Birateinu launches three barrel-aged beers -- from the same barrel!

The three barrel-aged beers from Birateinu:
(from right) Barmalei, Guerrilla Syndicate
and Pri Bi'ushim.
(Photo: Mike Horton)

I welcomed Birateinu's launch of three superb barrel-aged beers by attending the tasting event.  What makes this unique is that all three beers were aged in the same 225-liter barrel -- one right after the other.  I haven't heard nor read about anything like this being tried anywhere else.  Once again, Birateinu partner and brewer Shmuel ("Schmulz") Naky breaks all molds in bringing us new and interesting beers, style-shifters every one.      

Here is the way it worked: Beer number one, Barmalei (named after a fictional Russian pirate who terrorized Africa!) was first fermented in a stainless steel tank and then aged for four months in an ex-Shiraz wine barrel.  It is a Russian Imperial Braggot (a kind of mead-beer hybrid), brewed with 15% rye malt, honey and molasses; fermented with Kweik Voss yeast.  It also picked up the flavors of the former occupant and of the barrel itself.  Alcohol by volume is 9.8%.

Barmalei, the Russian pirate:
A Russian Imperial Braggot.

Beer number two, Guerrilla Syndicate, filled the barrel after Barmalei.  It is an Imperial Cherry Sour, soured first with Philly Sour yeast and then fruited in a tank for two months with Amarena cherries from Italy and vanilla beans. It was then aged in the barrel for about 4½ months.  ABV is 8.4%.

The third beer taking over the same barrel was Pri Bi'ushim (in English, "Fruit in Despair" or by extension, "a disappointing outcome"), an Imperial Hoppy Sour beer, made with spelt.  It has also been called a "strong Saison" or a "strong Belgian Blond ale."  After fermenting and aging in the barrel, the beer was transferred to a stainless steel tank for maturing and dry hopping.  ABV is 8.1%.     

The beers were brewed at the Beertzinut Brewery on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava Valley, deep in the Negev Desert.  Schmulz told me that Beertzinut not only had the facilities, but that owner and brewer Neil Churgin was prepared to take the chance with this project and give it the time and attention it required.  

Black and sour Amarena cherries: Used in brewing
Guerrilla Syndicate Imperial Cherry Sour.

"The project appealed to me in an artistic sense," Neil told me.  "The people involved were also excellent professionals.  We had a lot of planning to do: Which beers to brew and in which order?  What steps had to be taken at each stage?  For example, we had to check what was happening with the beers before deciding which way to continue.  There were also many twists that the chemistry could take which were out our control.  All of this made it very exciting to me."

I tasted these three beers at their launch in Birateinu and then again with my IBAV Tasting Team members, Mike and Manny, staunch upholders of popular standards and tastes.  This is our report:

"Fruit in Despair" (Pri Bi'ushim): 
A strange name for an Imperial Hoppy Sour beer,
not made with fruit.

Barmelei poured out the darkest brown, opaque to light, no head to speak of, with minimum carbonation.  That's already a good sign that you're dealing with a strong, rich, full-bodied beer.  We didn't have to search hard for the aromas: Alcohol (brandy) right up front, burnt molasses, brown sugar and mocha.  The flavors were sweet with dried fruits, honey, molasses, wood, brown sugar and chocolate.  "Buccaneer flavors," Mike called them. 

There was some wine flavor, but we felt it was cancelled out by the sweetness.  Mike said he, "would pour Barmelei over my meat, but it would also be good with chive flavored potato chips."  Although Manny is not a fan of these dark, imperial beers, he felt that the aroma and flavor profile was, "an excellent match for the high alcohol by volume."

The Tasmanian sea shore: 
Where else would IBAV Tasting Team
members Manny, Doug and Mike
want to enjoy their three Birateinu
barrel-aged beers? 
(Photo: Mike Horton)

Moving on to another strong beer, Syndicate Guerrilla, we filled our glasses with the dark amber liquid, with a lovely reddish tinge.  The Amarena cherries Italiano were very noticeable in the aroma and the taste.  Although we also got the added vanilla (which might have also come from the wooden barrel) and almonds, the cherries were definitely dominant.  The sweet flavors and the souring yeast gave the beer a (what else?) sweet and sour quality.  Mike gave this beer an 8 out of 10; Manny a 7.                    

Pri Bi'ushim is also mildly sour.  The color is hazy light amber ("honey amber," according to Mike), with winey and funk aromas.  Manny said it reminded him of "the fresh outdoors, with flowers all around me."  The taste is sour and fruity, with orange, apples and dry white wine -- not unexpected for a Saison-style ale.  "Just the right amount of sourness," noted Mike.  "I would invest in this one," added Manny.  My two co-Tasters said that Pri Bi'ushim was their favorite of the three.  I preferred the strength and flavors of Barmalei.

