Bonfire of the Valkyries (New Albanian Brewing Company)

I discovered a bottle of this smoked black lager nestled in with a crafty order I placed with a local friend. Surprises are wonderful, are they not?! She knew of the intrigue black lagers hold for me. She knew that I enjoy a good smoked brew. She knew the way to make my day! I waited for a nice, chilly, gray day to enjoy this smokey beer.

General Thoughts
Look and Smell: This black brew had a caramel-colored head that dissipated quick-ish with a bit lingering on the top. I smelled smoke. I smelled roasted malt.

Taste: The first taste was that smoke, but it moved past to a sweet malt. It was a good balance. Like a yummy smoked sausage and incidental maple syrup. It was light in consistency without a strong aftertaste. With all of that going on, I'd have liked to see a little roast in there. Still very good.

From the NABC site:
Smoked Black Lager, everyday version: We couldn’t find the rule in the German brewing playbook that prohibits crossing Black Lager with Smoked Lager, so we went ahead and did it. Let the Reinheitsgebot sue us if it doesn’t like it.

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