22 oz bottle, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. In general I'm a massive fan of the malt-based beers that Shmaltz has been putting out in the series, and Jewbelation has been a constant source of delight for me. As a result I was excited to pick this up and to try it. Off the top this is not your typical American Barleywine, so don't expect a hoppy concoction in the bottle - that just wouldn't be a Shmaltz beer! The pour is basically a jet black pour with a HUGE, bubbly, mocha head. Really massive....
Notes on beers brewed by
Shmaltz Brewing Company (He'Brew)
Coney Island Mermaid Pilsener
Review #2400. 16 oz pint, on tap at Taco Mac, Woodstock, GA, USA. Golden pour that produces some nice lace despite the head fading fairly fast. Carbonation is medium. Nose delivers an unusual combination of a decent Pils-like bite of hops, but also a sweet background to the beer. The sweetness is the thing that stays with me which would normally make me a little unhappy, but the fact that there IS a decent dose of hop bitterness too, helps me to enjoy this beer a little more than I thought I...
He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Grape) 2010
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2010 version, "The Year of the Grape". Very typical of the Rejewvenator series. Described on the label as half Doppelbock, half Dubbel! A difficult to beer to classify but delicious and rich in malt just like the rest of the Rejewvenator series. The Shmaltz beers all seem to have a deep, richness about them both in terms of the color and the depth of flavor and this beer is absolutely no exception. A nice, noisy pour with a very rich, reddish brown...
He’Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah (13)
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...
He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale – Barrel-Aged
On tap at The Porter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Left over from a recent He'Brew/Shmaltz event I think. Pour gives a crystal clear, orange body with some wispy lace and head which ultimately settles to give a thin white film on top of the beer. Looks nice, a bit like lucozade. Similar to the orginal. Nose has a touch of liquor about it but many a clean edge of alcohol. The tastes are malty and alcohol laden. Drinks very cleanly with a solvent-like finish that again is...
He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Date) 2009
22 oz bottle @$4.99 from Hop City. Atlanta, GA, USA. This is the 2009 version of the Rejewvenator brewed with "All Natural Date Concentrate" and NOT the 2008 fig-based version. It's a new beer. Pour is a scrumptious, dark orange pour with great clarity and some lively carbonation. The head appears noisily and produces a huge, towering, dense ivory, whipped topping to the beer. Great retention, nice lace. Nose and tastes have fruits and dark, brown sugars along with some Belgian candy and yeast...
Coney Island Human Blockhead
Coney Island/Shmaltz makes some great beers so I am excited to try this one. I'm a touch skeptical of the need for a full 10% here, but we'll see. Poured this 650 mL into the Tucher Weizen glass to give a lovely copper colored body and a high, tight, dense and fluffy, off-white head. Lace is good as is the clarity. Looks good. Nose produces the nice alcohol and marzipan bread notes that one would expect. So far, so good, and then... ..the tastes simply do NOT deliver in the way they should....
He’Brew Jewbelation 12
11 oz pour at Taco Mac, East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. $6.25! A still, "black as night" pour with no head. I suspect that this is just due to the inability of the barstaff to pour a beer, but ho hum this is Taco mac and this is what you get - suck it up! Obviously I wanted to allow this to warm some and when one does one is not disappointed. As is often the case with Shmaltz we get a very complex beer in the nose and the tastes. Layer after layer of hops and rich, rich malts compete...
Coney Island Freaktoberfest
22oz bomber, $4.99 from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. As all have noted a bizzaro, Ribena colored body and a pink head. Head hangs around a little but not much lace. HAS to get a "5" for appearance (exceptional), not necessarily for the right reasons - this must be pure food coloring, isn't it???? Grainy, vegetal, macro bitterness in the nose. Also as others have noted, the color does tend to obscure tastes a little - odd, but it does. The brain plays tricks. As you look at the beer you...
Coney Island Albino Python
22oz bottle into the DFH palm glass. Purchased from Reilley's on Hilton Head Island, SC, USA. Big head on the pour with some decent lace. Seems a little over-carbonated. Cloudy lemon color. Nose has quite a strong lemon, menthol, spice note. Lemon grass taste. Very refreshing, quite complex with spice notes. Orange character, some medicinal phenols and esters too. A touch of pepper. A really interesting brew. Extremely drinkable. If you like spiced beer, you'll probably love this one.
Coney Island Sword Swallower
22oz bottle, from Reilley's HHI. Golden honey colred pour with a small head and a small amount of lace. Sweet nose with a mild skunkiness to it as well. Sweet malts up front with a slight cloying feel. A rather astringent bitter finish that is quite metallic. Almost Saaz like in the ending. The bitterness lingers significantly. Reminded me of a Czech Pils but with more sweetness and a little less class!
