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.

Brew Dog Sink the Bismarck!

I was lucky to pick up, in addition to Tactical Nuclear Penguin, a bottle of Brew Dog Sink the Bismarck! (at $108 a bottle) from Honeygo Wines outside of Baltimore, and I contacted some friends to share the beer. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly tan head that fizzles out like a soda. The aroma consists of orange, lemon, grapefruit, and pine (similar to Lysol with the alcohol). The taste is big and bold with lots of citrus including grapefruit, orange, tangerine, and lemon. There is an amazing caramel base before the pine hop kicks in and bitters the mouth somewhat. The finish is warming and welcoming and really lingers on the tongue. The alcohol content is 41% ABV. This beer, to me, is like Pliny the Elder on steroids or could be referred to liquid gold. The citrus flavors and big and prevalent without letting down the tongue and the hop accent isn't overpowering, but just perfect.

Brew Dog Tactical Nuclear Penguin

I was lucky enough to secure a bottle of Brew Dog Tactical Nuclear Penguin (by luck I mean spend $80 for a bottle) from Honeygo Wines outside of Baltimore and share it with three friends. The beer pours a dark brown color with a bubbly tan head the quickly dissipates similar to a soda. The aroma consists of a lot of whiskey with a background of raisin and chocolate. The taste hit big with an alcohol taste at first but the alcohol bite is reserved for the finish and is really warming. My face was lighting up after a couple of sips. Remnants of chocolate, coffee, molasses, and raisin find their way through, but are overpowered by the alcohol. The alcohol content is 32% ABV. This beer, despite being whiskey aged, was not as overwhelming with the smoke and whiskey as the Mikkeller Black Hole series and was quite enjoyable. The smoke lingered and was pleasant in mixing with the sweet flavors that are in the background of the beer.

Mother Earth Brewing Silent Night

The final beer I tried at the Mother Earth Brewing Farm to Table tasting event at Blind Tiger in New York City was the Silent Night. The beer pours a bubbly black color with a tan frothy head. The aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, and molasses. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with good accents of toasted malts, molasses, and coffee. I noticed a light cardboard flavor on the transition from sweet chocolate to the alcohol bite, but it was very forgivable. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would guess it to be around 9.0% ABV. Overall, the Silent Night was a good beer with a wonderful collection of sweet flavors, all balanced with a tremendous alcohol bite.

Mother Earth Brewing DWBB Blackberry Sour

Another beer I ordered at Blind Tiger in New York City as party of the Mother Earth Brewing Farm to Table tasting even was the DWBB Blackberry Sour. The beer pours an orange color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is blackberry through and through with a good sweetness about it. The taste is loaded with blackberry and is only slightly sour on the front end before transitioning into a mostly sweet finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would guess it to be around 7.0% ABV. This sour beer was extremely delicious and I didn't talk to one person that day that did not rave about how delicious it was. If you have a chance to try this beer when in North Carolina, do not pass.

Mother Earth Brewing Sisters of the Moon IPA

On my visit to New York City to do a beer trade with Lee from Hoptopia, I met up with him to at Blind Tiger for the Mother Earth Brewing Farm to Table sampling. The first beer I had was the Sisters of the Moon IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, wheat, and pine and floral hops. The taste is smooth and caramel with a lemon and pine bite and a smooth and creamy finish. The alcohol content is 6.9% ABV. The Sisters of the Moon IPA was a very enjoyable beer with fresh earthy hops and a great smooth creamy finish.

Speakeasy Imperial Common (Whiskey Barrel Aged)

My girlfriend ordered a glass of Speakeasy Imperial Common (Whiskey Barrel Aged) from Blind Tiger in New York City, and was kind enough to let me try it. The beer pours an orange-amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma is sweet with sweet whiskey and fresh sharp hops. The taste is smooth and sweet, a nice warming whiskey flavor on the front end, a bitey finish that stings the tongue, and a dry after taste. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. The sweetness that the whiskey added to this beer was impeccable and the peak was very mild and not overpowering. I really enjoyed the complexity the whiskey added to a usually simple and light bodied common.

Troegs Scratch 37- India Pale Ale (1 of 4)

I stopped in to the Troegs tasting room to pick up a case of Scratch 37- India Pale Ale. This beer is the first of four India Pale Ales that Troegs will be testing to perfect the recipe for the Perpetual IPA. The Perpetual IPA is to be released approximately 14 months from now, one of the first beers from the new Hershey plant. In fact, the label was leaked from the TTB and no one on the brewery knew about the beer's development until the Troegner brothers were forced to reveal the details due to the amount of questions received about the beer.

Scratch #37 features Warrior and Cluster hops with a touch of Columbus hops as well. The beer pours a golden yellow color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of several citrus fruits including grapefruit, tangerine, orange, and lemon. The taste is smooth and sweet with tangerine and grapefruit coming to the forefront before a bittering pine and spruce hop accent. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. I really enjoyed how smooth drinking Scratch 37 was while still providing a nice hop accent. This beer does not bitter or dry on the finish, but has a nice little bite.

Harpoon Glacier Harvest 2010 Wet Hop Ale

I have been meaning to try the Harpoon Glacier Harvest 2010 Wet Hop Ale for a while, and while at Blind Tiger in New York City they had it on draft, so I gave it a try. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma is fresh with pine hops and accents of caramel. The taste is light and smooth with a nice caramel base and a light lemon and pepper bite on the sides of the mouth. On the finish, the hops come alive and dry out the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.7% ABV. While the beer is light bodied and bubbly on the tongue, the fresh lemon and pepper hops provide enough dimension to the beer to make it complex and not just about the hops.

Stone/21st Amendment/Firestone Walker El Camino

I ordered a bottle of the Stone Brewing/21st Amendment/Firestone Walker collaboration El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale from RattleNHum bar in New York City. I am noticing the Stone really likes to get around an

d collaborate with other brewers (a bit risque?). The beer pours a black color with light red hues and a thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of caramel with fresh hops and oak. The taste is big on oak and has a good caramel accent, fresh hops, licorice, and peppermint. I likened the taste to Good N Plenty candy. The beer then has a light coffee finish. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I thought the beer had a good balance and an excellent dry finish.