Any beer which has had the addition of a high proportion of Smoked Malts can be considered a Smoked Beer. However the smokiness should dominate the beer rather than just being a background flavour or aroma, otherwise the beer will be classified by whatever the base beer is. The resulting potential is that there will be a very wide range of flavours as the base beer influences the final tastes. The smokiness does not appeal to a large cross section of drinkers, this coupled with the additional expense and scarcity of smoked malt makes for a niche product. First time drinkers of this may be put off by the overt smokiness and spiciness, some even go as far as calling it smoky bacon beer - a moniker which is hard to argue against in some examples!
There are some great continental versions particularly from Bamberg, Germany a city which is the most closely associated with Rauchbier (smoked beer).
Colour
Dark gold to mid brown but can be any colour
Clarity
Hazy, but clear examples exist
Carbonation
Low for cask, but bottles and cans are heavily carbonated
Alcohol
Not detectable
Hop
Not present in any great quantities
Malt
Intense smokiness which can also be perceived as spicy and clove like
Esters
Some fruity notes may be present
Phenols
Spicy note such as cloves can often be detected, particularly if on a wheat beer base
Fermentation By-Products
None
Body
Medium to full
Carbonation
Low but can be higher in bottled and canned examples
Finish Length
Long, can be particularly lingering in the more smoky examples
Attenuation
Moderate dryness is to be expected
Hops
May be present but very much in the background
Malt
Smoked Malts
Water
No specific requirements
Yeast
Any variety can be considered
Chapter - Dead Man's Fist
Treen's - Smoulder