We all had an exhilarating tasting experience with these three very special beers.  But it's more than that.  Any brewery can just continue brewing and selling tried-and-true beer for popular tastes.  Schmulz and Birateinu have shown more than once that they are willing to take risks and produce beers that are not for everybody -- not by a long shot -- but by following their creative instincts alone, they are bringing bursts of excitement to the world of Israeli craft brewing. 

Three craft beer brands improve their (and our) Hebrew

The three beers with 
Hebrew-improving labels:
Malka, Herzl and Negev.

In honor of Hebrew Language Day, three Israeli craft beer brands are using their labels to improve the knowledge of Hebrew among beer lovers. 

Herzl Beer changed the name of its popular mild ale, Shesh Achuz Kapara, to the correct masculine form, Shisha Achuzim Kapara.  

Negev Beer changed the name of its Blond Ale, Oasis, to the correct Hebrew phrase, Neveh Hamidbar.  

Malka Brewery (where the first two beers are also brewed) explained on the label of its Pale Ale, that the plural of Malka ("Queen") is not Malkot, but M'lachot.  All in good fun; all for the sake of our national language.   

First beer under the Schmulz label: 5G Stoned Steinbier

5G Stoned Steinbier is the first
beer brewed under the Schmulz label.

As readers of this blog know, some of the most interesting (or perhaps "weird") beers in Israel have been brewed by Birateinu, the Jerusalem Beer Center.  Pickle juice beer, blueberry waffle beer, Irish apple cake beer and Bloody Mary beer have been some of the offerings.  The guiding hand behind these brews has been Birateinu partner Shmuel (Schmulz) Naky. 

More recently, Schmulz has been producing beers under his own label.  "I wanted to make beers that I could do by myself," he told me, "without input from other people."  

If the Birateinu beers are "Baroque," as I have called them, the beers from Schmulz are definitely "Rococo."

His 5G Stoned Imperial Roasted Mushrooms Steinbier, for example, is a 10.2% alcohol steinbier made with mushrooms.  In fact, the label admits that, "Some mushrooms may have been hurt during the making of this beer."    

The 5G Stoned Steinbier label depicts
"The Beard" himself, the hot stones,
some mushrooms, and your guess what else.

Schmulz has recreated the steinbier (stone beer), a method used to brew beer in wooden tubs.  Since it was impossible to light a fire under such vessels, the brewers would heat large stones in fire until they were red hot and then put them into the pre-fermented mash.  The stones turned it into a roiling cauldron, achieving the same effect as boiling the mash with fire -- but with added value.

Once the stones cooled, they were reheated and put back in the pot, each time gathering a coating of caramelized sugar, smoke and soot.  The beer took on these flavors.

Shmulz used this traditional method for his 5G Stoned Steinbier, heating and reheating granite stones over a 10 hour period, at the Hatch Brewery in Jerusalem.  "The layers of caramel added flavors of char, raisins and toasted marshmallows," he said.  

How do you lower red hot stones into the beer?
Very carefully.

In addition, Schmulz put in two different varieties of mushrooms at different stages of the brewing, along with a touch of salt.  "These gave the beer earthy and mineral characters.  I was looking for a 'mushroom pie' quality."

As they say, the proof is in the tasting, at least for me and my drinking partner Daniël Boerstra.

The 5G Stoned Steinbier poured out very dark brown, all but opaque.  We got a rich assortment of aromas: licorice, brown sugar, chocolate, caramel and smoke.  (Daniël narrowed it down to "smoked fish.")  We would be excused if we thought a smoked Imperial Stout was in our glass.          

The flavors replicated all of those aromas, plus some dark fruit, perhaps raisins and plums.  Daniël added that the range of flavors was "like those expensive barrel-aged beers."

We agreed that 5G Stoned was similar to an Imperial Stout -- a very good one!  "For a beer like this, you can wake me up," Daniël concluded.  

As to the mushrooms, we could not detect any flavors, but perhaps they did add some earthy (or "umami") tastes.  The smooth and soft finish could also have been mushroom induced.

 If Schmulz were playing baseball, his first time at bat was a home run.  

5G Stoned Steinbier is available at Birateinu in Jerusalem, or may be ordered from their online store at this link.

(Keep your eyes on Israel Brews and Views for my post on Schmulz's second beer, The Last Brunch.)  

Kweik IPA ► 3-way collaboration: Hatch + Birateinu + Chalutz Chadash

Kweik IPA from
Birateinu, Chalutz Chadash and Hatch:
The Kweik yeast from the Vikings of Norway;
the hops from America.  

