Church-Key Holy Smoke

Brewed by Church-Key Brewing
Style: Smoked
Pethericks Corners, Canada

A dark reddish brown colour with a modest fizzy head. A slight smoky, peaty aroma with a hint of bbq. Smokey flavour with notes of cooked bacon, biscuits and sweet caramel. A very accessible and enjoyable smoke beer.

A deep red beer with a slight haze under a thin brown head. The aroma is sweet malty with primery notes of caramel. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel as well as lighter notes of burnt malt and smoke, leading to a dry end.

On tap at Volo. The name doesn’t lie. It literally tasted like smoke. very reminiscient of tobacco and a somewhat oddly fishy taste mixed in with caramel. Can’t say it’s the greatest, nor is it too bad. A decent beer at best.

Bottle. Clear orange brown coloured with a beige head. Aroma of fruits and caramel with notes of smoke. Flavour of fruits, caramel and smoke.

(Bottle 34,1 cl) Clear mahogany with a reddish hue and a beige head. Lightly burned, ashy nose. Medium body with both burned and smoked accents. Dry and lightly hoppy finish. The smokiness is only discreet and pleasant. 161206

11.5 oz bottle, trade from Radiomgb. Though I’m not the hugest fan of smoked beers, I was very much looking forward to trying this one. Nice amber color with a modest head, this one combines an intense malty presence with some slightly sour undertones at the finish. Pretty mellow compared to a lot of rauchbiers I’ve had, and they do an admirable job trying to balance the flavors, but not a home run.

Draught @ West 50, Mississauga: Had this one a few years ago before I was "in to" beer and had hated it, but I’d been assuming my improved palate might now enjoy it. Truth! Poured copper in colour, very little head on mine but the lacing was incredible. Aroma is earthy and smoky, albeit more muted than the Aecht I had a while ago. I found this one far superior to the Aecht in flavour as well, offering a more subtle flavour than the "punched in the face with corned beef" from the former. This one is well balanced with flourishes of smoke and significant hopping, and just enough whiskey-style maltiness to balance. I’m a convert, I really enjoyed this one!

bottle, from trade with radiomg. Ok aroma sweet & smokey. Smokey, peaty, and a egg/meaty thing I’m never fond of. Clean orangy brown color, ok head that quickly faded to a ring, then nothing. No lace. Bittersweet flavor, like aroma, but more smoke and that eggy/meaty again. Sweet maltiness. Medium body, creamy mouthfeel, dry finish. I’ve had a couple other brews that have had this what I call eggy/meaty thing and I just don’t like it, oh well. thanks radiomg.