Weyerbacher Fifteen Smoked Imperial Stout.

• Appearance:
• Smell:
• Taste:
• Mouthfeel:
• Drinkability and Overall:

Mild smokiness that doesn't bring an overpowering sense of bacon. Predominantly roasted malts with hints of coffee.

Sam Adams Bonfire Rauchbier.

I love Boston Beer Company because, despite being huge (they are the largest craft brewery and had to get "craft brewery" redefined to accommodate their volume), they still find time to branch out and not do it in a shitty fashion. So props. I've had only a few rauchbiers, and they've all been pretty crazy. Obviously, the first thing that people mention is bacon. Beer and bacon are both wonderful things, but bacon-flavored beer? There's bacon-flavored vodkas, which really doesn't sound that appetizing. You wouldn't make a bacon milkshake. (Or would you?)

I like that while this beer does a have a bit of bacon nuance, it's in check and lets the smokiness come out more. Woody, chestnut-y, but mostly smoky. Hickory? Really, it drowns out everything else for me. It's low and an easy drinker, but I don't really think I'd want to drink too many of these in one go. Only the bare minimum of notes; this style is still too much of a novelty for my palate.

• Appearance: Slightly ruddy brown, but very clear.
• Smell: Not too bacon-y but more like ham.
• Taste: Not as bacon-y as other rauchbiers I've had, which lets the smokiness come out a bit more.
• Mouthfeel: Boston Ale-y.
• Drinkability and Overall: More easy-going and palatable than any other rauchbier I've had and probably the most accessible. Still, I wouldn't want to sit down and drink more than one.

Rogue Smoke Ale.

Picked up a bottle since it was on sale. The guy at the store said he liked it and that it tasted like bacon.

Hazy copper, creamy but relatively thin head. Smells like bacon. Moderate hoppiness with a significant smoky finish. I'm not really sure if I like it. The smoke lingers quite a bit so I don't know if I felt like I just smoked or have been sitting around the grill for too long. I might be tempted to try it with a cookout, but at the same time, it might just be too much char.