'Tis the season for collaboration -- at least in Israel it is.  And here we have a triple collab: Birateinu in Jerusalem, Chalutz Chadash in Beersheva, and the Hatch Brewery in Jerusalem put their heads together to create Kweik IPA -- arguably the first time a variety of Kweik yeast was used in a commercial Israeli beer.    

Yisrael Atlow, the Head Brewer at Hatch, explained to me that Kweik is an entire species of yeast, originally from Norway, that ferments sugars (that is, eats them) even at high temperatures, and works very fast.  Hungry little fungi, they are. 

The Kweik yeast line goes back hundreds of years.  Many believe it was the kind of yeast used by the Vikings to make their ale.  The strain was kept alive by local farmers for their home-brewing. 

Did the Vikings have Kweik yeast
to brew their ale!

"We chose a strain called Kweik Voss from Norway," Yisrael said. "I think it brings flavors like tangerine and red orange -- which could not have come from any hop. We only brewed one batch of 1,000 liters at Hatch. The feedback from the customers has been very heartwarming."

Along with the Kweik yeast, the brewers used American Galaxy and Mosaic hops, once added to the boil and then twice again for dry-hopping.  Alcohol by volume reached 6.5%.

 My drinking partner Moshe joined me for tasting the Kweik IPA.  The first thing you notice is the lovely deep golden orange color, very hazy, with a creamy, long-lasting head.  The hops did their stuff with deep aromas of citrus, pineapple and other tropical fruit.  The taste is sweet with some fruit, but also malt and yeast bread, and a bit of leather.  The body is medium and creamy, and the mid-bitter finish makes it very high on the refreshing scale.  

"It suits the Israeli climate," said Moshe, adding, "I haven't had such a unique beer in a long time."         

Well, I'm not going to say which of these delicious flavors came from the Kweik yeast, but it all came together excellently.  Recommended up and down.    

Four Shapiro sour beers for the tenth anniversary

Shap: The original name
for Shapiro Beer.
The Jerusalem lion stayed!

I have this collection of old business cards from Israeli craft breweries, going back to almost 10 years.  One of them is black-and-white with an MGM lion, the name Shap Beer, and the Hebrew for Jerusalem Beer Brewery.  Since I never heard of it since, I always thought it was it was one of those craft breweries that opened and closed in quick succession.

But at the Shapiro Brewery's Tenth Anniversary party in Beit Shemesh, I noticed the same card in the exhibit of historical photos.  Shap Beer was the first name when they were starting out in 2010 or so.  The name change was a good one.  Shap just doesn't have the same authority, history and yiddishkeit as Shapiro.

The celebration was marked with meeting old friends and great brewers, buying myself a Shapiro tank top, and plenty of back-slapping beer drinking.  Oh, and the launching of Shapiro's four new barrel-aged sour beers.  I don't want to forget that.  

The four Shapiro barrel-aged sour beers,
celebrating the brewery's tenth anniversary.
(Photo: Udi Katzman)

To mark their Tenth Anniversary, Shapiro had produced four different sour beers and was selling them online in a very exclusive, hand-made cloth saddle bag.  Only 600 numbered bottles of each beer were produced.  You can buy the four different bottles together with the saddle bag for 189 shekels -- or you can buy the bottles individually by adding them to a regular online order.  There is an added cost of 16.50 shekels per bottle.  

Here is the link to the Shapiro online store where you can order the set of four beers (in Hebrew):        

https://shop.shapirobeer.co.il/shop/beers/10bday/?ItemID=39269

Well, I wanted to find out more about these four babies, and I came to the right place.  Head Brewer Ory Sofer sat with me for longer than he should have to tell me about this amazing Shapiro project.

"Sour beers have always been my passion," he admitted, "ever since I've worked as a brewer.  The local market is developing in that direction as well.  When we came out with our Strong Sour beer two years ago, it was Israel's first commercial sour and it was surprisingly popular.  

The four new beers can only be ordered online
with this hand-made cloth saddle bag.
(Photo: Udi Katzman)

"We took Strong Sour as our base and wanted to develop it, give it more complexity." 

Strong Sour is called a "kettle-sour," which means the souring agent (whatever it may be) is introduced into the wort and then killed by boiling.  In this case, it was wild yeast from almond flowers from the hills of Jerusalem.  Additional saison yeast was used in a second fermentation.  [Read more about Strong Sour here.]

To obtain the extra complexity they were looking for, Ory, Brewmaster Yochai Kudler and the Shapiro brewing team decided to age the beer in oak barrels for an entire year.  Four different processes were used.  

