Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale

My buddy Ed opened a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale when we went to his place for the Eclipse tasting. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of raisin, chocolate, malts, caramel, fig, and vanilla. The taste is strong and full of chocolate and caramel malts on the front end. Some fig and raisin filter to the surface before the alcohol kicks the hell out of the tongue. It brings along with it some peppery spice. The alcohol content is 16% ABV, matching the year of its celebration. This falls in line with all of the other anniversary beers that Shmaltz makes, and I absolutely loved it. The 16% will start to kick your ass, but it’s quite enjoyable.

Terrapin-Shmaltz Reunion Ale '12

At Al’s of Hampden I picked up a bottle of the Terrapin-Shmaltz collaboration Reunion Ale ‘12. The beer pours a dark brown color with a foamy cream colored head. The aroma consists of cinnamon, coffee, toasted malts, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is dry and filled with dark chocolate. Cinnamon dries the mouth out further before some vanilla shows up to sweeten out the flavor a bit. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was a decent beer and notably better than the ‘11 version of this beer. I can’t say I fell in love with it and would buy it again, but it was worth the try.

Shmaltz He'brew Hop Manna IPA

I ordered a glass of Shmaltz He’brew Hop Manna IPA at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours an amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is sweet with caramel and lots of toffee, but no balancing bitterness on the nose. The taste is also sweet, piling caramel and plenty of toffee on the tongue. There is a light hint of grass and lemon, but nowhere near enough to balance the malts in this beer. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I would say this is not that great of an IPA. I asked Al if this beer was fresh, and indicated it was so I’m not sure if it was a bad keg or just a bad beer, but I absolutely would not order this beer again.

Shmaltz He'brew Dry Hopped Session Ale

I picked up a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Dry Hopped Session Ale from D’s Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head that leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, pine, toffee, and grass. The taste is sweet with caramel on the front end with hints of toffee as well. Then a nice bitter hoppy flavor comes in, imparting lemon, pine, and grassy flavors. The after taste is a little bit dry with a toasted caramel flavor and has hints of grapefruit and tangerine. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. I found it off the for being touted as a session beer, there was no alcohol content listed on the bottle. Was this because it was higher than 5%, a number which a lot of people label as being sessionable? Either way, it was an easy drinking and refreshing beer with plenty of flavor.

Shmaltz He'brew Origin Pomegranate Ale

My buddy Matt picked me up a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Origin Pomegranate Ale. The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a lofty and frothy off-white colored head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel malts, pomegranate juice, and grassy hops. There’s something about this beer, I think the yeast strain, that reminds me of the Jewbelation series, despite this being an imperial amber ale. The taste is dry and very malts. This beer is very toasted malt forward with caramel accents. A dry finish comes out with some pomegranate juice. There are also hints of chocolate lingering in the background and the hops shine on the finish by bringing out grass and pepper flavors. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was quite a delicious amber ale with plenty of toasted malts and caramel flavor. The pomegranate flavor provided a nice accent to all of these flavors and had a great hop profile as well.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 15

I picked up a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Jewbelation 15 from Discount Wine and Liquors in Boonton, NJ. Having reviewed the previous beers in this series, I was excited to try this one, although I was hesitant that they placed this large beer in a 22-ounce bottle. The beer pours a dark brown color, almost black, with a frothy beige head that leaves lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin,caramel, malts, plum, fig, date, and vanilla. The taste is very sweet on the tongue and very malty, the flavors of raisin, fig, plum, and date coming to the forefront. A big glob of molasses takes over the mouth with vanilla and caramel. The finish brings out an alcohol warmth, but its not too intense. The alcohol content, is of course, 15%, matching the anniversary. If my recollection is correct, this was the smoothest drinking of the series and had a nice creamy mouth feel, all packed with great dark fruit flavors.

Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Genesis 15:15 Barrel Aged Harvest Barleywine Ale

My buddy Ed brought me back a bottle of Shmaltz Brewing He’brew Genesis 15:15 Barrel Aged Harvest Barleywine Ale from Atlanta. The beer pours a dark cherry color with a frothy tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of fig, raisin, pomegranate juice, grape juice, whiskey, cocoa powder, rye, and dates. The taste is sweet at first with plenty of raisin, date, and fig before a slight souring with pomegranate juice. There is a dark chocolate finish that is balanced very well with oak, whiskey, and rye. The after taste is light on grape juice, but a warmth takes over in the back of the mouth with some pepper. The alcohol content is 13.4% ABV. For as high alcohol content as this beer has and for as much as it does announce its presence, it was quite smooth and had a nice sweetness to it. The light fruitiness really makes the beer enjoyable, and the dry oakiness and rye stayed behind and made me remember this beer.

Terrapin-Shmaltz A Beer for Hope Reunion Ale ‘11

I picked up a bottle of the Terrapin-Shmaltz collaboration A Beer for Hope Reunion Ale ‘11 from Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh.  The beer pours a black color with an extremely lofty and frothy head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of sweet and dark chocolate nibs, vanilla, oak, toasted malts, and a chili spiciness. The taste is smooth and roasty with dark chocolate nibs that are quickly taken over by spicy chilies. Hints of vanilla and oak shine through, but a peppery spice that warms the throat comes out in full force in the finish. The after taste has a pairing of milk chocolate and a Tobasco-like spice. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. This was a wonderfully spiced chocolate beer that was balanced well and not overly hot, but did not have a nice kick on top of chocolate and vanilla sweetness. However, one glass was more than enough for me and I found it difficult to drink an entire 22-ounce bottle.

Shmaltz He'brew Rejewvenator 2010 (Year of the Grape)

I stopped in to Al's of Hampden to pick up a growler of Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Rejewvenator 2010 (Year of the Gape). The beer pours a purplish red color with a bubbly off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, grapes, and floral hops. The taste is sweet and malty, grape juice accents, some Belgian yeast, candisugar, and a slightly sour finish. The mouth feel is big and bready and the after taste lingers in the mouth with an earthy and floral bite. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. The addition of the grape juice definitely makes this beer lean to the sweet side, but not in a bad way. There is a lot going on, so a second glass is recommended to full gather all of the flavors.

Shmaltz He'brew Vertical Jewbelation

The final beer in the Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Jewbelation pack was the Vertical Jewbelation. This beer is a blend of all seven Jewbelation beers (8,9,10,11,12,13, and 14) and then aged in Sazerac 6 Year Rye Whiskey Barrels. The beer pours a black color with an extremely lofty tan head, much more so than any of the other beers in the series. The aroma consists of sweet chocolate, both dark and milk, with some rye, toasted malts, and coffee. The taste is sweet and smooth with a large helping of chocolate, bits of coffee, molasses, and licorice before some alcohol and rye kick in. The after taste is a little dry but some chocolate manages to linger and mixes in a light whiskey flavor. The alcohol content is 10.5%. The entire time drinking this beer I thought what a wonderful blend Shmaltz has created. There is a great mix of dark and milk chocolate with some alcohol and rye mixed in there, leaving a sweet and dry flavor.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 14 (14th Anniversary Ale)

The final anniversary beer (but not the final beer) of the He'brew Jewbelation pack from Shmaltz Brewing was the He'brew Jewbelation 14 (14th Anniversary Ale). This beer has 14 malts and 14 hops in it in celebration of the 14th Anniversary. The beer pours a thick black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of lots of chocolate and an alcohol tingle on the nose. The taste is big and malty with tons of silky smooth chocolate, a toasted malts flavor, and a light hop bite. The finish is chocolaty as well, but brings in an accent of coffee with a milk cream finish. The alcohol content is 14.0% ABV, matching the anniversary number. I really enjoyed the amount of chocolate in this beer which was relatively sweet but not overpoweringly so. The alcohol is present on the tongue, but doesn't not overwhelm any of the flavors.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 13 (Bar Mitzvah)

