Over the past few months, there's been a run of barrel-aged beers from Israeli craft breweries.
Putting
beer to sleep in wooden barrels is not something new – European breweries have
been doing it for centuries – but it is a practice that has been renewed by
the resurgence of craft brewing around the world.
Maturing
a strong-style beer in a used barrel adds depth and complexity to the aroma and
flavor, and may also have an effect on the alcoholic content. The beer absorbs
the flavors of the wood (normally oak) as well as of the former occupants
(normally whiskey or wine). Beers can
pick up flavors such as the wood itself, and chemical compounds that duplicate
floral aromas, caramel and vanilla. The
color can also darken.
Since most of the beers chosen for maturing are high alcohol by volume anyway, the barrel aging makes them even more dark, flavorful and boozy.
The
BeerBazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat, with brewpubs in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv–Jaffa,
has released the fifth annual edition of its OMG, a series of
strong, barrel-aged beers of different styles.
This year's version is a Baltic Porter, a stronger cousin to the
traditional English-style Porter. It was
aged in whisky and rum barrels (from the Golan Distillery) for five months, and
is 7.9% ABV. It is sold in 750 ml
bottles, each one numbered and only about 1,000 were released.
The Baltic Porter is a clear deep ruby color, and if poured correctly has a large rocky beige head. The aromas are not especially complex: I got roasted malt, alcohol and oak wood. The bitterness comes not only from the hops, but also from the roasted malt, which carries flavors of chocolate and dried fruits. There is also the taste of oak and booze with a sour note. You end with alcoholic warmth, spice on the tongue and a long, dry finish.
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