Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Doppelbock
Brooklyn, New York USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Stein, Stem glass

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Pours a medium/dark brown with a light tan head. Complex aroma of alcohol, dried fruits and caramel malt. The flavor is boozy and sweet. Lots of the bourbon. This might need time to mellow out.

Bottle. The pour was a murky medium brown with a huge (3-4 finger) tan frothy head that dissipated down to a large cap of foam that lasted throughout and had some fair spotty lacing. The aroma was quite powerful of a toasted bread malt and a leathery doughy yeast with notes of molasses, caramel, brown sugar, dark fruit (plums and raisins), oak and a strong bourbon presence. The taste was robustly sweet and very malty with notes of caramel, molasses and brown sugar throughout with a hint of dark fruit and a very pronounced bourbon note at the end. The flavor was quite a long winded with a sweet bourbon taste left to linger on the taste buds. Mouthfeel was medium in body and oily, syrupy and dry in texture with a good strong carbonation. Overall a fantastic Doppelbock, most likely the best one I have had to date...

650 ml. bottle. Batch 001/523 cases. Bottled on 6/1/2011. Served at cellar temperature. Pours a thick rapidly collapsing, ivory head, with slight lacing, over a clear dark copper (SRM 18) body.....nose is Bourbon, light chocolate, hints of plum, raisin, vanilla....taste is Bourbon, light vanilla, hints of terpene, dried fruits including raisin, plum, cocoa, with light sweetness throughout.....mouth feel thick, sticky, alcohol burn obvious, carbonation low. The Bourbon is very apparent, making for an alcohol presence that dominates the heavy malt back bone. The usual malt nuances are not as apparent as in the best. Additionally, the woody (terpene) like effects of the barrel are too easily detected, and the beneficial vanilla tones are a bit hidden. The net effect of this is a delightfully complex, rich, nourishing beer, heavy in both aromas and flavors, that is harsher than it should be, and not as soothing and pleasurable as it could be. Bourbon barrels are hard to use, but this is one of those many experiments that came close to a perfect finish. However, is this really a classic Dopplebock?? BJCP 8/3/14/4/7

Thanks to Chipalsa for this treat. The nose had lots of caramel, some bourbon, apple, and other fruits. Nice from a doppelbock. Taste is similar with plenty of caramel apple taste, as well as some toffee/caramel, and a bit of darker fruits. This one was a nice dark brown with a tan head. Great stuff.

Finally, to have this beer! The nose was full of toffee, bourbon and wood with hints of orange. While the body was on the sweet side, lots of oak and liquor were present. Light undertones of malt and dried fruit were pleasant, also warm and complex as it warmed up. Once again a fantastic barrel-aged brew from Shmaltz, and I am once again a fan.

Batch 001 bottled 6/1/2011. Pours with a murky brown body with a large tan head of foam with good retention and great lace. Aromas are estery, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, mild melanoidins, chewy, leather and caramel. Flavors are of barrel, vanillin, bitter with a slightly oxidized hop character. Tannic, caramelized, vanilla, dark fruits, oak, coconut, raisins. Pretty complex with a nice bourbon character. Easily the best beer that I have had from Shmaltz to date. Medium to fuller carbonation for a big beer, warming, with a tannic finish.

Grabbed a bottle to go from Ginger Man. Pours brown with huge head that goes no where, perfect looking beer. Great lacing and a nose of candy and malt. Tastes of pecan pie, vanilla, bourbon, brown sugar, and figs. A touch sweet for my liking but very enjoyable.

Served on draft at Timberwood Grill Charlottesville, VA. Pours a very slightly hazy copper color with a medium sized creamy tan head. Decent head retention. Huge whisky notes in the aroma with notes of wood, coconut and toasted malts. The taste is sweet malts, raisin, wood, berries, whisky and toasted malts. Very whisky forward but still manages to be well balanced. Medium bodied with low carbonation. Better than I was expecting.

bottle. fantastic beer. brownish body with small head. huge vanilla, toffee, and a bouquet of milk sugar and desserts...sweet, crazy, and great

Assez croustillant pour sa grosseur avec d’énormes notes de vanille et de chêne tant volatile que gustative. Une présence en bouche constante de caramel brûlé enrichi le profil mais sinon c’est plutôt bien équilibré par le vieillissement. Buvabilité morbide.

Served at a good temperature, with a nice sized, off white head that soon settled down to a light cover and loads of lace. Color is a clear, orange mahoganey. Aroma is malty, bourbon, yeast, malt, earth. Flavor is similar to nose with addition of a bit of carbonic tang and yeast. Body is spot on; carbonation good. Finish at first was sans alcohol, but towards the bottom of the mug as it warmed up, the booziness came out. Great beer! Bravo maestro!