He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Fig) 2008
I've been delighted by He'Brew so far so I was excited to try this. I was not let down, enjoyable. $4.99 from Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. 22oz bomber. Partial pour into the Harpoon IPA 500mL glass. Great clarity in the reddish, amber body. Slight reddish hint to the head too. Head is short lived and lace is scant. This is simply a BIG, sweet malt bomb. Hints of tasty fruits (that I was not necessarily be able to tdistinguish as Figs) but they are dark and rich in their nature. Hint of warming...
Coney Island Lager
Unexpectedly came across this at Jax, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. Think it was about $4 for the 22oz bomber. Crazy label in line with Shmaltz off the wall marketing. Pour is a simple, but nicely clear amber body with some good soapy head and lace. Lovely balance in the nose and on the palate. Very English style biscuit malts are complimented with a certain richness. Some bitterness in the hoppy(ish) finish. Lovely sweet, moreish and rich aftertaste for a lager. A little Brown Ale like....
He’Brew Jewbelation 11
Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. 22 oz bomber. The usual He'Brew style label. Dark, dark brown pour with a little light entering at the bottom of the Imperial pint glass. A dark brown hue is still present at the bottom of the body. Nice mocha like head with plenty of lace. Good looker. I wasn't sure what style to expect, other than what I already knew about He'Brew. I have been impressed by their other, malty, sweet big beers and this was no exception. The description as an American Brown...
He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale
22 oz bomber, Jax, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. Very light, orange amber pour with a fast fading, small head and not much lace. A little persistent carbonation. Some fruit in the nose. Taste is a tart, bitterness with a hint of some kind of fruit. I wouldn't recognize it as pomergranate, but there is a sharp grapefruit finish to the beer. The astringent dry, bitterness hangs around for a while too. A little dry and mildly alcoholic in the finish. Some lingering grapefruit juice too. As it...
He’Brew Monumental Jewbelation (10)
22oz Bomber, Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. This is a big beer all around. Very dark red pour with nice ruby highlights. Very bold upfront in all aspects - aroma, bitterness, malts, alcohol and general character. Great head and persistent nice lacing. This skates at the very edge for me. Reminiscent of a cross between a Stone Double Bastard and Terrapin BHM. Lots of hyped-up amber/red character (quite dry), but it also hits hard in the American Strong Ale tradition. A sweet and sour...
He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
Delicious from the 22oz bomber. Pour is a fantastic garnet color with great head, super lacing and great retention. All the characteristics of a big American DIPA are there. Very sweet malts are the backdrop and the hops are drippin' all over it. Resinous, green and clean. Sharp and clean tastes give a serious refreshing edge. The combination makes for a potent beer that drinks incredibly easy considering the style and the alcohol. Another really nice offering from this brewery that continues...
He’Brew Genesis 10:10
Another interesting and very drinkable beer from this increasingly impressive brewer. 22oz, $4.95, Greens Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. Aroma is lots of malty alcohol, really rich. This beer has a certain fruitiness about it, but to call it a fruit beer does not do it justice at all. To me this drinks much more like an American Strong Ale - something akin to an Arrogant Bastard in fact. Sounds like a big claim, but I think it is justified. Color is that beautiful, dark red rust, with a...
He’Brew Genesis Ale
Decent APA, but the style is so very unexciting in general, it is somewhat difficult to get excited about this beer or any other in the category. Light amber color, with no significant head or lacing. Good balance, quite dry and a nice bitter twang in the finish and the aftertaste. The label mentions something about a "light brown ale", but this is definitely not that in either color or style. Good brewery, but only a slightly above average beer.
He’Brew Messiah Bold
Interesting and I enjoyed it. Great deep brown garnet color, and a lovely large rocky head. The color of this beer is one of the best dark hues I have seen in sometime - very rich looking and inviting. Head fades a little too quickly though, and there is a distinct lack of lace. Despite that, the color is stunning. A small amount of persistent carbonation. A little thin in the mouth, but there is plenty of real nutty acidity that I really enjoyed. Good dark malts dominate but there is a little...
He’Brew Jewbelation 5766 (9)
Very, very impressed. Delicious looking pour. Deep, deep red, mahogany brown, the depth of color is second to none. Head is large with some lacing, but it fades a little on standing. Aroma and tastes reflect the pour and are deep, deep malts with a nutty overtone and a sugary mouthfeel. Slight hop bitterness in the finish but it's slight and it complements the rest of the beer to produce an unusual balance. This an amazing, "Imperial" (souped up) American version of a Brown Ale. One of the...