Continuing my celebration of Hanukkah, I opened a bottle Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Jewbelation 13 (Bar Mitzvah). The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of milk chocolate, coffee, toasted malts, and a light alcohol bite. The taste is smooth with a lot of milk chocolate up front, in comparison to the dark chocolate flavors of the other Jewbelation beers. The toasted malts peek through on the finish before the alcohol bite kicks in to attack the tongue. The after taste allows the chocolate to linger and then the coffee flavors dries out the mouth. The alcohol content is 13.0% ABV that matches the number of the beer in the series. The Jewbelation 13 (Bar Mitzvah) had a wonderful milk chocolate flavor that was well balanced with the alcohol content, and at 13 percent, this beer is sure to get the party started for Hanukkah.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 12

The Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation pack led me to the Jewbelation 12. The beer pours a black color with a filmy tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, molasses, and coffee. The taste is big on chocolate just before the alcohol kicks in and really packs a punch. Following the alcohol, some molasses, coffee, and toasted malts peek through. The after taste keeps the dry coffee and brings back the chocolate. The alcohol content matches the number in the series at 12.0% ABV. Wow, this beer was the perfect beer that was somewhat balanced in flavors but not afraid to kick in the teeth with some alcohol. I enjoyed the chocolaty goodness with the touch of coffee that is both sweet and dry.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 11

The next beer in the Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation series was Jewbelation 11. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that sticks around for a while. The aroma consists of a faint chocolate with some carbonation on the nose. The taste is not quite as sweet as the previous beers in the series but has some hot chocolate like flavor with an underlying of toasted malts and a nice alcohol bite. The alcohol content is 11% ABV, which matches the anniversary number. I really like the Jewbelation series, but I feel that the Jewbelation 11 did not live up to the standards of the others. While it was smooth with plenty of chocolate flavors, it missed some balance with alcohol and hops.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 10 (Monumental)

Continuing with the box set of Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation beer and celebrating Hanukkah, I moved on to the Jewbelation 10 (Monumental). The beer pours a black color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of a good helping of chocolate with some toasted malts, raisins, and light hops. The taste is smooth and creamy (surprisingly) with plenty of coffee and dark and dry chocolate and a good hop balance that quickly dissolves into an alcohol bite that doesn't overwhelm the tongue. The toasted malts linger on the tongue in the after taste. Matching the alcohol content to the number, the alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. I think this beer one-upped the 8 and 9 by providing a much smoother drinking beer despite the alcohol content and has a wonderful dry and dark chocolate finish that dances on the tongue.

Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Jewbelation 9 (5766)

As part of the Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Jewbelation collection, I continued to celebrate Hanukkah by drinking the Jewbelation 9 (5766). The beer pours a really deep brown color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, raisin, and molasses. The taste is big on malts and chocolate, specifically dark dry chocolate, with a nice smooth molasses and coffee finish. The after taste allows the light hop accent to hit with the alcohol bite. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. One percent up in the alcohol content and one percent better for this version of the Jewbelation. This beer is surprisingly smooth despite the alcohol content and has a great chocolate flavor.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbilation 8 (Miraculous)

While I was at Honeygo Wines outside of Baltimore, I noticed they has the Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Jewbelation collection of 8 beers (for 8 crazy nights!) and I decided to do a review for each day of Hanukkah. The first beer in the series is Jewbelation 8 (Miraculous). The beer pours a dark brown color that is near black with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, raisin, molasses, and a bit of caramel. The taste is smooth and sweet, big on toasted malts with a bit of an alcohol bite. There are bits of caramel, molasses, and dark chocolate hidden in there and the beer finishes with a dry coffee flavor. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. The alcohol content is well balanced and hidden in this beer with the chocolate, molasses, and raisin flavors. This beer was a good start to the Hanukkah holiday.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbilation

At D's Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh I ordered a glass of Shmaltz He'brew Jewbilation Bar Mitzvah. This is the thirteenth anniversary of this beer and the ingredients include 13 hops and 13 malts. The beer has a deep black color with a tan thick head. There is a small hop hint in the malt aroma. The taste consists of burnt hops with a nice hop balance. I can pick up some honey flavor with chocolate and toffee. It should also not be a surprise that the thirteen theme is continued with an alcohol content that is 13% ABV. I thought that this was an excellent beer and was not too dry. The alcohol is not too overpowering despite being so high, but it does find a way to warm you up during the colder months.