The Rauchbier style is an elegant, malty German amber lager with a complementary, balanced beechwood smoke character. Richly roasted malt aroma and flavor, restrained bitterness, with low to high smoke flavor, a clean fermentation profile, and a muted finish are characteristic. Literally "smoke beer" in German. The intensity of the smoke character can vary widely; not all examples are highly smoky.
A historical specialty of the city of Bamberg, in the Franconian region of Bavaria in Germany. Beechwood-smoked malt is used to make a Märzen-style amber lager. The smoky character of the malt varies by malting house; some breweries produce their own smoked malt (rauchmalz).
*Source: Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) - Beer Style Guidelines