"The first batch was aged in oak barrels which previously held white wine," Ory continued.  "The wood contained active yeast and bacteria, and some left-over wine, of course.  I think the finished beer tastes like a Chardonnay wine."

The second batch was aged in barrels which first contained Sherry and afterwards whisky from the Milk & Honey Distillery in Tel Aviv. 

A birthday cake for ten years!
Itzik Shapiro (left), CEO of Shapiro Brewery,
and Chief Brewer Ory Sofer (right),
join the old blogger in raising a glass of beer 
in honor of the brewery's tenth anniversary.

"The third beer," said Ory, "was matured in barrels that previously held red wine -- and we added Shami mulberries from the Golan Heights.  This is a variety which is a very dark red color, almost black.  After the bacteria get finished with them, there's not much flavor of the fruit left, but I believe it imparts a nutty taste from the seeds."

The fourth beer was also aged in ex-red wine barrels, with the addition of 110 kilograms (240 pounds) of local pears, cut and pressed by hand by the Shapiro team.  "Pears provide a large eco-system of bacteria," Ory explained, "and this leads to a wide and complex range of aromas and tastes." 

After Ory's explanation and description of the four new sour beers, it behooved me to taste them myself.  But for such a historical venture, I chose to involve two other members of the IBAV Tasting Team who are beer lovers and true representatives of the common man: Manny and Mike.

Ory Sofer (left) and the Shapiro brewing team 
transfer a sour beer from the barrel to a tank
before bottling.

We first poured out the beer aged in white wine barrels.  It was a very pale cloudy color, with a big impressive foamy head.  We all wrinkled our noses at the sour aroma, with citrus in the background.  The taste did indeed remind us of a dry white wine.  The sourness was subdued.  "The effervescence of a sparkling wine," said Manny, "although I was looking for a bigger kick."  (Alcohol by volume is 5.5%.)  Mike added: "Very delicate.  Tantalizes the palate."  We agreed that this was a sour pale ale with a wine finish.

Sour grapes, sour beer!
Mike, Manny and the old blogger trying to
make sense of the new Shapiro sour beers.
(Photo: Mike Horton)  

The beer that was aged in ex-sherry, ex-whisky barrels was a shade darker, although with the same beautiful head.  Same sour aroma, but less "bright."  Manny and Mike, who apparently both drink sherry before dining, noted whiffs of the same.  On the palate, we thought the beer was drier than the first, with more complex flavors and some oak.  Manny even tasted the sherry and the whisky "very clearly," and pronounced that he preferred this beer.  Mike, dropping names though not his glass, announced that the beer reminded him "of a bodega where sherry is served in Jerez de la Frontera, on the Spanish border."  The mild sourness was attractive to everybody.  ABV is 5.3%.

Shapiro Chief Brewer
Ory Sofer with one
of the barrels used
to age the four new 
sour beers.

Things changed with beer number three, aged in red wine barrels with Shami mulberries.  It was headless, amber colored with a pink-orange hue.  Same sour aroma.  The Tasters tasted sweet spice ("cloves," according to Mike), some soap, oak and berries.   It was the most alcoholic with 5.8%.  As Ory predicted, there was no mulberry taste.  Manny was the first to say that this was a "refreshing alcoholic drink, but had moved away from being a beer."  Mike agreed that it was "too far removed for being beer," and that he "could not drink a whole bottle."  All in all, it was the beer we enjoyed the least.

The last beer was aged in red wine barrels with pears.  It was the palest color, only semi-hazy with no head.  The same sour smell was there.  Although Mike and I could not detect pears, Manny said that their aroma was "obvious."  It had the most sour taste of the four, returning Mike to how he remembered the first.  It was also the fruitiest, with yours truly even garnering a sweet sensation.  Not distinct pear fruit, but distinct fruit sugar.  I personally like the interplay of sweet and sour fruit.  ABV is 5.5%.  

The old blogger demonstrates how to use
his new Shapiro logo tank top.
(Photo: Mohammed Barakat)

This gets me back to the main problem we, who come from a bitter beer culture, have with sour beers.  Our ability to perceive further is blocked when we taste "sour."  No further discernment can take place if we can't get past "sour."  We have to work on it, and we will.  We should be able to expand our perception to include the world of sour beers.  Perhaps some day we will be able to join Ory Sofer in enjoying sour beers as much (well, almost as much) as we do bitter ones. 

In the meantime, three cheers for the Shapiro team for this outstanding and impressive Tenth Anniversary project!  Mazal Tov!                            

Malka Chouffe: An Israeli-Belgian collab beer

Malka Chouffe
Belgian Blond Ale:
The new 
Israeli-Belgian
collab beer.

