Smoky Ale from the Shikma Brewery

Smoky Ale from the Shikma Brewery: Not overly smoked; dry and refreshing.

Shikma, the craft brewery in Ashkelon owned by Israel Beer Breweries Ltd. (one of Israel's two mega-brewers), has released a limited edition of a new beer, Smoky Ale.  The beer was introduced on tap last winter at the Tel Aviv Craft Beer Festival, but only just now released commercially in bottles.  

Shikma brewer Rafael Agaev reminded me that smoked beers (known as rauchbier in German) are not very popular in Israel.  He thinks it's because of our climate and our diet.  "We developed this beer to appeal not only to beer geeks, but also to ordinary beer lovers.  During brewing we changed the amount of smoked malt several times, increasing or decreasing the degree of 'smoky flavor' of the beer. Finally, we found the golden mean."

Well, let's see.

Smoking the malt is what makes smoked beer smoky.

Smoky Ale is a very clear reddish copper color, with a bubbly off-white head and active carbonation.  The aroma is strongly smoked meat (or what I remember smoked meat to smell like) and malt.  When you taste it, the smokiness comes down and the meatiness disappears.  That's a good thing.  It's mid-bitter and nicely acidic on the tongue, dry and refreshing.  There is no hop presence.  The smoky flavor lingers a while.  The ABV is 5.1%, but there's no alcoholic burn.

I found it a "drinking experience," well constructed, smoked to my taste, but not my first choice in a beer.  As to food pairing, as with any smoked beer, choose dishes which would benefit from a smoky taste (though not smoked dishes themselves).  Things like grilled or stuffed vegetables, grilled veggie burger, pizza, hard cheeses, chili, and spicy curry.  Bon Appetite!