Name: The Gentle Hint of Smoke
Brewer: Garden Path Fermentation (United States)
Style: Historical Beer: Lichtenhainer
ABV: 4.2%
Review Year: 2021
The Gentle Hint of Smoke is a Lichtenhainer-inspired native yeast ale brewed with maple-smoked barley and native Garryana oak-smoked barley, conditioned with local blackberry honey. This is a take on the historical German wheat beer style by Garden Path Fermentation from Burlington, Washington.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Historical Beer: Lichtenhainer (27A) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Clear pale gold; medium-low white head with fair retention. The aroma profile transported us to a remote farmhouse on a bright summer day: think of fruits (peach, pear, lemon), vanilla, subtle “barnyard” funk, smoked wood (cedarwood; not ashy or burnt), and very faint breadiness (more evident as the beer had settled). Light-medium-bodied; moderately-low carbonated. This Lichtenhainer unveiled moderate flavors of zesty lemon and pears accompanied by subtle lactic acidity. Soft smoked wood and mineral-like impressions were also noted in the background. Bitterness was low and very low sweetness gave this beer a dry and thirst-quenching quality. This beer concluded with slight puckering bitterness, apples, and that mentioned mineral flavor.
THE VERDICT
This interpretation of the historical German wheat beer style is refreshing, zesty, and lightly acidic but one with a pleasant smoky touch. In our opinion, the mineral-like note could still be toned down, while slightly higher carbonation could elevate this beer further.
The Gentle Hint of Smoke is the first Lichtenhainer we have reviewed. We would probably need to drink a couple more beers of this style to really get a good grasp and benchmark. But on its own, we think this beer ticks most of the boxes for the style and is one to be enjoyed in quantity somewhere far from civilization… and in good company.
Related Reviews:
Garden Path Fermentation
Beers From the United States
View this post on Instagram
