In general I have been a huge fan of the malt-heavy beers that Shmaltz has put out in the Jewbelation, He’Brew series, so I’m delighted to have the chance to try the latest in the series. Always look forward to the annual offering, and given the GA alcohol limit we are getting close to the end of things we will see locally!
22 oz bottle that came from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Pour is dark brown body with some red highlights. The head is initially good with a mocha colored hue, and considering the ABV has decent retention and lace. Not the greatest, but the ABV always hits this aspect quite hard.
Nose has more than a touch of solvent alcohol and some burned malts.
The carbonation and mouthfeel both have a presence (highish and thinnish) that don’t really match with the Imperial Stout designation. For that reason I might consider this in the American Strong Ale category instead. Alcohol is certainly there and burns a touch on the way down. Although this is STILL a hugely malted beer, it has more hop presence (in terms of bitterness) than we have been used to from Shmaltz.
Tastes reveal some really large licorice. Definitely the largest element of the the competing tastes. More alcohol and light charcoal in the back end. Coats the mouth and teeth quite substantially.
A VERY robust beer and definitely an interesting candidate for some age IMO. This feels REALLY young at the moment. Glad to see the brewery pushing some boundaries both in general terms AND in terms of getting out of their OWN comfort zone. Good stuff, but to be honest a little raw right now. Stick some in the cellar.