The celebration of Hacarem Spirits' 100th anniversary continues with a second collaboration beer between an Israeli and a European brewery.  Malka Brewery in the Tefen Industrial Park has teamed up with the Achouffe Brewery in Belgium to produce a spiced Belgian Blond Ale, known as Malka Chouffe.  

Earlier this year, the Negev Brewery, which is in the Malka facility, collaborated with Mikkeller in Denmark to make the Desert Haze New England-style IPA.  Hacarem is a major importer and marketer of beer, wine, spirits and food (including Chouffe and Mikkeller beers), as well as holding interests in the Malka and Negev breweries.  [Read more about the Desert Haze collaboration here.] 

Three thousand liters of Malka Chouffe were brewed and bottled at the Duvel-Moortgat Brewery in Belgium and all bottles were shipped to Israel.  

To find out more about this collaboration, I spoke with Ravid Rose, the product manager for Belgian beers at Hacarem, who was involved from the beginning of the process. 

"Achouffe has never collaborated with another brewery to make a beer," she told me.  "When we approached them with the idea, via Zoom, about a year ago, they refused.  But then Duvel, which owns Achouffe, opened a new brewery which is able to experiment with smaller quantities.  They agreed to work with us."

Ravid and Maor Helfman, Hacarem's brand manager for Israeli beers, zoomed with Achouffe brewers to produce a recipe for a Belgian Blond Ale similar to the regular La Chouffe Blond and the Malka Blond Ale. 

"The Malka Chouffe is somewhere between the two," Ravid explained.  "It is less sweet than the La Chouffe Blond and more spiced.  We used cloves and thyme, while the La Chouffe Blond includes coriander seeds, an ingredient usually found in Belgian Blond and Wheat ales.  Both of the beers are 8% alcohol."

The branding was done by the Belgian brewery.  The label still has Marcel, the famous Chouffe gnome, but he is carrying a glass of beer with the Malka crown towards the queen's palace.

(A language lesson would help at this point: Chouffe in this Flemish dialect means "gnome," and Malka in Hebrew means "queen."  Everything clear now?)  

A side-by-side tasting of Malka Chouffe and
La Chouffe Belgian Blonde Beer.

I thought it would be interesting to do a comparative tasting between the new Malka Chouffe and the regular La Chouffe Blond Ale.  With my tasting partner Moshe, I poured glasses of the two Belgian-brewed beers side by side.

First thing you notice is the color.  The Malka Chouffe is about two shades darker.  The aromas are similar -- with Malka Chouffe emphasizing the spiciness of the hops and some lemon.  La Chouffe Blond smells maltier and less spicy.  The taste of the Malka version also begins with spice and herbs, but then moves into sweet.  Moshe called it "lemon drops."  There was also some fruity esters from the Belgian yeast, perhaps banana.  

Marcel, the Chouffe gnome, brings a glass of
Malka Chouffe to the queen's palace.

We found that the regular La Chouffe Blond was less spiced, less harsh in the mouthfeel, and basically more balanced.  Moshe preferred it over the Malka Chouffe.  I enjoyed the two of them in different ways, and will defer to the education in the art of diplomacy I received those many years ago at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.  

Collaboration beers are not necessarily any better than beers developed by a single brewery.  And let's be honest: A lot of it is hype and marketing.  But they generate interest in the breweries involved, create fraternity among different brewers, and even introduce a wider public to the world of craft beer.

Hacarem already is the common element between the Malka and Achouffe Breweries, and so a collaboration beer is a great idea  -- with very tasty results.  I understand we can expect an additional collab beer or two within the framework of Hacarem's centennial anniversary.              

2021 Isra-Brew competition foils corona, names home-brewing winners

Israel used to have five or six competitions which recognized the talents and efforts of the country's home-brewers.  Last year, with the onset of the coronavirus, only one was held: Isra-Brew.  All of the entry bottles were collected and shipped to judging panels in different locations around the country.  After the entries were evaluated and the winners were chosen, the award ceremony was held on a Facebook live broadcast.    

[Read about last year's remotely judged competition here.]  

This year, Isra-Brew 2021 was held under similar circumstances, although better organized for remote judging.  Fifty-six brewers submitted their entries, and judging was again done by separate panels.  The award ceremony, however, was held live at the Beer & Beyond store in Tel Aviv.  Thirty-five prizes were awarded in the Beer categories, including Best of Show and Champion Brewer.  

Prizes were also awarded in the Mead and Cider categories.  In recent years, one of Isra-Brew's chief judges, Omer Basha, has been actively promoting the production and judging of mead and cider, and that was reflected in their inclusion in the competition.

