Church-Key Holy Smoke

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

Bottle. Dark reddish amber colour with a nice white head. Aroma of chocolate and very little hints of smoke. Nice fine flavour of malt, sweetness and someway easy to drink for a smoke beer.

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.

341 mL bottle, found in the back of the fridge. Deep, dark mahogany brown with a small tan head that fades to a ring. Aroma of sweet malt and smoke. The same can be said of the taste, with the addition of a little green apple and licorice. The smoke is nice, not overwhelming. Medium body and carbonation. Great in barbeque sauce.

[1324-20080503] Tap. Smoky wooden roasted malt aroma. Dark dark brown body with a medium-lasting bubbly light brown head. More smoky sweet wooden malt in the flavour with a hint of chocolate. Medium-full body. Drinkable, interesting.
(@ Church Key; Campbellford, ON)

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.

Pours a dark brown with a thin white ring of foam. Aroma is very meaty, smoky and savoury. Add to this the sweetness of the malt, and the taste is not unlike a sweet cured ham, pineapple, cloves and all. Good carbonation, body is rather chewy for the style - not bad! Probably one of the more quaffable beers of this style. Thanks to Robin for the trade!

On tap at Volo. Pours a dark brown with a slight reddish tinge and small white head. Aroma is smoky although not overwhelmingly so, with a distinct maltiness. Flavour again is moderately smoky with some caramel malt and nuttiness. Hadn’t had this in a few years and it wasn’t as smoky as I remembered. But all in all a pleasant cool weather drink.

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.