Whiskey and beer have a few things in common, such as malted barley, alcohol created by fermentation, and (sometimes) barrel-aging. With their Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, Church-Key Brewing has brought the two drinks even closer together.
The Campbellford, Ontario craft brewery imports 10% of the malted barley they use for Holy Smoke from Scotland. It's kilned over smoky, peat fires just like the malt that will be used to make Scotland's famous spirit.
Appropriately, for a brew that emphasizes malt, this scotch ale pours nearly black with hints of red at the edges and a light brown head. That two-finger foam slowly recedes to leave a foamy ring.
From the peat, the beer picks up a rustic, out-of-doors smokiness that is completed by nutty, chocolate aromas in the background.
The flavour shows sweet, roasted malts, more smoke and a hint of iodine to complete the Scotch connection. Despite the dark, thick appearance, it has a lighter than average mouth-feel.
I'd understand the temptation to pair this beer with one (or all) of our favourite smoked foods: bacon, southern BBQ, and ham, to name a few. Better instead to focus on food that doesn't have any smoke, but could, such as nuts (especially almonds and peanuts), semi-firm cheeses, and roast chicken.
Smoky beers that are designed to emphasize their kinship with whiskey can be gimmicky or heavy-handed. Holy Smoke manages an even balance between beer and accent. It does best as an introduction to the idea of smoked-malt beers and when called into service as a versatile partner for food.
Church-Key Brewing's Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, $5.95 for a 650 ml bottle, LCBO #315655
In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including his own site, Food With Legs. He is the author of The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook; now in stores and available for ordering online. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at info@foodwithlegs.com.