Some of the Isra-Brew judges at work in Jerusalem:
(from left) Rafael Agaev, Omer Basha,
Ephraim Greenblatt and Shmuel Naky
(assisted by his young daughter!). 

Isra-Brew is organized by the Home-Brewers of Israel community, and sanctioned by the worldwide Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).  All of the judges are BJCP certified to ensure a comprehensive evaluation and proper feedback to all of the entrants. 

Omer, Israel's only BJCP judge with a Master ranking, was one of the judge directors.  He told me a little more about this year's Isra-Brew judging procedure.  All of the 163 entries were gathered at the Hatch Brewery in Jerusalem.  They were divided into 20 categories (16 for beer, three for mead and one for cider) and distributed to six judging locations throughout the country.  

The Sabresa Brewery team that brewed
the American Porter Best of Show:
(from left) Yogev Nathan, Nitai Leffler,
Meital Leffler and Ofer Pekerman.

"Some of the 31 judges did the evaluation at the locations," Omer continued.  "Others, who were more cautious, took the bottles home and evaluated them via video conference.  For the first time, we typed up all the judging sheets so they could be easily read, and distributed to all of the participants.  Complete sensory evaluation and feedback is a very important aspect of the judging procedure."

The winners in all categories were decided more than a month before they were announced at the ceremony.  There was a reason for this, I learned from Omer.  "We decided to do something very different this year: To commercially brew the entries of the Best of Show and the Champion Brewer so the public would be able to taste them.  

The original Best of Show American Porter
from the Sabresa Brewery, and the two awards:
First Place in the Stout category and
Best of Show.

"HaDubim -- Rotem and Dagan Bar Ilan -- made a hop rich version of the Best of Show beer . . . and Hatch Brewery practically cloned the Champion Brewer's Belgian Blond Ale."

The winner of the Best of Show was an American Porter by Sabresa Brewery from Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha in the Negev.  Sabresa is a team of talented brewers that includes Nitai Leffler, Yogev Nathan, Ofer Pekerman and Meital Leffler.  

The version made by HaDubim is called Mara Shchora ("Bitter Black"), a Black English IPA.  It was developed jointly by Sabresa and the Bar Ilan brothers.  I understand it is hoppier than Nitai's winning beer, made with Chinook and East Kent Golding hops, at 6% alcohol by volume.

Mara Shchora,
HaDubim's version
of the 
Best of Show.

I would call the color a clear red amber, with a thin off-white head.  The aromas were earthy: Caramel and spiced bread if I had to be more specific.  With the tastes, you get a nice play-off between the hop bitterness (citrus and grassy) and the roasted malt (dark bread, caramel and dark fruits), which is what you expect in a Black IPA.  I also found a bit of sour fruit.  The body is medium, but also what I would call "chewable."  I had the feeling this is a beer you can sink your teeth into, figuratively speaking of course.                 

Mara Shchora is an enjoyable enough beer, with good attributes for a Black IPA -- but here's the thing that bothers me:  It's not anywhere near Sabresa's American Porter.  Different recipe, different preparation, different style.  If the purpose of this exercise was to give the public a taste of the winning home-brewed beers, why include a beer whose only connection was the involvement of the same brewing team?  

It reminded me of the museum that was displaying George Washington's original ax, you know, the one he chopped down the cherry tree with.  (Apologies to those who never learned this important piece of American history.)  The card said, "This is the original ax.  It's only had seven new handles and three new heads since then."  

Isra-Brew Champion Brewer
Michael Van Straten (holding award trophy)
with his wife Nirit and friends from Moshav Klachim. 

The title of Champion Brewer was awarded to Michael Van Straten from Moshav Klachim in the northwestern Negev, where he works as a veterinarian.  The Champion Brewer is the one whose beers amass the most awards in the competition.  Michael's Belgian Blond and Belgian Tripel took gold medals, and his German Pils a silver.

Michael has been home-brewing for eight years, specializing in Belgian-style ales. He calls his brewery Duchifat ("Hoopoe Bird"). It was his Belgian Blond that the Hatch Brewery produced commercially, labeling it Duchifat Blond. 

Hatch Duchifat Blond:
A copy of Champion Brewer
Michael Van Straten's 
winning Belgian Blond.

 

And now it's time to test with the eyes, nose and palate. Duchifat Blond is a hazy beer, in the mid-range of pale, actively carbonated although the head doesn't hold very long. The aroma is spicy hops and a little bit of peach. A sweet taste greets you, separating into spice, malt and lemon-lime. The mouthfeel is tingly and astringent, with a dry finish. It is very delicious and refreshing. ABV is 5.7%.

