Great American Beer Festival
★Gold — Great American Beer Festival
★Bronze — World Beer Cup
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
What makes this beer itself
MaltHop
smokymaltynoble hop
smoky
malty
noble hop
toasty
clean
Aroma
Smoke dominates the nose immediately—earthy, substantial beechwood smoke that sits prominently without harshness.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,spicy

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Smokey The Beer

◎ Appearance

Deep amber to light brown in the glass with excellent clarity. The head forms persistently and clings to the glass walls with fine white lacing that diminishes gradually. Carbonation is moderate and steady, creating a soft, fine-bubbled presentation.

deep amberclearpersistent lacingmoderate carbonation

◌ Aroma

Smoke dominates the nose immediately—earthy, substantial beechwood smoke that sits prominently without harshness. Beneath the smoke, Bamberg-smoked malt contributes toasted grain character and a hint of cereal sweetness. Noble hops add a soft herbal undertone that frames rather than challenges the smoky foundation.

beechwood smoketoasted maltherbal hopsearthy

◐ Taste

Smoke carries decisively into the palate with full body and malt character lending depth and slight sweetness. The noble hops provide restrained bitterness (11 IBU) and a clean herbal note that prevents the beer from becoming one-dimensional. The finish builds gradually through the mid-palate, with smoke and toasted malt lingering together.

smoky palatefull-bodiedrestrained bitternesstoasted grain

◑ Finish

The finish is long and warming, with smoke persisting gently into the aftertaste. A touch of crispness emerges as the beer warms, keeping the experience dry and refreshing rather than heavy.

smoke lingerswarmingdry finish
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
85
Taste
84
Appearance
80
Finish
78
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Smokey The Beer

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About Rauchbier

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Rauchbier?

Rauchbier is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Rauchbier

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same smoky, full-bodied, malty character as Smokey The Beer will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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