If this is an accurate recreation of Michael's Belgian Blond, I can see why it came in First Place in the Belgian Strong Ale category, and why he was named Champion Brewer.                  

So without further ado, here is the complete list in English of the winners of the 2021 Isra-Brew home-brewers competition:

Best of Show -- Beer

Nitai Leffler (Sabresa Brewery, with Yogev Nathan, Ofer Pekerman and

        Meital Leffler) -- American Porter

Champion Brewer (with all prizes taken into account)

Michael Van Straten

American IPA

First:  Doron Coen-Shwartz (with Guy Lavi) -- Hopzilla

Second:  Yigal Peretz (with Michael Peretz) -- Gat

New England IPA

    No entry amassed enough points to be declared a winner.

Specialty IPA

First:  Tom Arad -- Broken Fridge, Double IPA

     

American Pale Ale

First:  Danny Perets (with Green) -- Hugeness, American Pale Ale

Second: Idan Zichlinskey -- Idan's Espresso Blonde Blue Cap, Blonde Ale

Amber and Brown American Beer

First:  Tony Fall -- 5 O'clock Amber Angel, American Amber Ale

Second:  Omer Biber -- A Trip to Valhalla, Vol. 3, American Brown Ale

Stout

First:  Nitai Leffler (Sabresa Brewery, with Yogev Nathan, Ofer Pekerman and

        Meital Leffler) -- Schwartze-Luna, American Porter

Second: Tony Fall -- Vanilla Stout, Irish Stout

Third: Maxim Shain (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Maxim, Sweet Stout

Imperial Stout

First:  Bar Sagi -- Imperial Stout

Second: Murat Nepesov (with Noam Shalev, Lior Digabli and Roni Waldman) -- 

        Malbec Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Third: Shay Goldstein (with Yoel Bar-Ilan) -- Imperial Stout 

Brown British Beer

First:  Vitali Oneg -- Pussu-Pussu, English Porter

Second:  Yaron Shpund (with Oren Bunimovich) -- Dark Sky Assault, English Porter

Other British Beer

First:  Mark Markish -- English Old Ale, Old Ale

Second: Gilad Ne-Eman (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Fathers and Sons, 

        Old Ale

Wheat Beer

First:  Eitan Gadasi -- Reef, Weissbier

Second: Michael Van Straten -- Saba Hagai Pils, German Pils

Third: Nir Rahav (with Noam Lavam) -- Hefe, Weissbier

Strong Belgian Ale

First:  Michael Van Straten -- Duchifat Blond, Belgian Blond Ale

Amber and Dark Lagers

First:  Ohad Gertel -- #124, Eisbock

Second: Amir Pelech -- Darkish, Schwarzbier

Other European Beers

First:  Michael Van Straten -- Duchifat Tripel, Belgian Tripel

Second: Alex Fuks (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva)-- This is Lager, 

        International Pale Lager

Third: Nitai Leffler (Sabresa Brewery, with Yogev Nathan, Ofer Pekerman and

        Meital Leffler) -- Admiral, Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Fruit Beer

First:  Alex Fuks (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Little Bit of Both, 

        Fruit and Spice Beer

Honorable Mention: Ohad Gertel -- #66.1, Fruit Beer

Wood and Smoke Beer

First:  Gilad Ne-Eman (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Smokey Chocy Stout, 

        Classic Style Smoked Beer

Second: Tom Arad (with Yoni Goren) -- Magic Potion, Wood-Aged Beer

Honorable Mention: Assaf Murkes (Modi'in Brewers) -- Chock Full of Porter, Wood-Aged Beer

Spice and Specialty Beer

First:  Mordechai Zukerman -- Pumpkin Spice Porter, Winter Seasonal Beer

There were also three categories of mead which were awarded prizes, and one was awarded Best Mead of Show (Ohad Gertel).  Dvir Flom took the awards in the Cider category.

So congratulations to all the winners.  You fuel the initiative and the innovation that powers Israeli craft beer.  And heartfelt thanks to the volunteer judges and organizers led by Yisrael Atlow, Omer Basha, Shmuel Naky and Shachar Hertz, who made Isra-Brew 2021 a shining success.   

Three "impressive" IPAs: Desert Haze (Mikkeller & Negev) ● DOX2 (Dancing Camel) ● White Smoke (HaDubim)

Ashan Lavan ("White Smoke") IPA from HaDubim":
Fruit flavors a'plenty, unhindered
by the bitterness.

India Pale Ales continue to be the beer of choice for most brewers -- and not only in Israel.  It's a worldwide phenomenon.  Beer drinkers find the hoppy aromas and flavors and the bitterness suit them perfectly, and they flock to try every new IPA that hits the shelves.  The breweries are only too happy to oblige.   

In Israel, here are three recent IPAs that are all worth trying.  I still see them in stores in Jerusalem, and I understand they are also available in other cities.  

The first is Ashan Lavan ("White Smoke") from HaDubim, whose brewer-brothers Rotem and Dagan Bar Ilan are known for their excellent IPAs.  The beer is made at the BeerBazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat.

Ashan Lavan is a hazy, golden-amber color.  The pour releases aromas of stone fruits, citrus and light pine.  The first sip is dry and bitter, but then it unfolds into bitter fruit: peach, mango, orange.

DOX2 Imperial IPA from the 
Dancing Camel Brewery in Tel Aviv:
Strong in alcohol, color,
aromas and flavors.

In some IPAs, the bitterness blocks out the flavors, but not here.  Ashan Lavan has a short, bitter finish that makes you want to take another gulp.  At 6.2% alcohol, a superior IPA.

A very different but equally enjoyable IPA – actually called "Imperial IPA" – is DOX² from Dancing Camel in Tel Aviv, Israel's first craft brewery, owned by American-born David Cohen.  The 9% alcohol makes this beer Imperial, but so does the dark amber color, and the strong and complex aromas and tastes.  Malt, caramel, citrus, dried fruits, leather, vanilla and chocolate are some of the sensations I detected.  The finish is acerbic and dry and full of alcoholic warmth.  DOX²  is quite an amazing IPA, not at all typical for this style.

The last beer is an international collaboration between Negev Beer (in the Tefen Industrial Park) and Mikkeller, Europe's famous gypsy brewer based in Denmark.  The beer's unwieldy name is Desert Haze: Mikkeller X Negev.  It was actually brewed in the De Proef Brewery in Lochristi, Belgium, and shipped to Israel in cans.  Since no Israeli micro-brewery has a canning line, you can actually call Desert Haze the first Israeli craft beer in cans, even though it isn't really "from" Israel.  

Although called a "Pale Ale" rather than an IPA, Desert Haze meets all the criteria for the IPA style except for the slightly lower alcoholic volume -- 4.9%.

Desert Haze, the collab beer
from Negev and Mikkeller:
Israel's first canned craft beer --
although brewed in Belgium!

Desert Haze was brewed to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Hacarem Spirits, an import agency and co-owner of several Israeli properties, including the Malka Brewery where Malka, Negev and Herzl beers are brewed.  The recipe is a collaborative effort of Mikkeller representatives and Hacarem employees Maor Helfman and Yoni Fliderman.  It includes oatmeal and rye, in addition to barley malt.  

Desert Haze is a creamy and hazy New England-style Pale Ale, very low bitterness  and with favors of mango, pineapple and red grapefruit.  It is delicious.  Like I said, there are still cans available, but if you haven't tasted it yet, I suggest you move with all due speed.  

Shevet Red Knight & Hop Guru

The Red Knight: an Irish Red Ale from the
Shevet Brewstillery in Pardes Hanna.
The knight is a woman and the taste
is caramel, fruity and mildly bitter. 

Under the guiding hand of German Brewmaster Felix Magdziarz, the Shevet Brewstillery in Pardes Hanna has been producing new core beers, seasonal brews, and oak barrel-aged special editions.  There are two new core beers which are excellent examples of their styles.

The Red Knight is an Irish Red Ale, a style noted for its sweet caramel and toffee flavors from the malt, with low hop bitterness.  The Red Knight is a clear, crimson gold color with aromas of malt, sweet caramel and butterscotch.  It has flavors of rich malt, caramel and some citrus fruit from the yeast esters.  Alcohol by volume: 5.1%. 

Like the other Shevet core beers, The Red Knight has an image of the beer's "personality" on the label.  This time the Red Knight is a woman warrior, "dainty and daring," ready to do battle with the forces of evil everywhere. 

The Hop Guru: an IPA from the 
Shevet Brewstillery in Pardes Hanna.
Citrus, tropical fruit and pine flavors.

The Hop Guru is Shevet's new IPA, bursting with citrus, tropical fruit and pine flavors, with grapefruit dominating.  It's not very bitter like a lot of other IPAs, actually bitter-sweet.  The mouthfeel is medium-body and acerbic.  Alcohol is 5.7%.  

The Hop Guru is brewed with Motueka hops from New Zealand, not too commonly used in Israeli beers, and noted for its flavors of citrus (lime) and tropical fruits.  The guru on the bottle is a bearded yogi, "exotic and exalted," holding a hop cone. 

These are two enjoyable beers, suitable additions to Shevet's core line.  My wife even liked The Red Knight -- and not only because of its feminist heroine.