5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
Amazingly rich, and wonderfully Sazerac barrel aged, this Genesis is remarkably complex with esters of grape, mandarin orange, fig, date, toffee, coconut, persimmon, kumquat, plum, cherry, chocolate, cappuccino, rum, and, of course, lots of rye.
The body is silky/syrupy, but not as heavy as i had anticipated, and the massive flavor profile is incredibly balanced with no excess heat , despite its 13.4% abv. This is a very sweet and luxurious ale, for sure, but the Sazerac aging has dried it out sufficiently in the finish for it to be a wonderful sipper that continuously calls me back to indulge in another "hard" taste.
To date, I’m not sure I could come up with a better fireside liquid companion to take away the chill of what’s shaping up to be another colder winter than usual. I’m glad I stocked up on a number of these beauties!
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
First thing is incredible aroma of coconut whiskey and figs. Very similar to Goose Island BCS but thinner, tastier and more complex with all the fruit they added. The most amazing thing about it is that the whiskey barrel element is not overbearing like so many other barrel aged beers. Man O’ man this is good.
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
It pours dark brown with a medium tan head. Aroma is roasted malts and milk chocolate. Smells awesome! Can’t pick up any fruit scents or alcohol. Taste is off the charts for me - dark chocolate, raisins and roasted malt. I don’t notice the alcohol - don?t care. I’m trying to remember the chocolate bar that had raisins......can’t remember the name. That’s what this barleywine reminds me of. Beautiful now, aging can only make it better. Thank you Shmaltz!
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
The nose is a ruby port/brandy soaked fig and date vanilla ice cream shake. The flavor of this beer hits me as a hundred things all in one. Firstly, a wave of the best tasting cough syrup I’ve ever had mixed with heavy cream. Then, at the end, a blend of every pit fruit I’ve ever had and the approximate acidity of Beyonce’s navel. The heft and luxurious oily nature of the mouthfeel is something to be savored for a long time. I would respect a man who just pours this, looks at it, and walks away in full conformation that he can’t handle the utter disappointment of anything else he opens after this for the rest of his life. This shit is proper to the third degree. Thank You so much Shmaltz. 2011 22oz.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
On tap @ Freshcraft on Halloween night. Clear dark brownish with copper highlights. Nice lasting head. Great sweet aroma of nutty chocolate, dark fig sweetness, a slight boozy note, and general dark malty fruity sweetness and warmth. Beautiful flavor of chocolate covered fig, raisin, restrained yet warming boozy notes, dark fruity malt, more chocolate. Very pleasant and delightful. Strong yet quaffable.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Tap at Sugar Maple. I must say THIS IS AWESOME! The beer pours to a deep mahogany body with a creamy tan head. The aroma is sweet and caramelized. Has a sherry like quality of an old barleywine. But that’s likely just caused by the combination of the 4 fruits that they used in it. The flavors are super caramelized sugars with sherry and vanilla. Lots of subtle complex things going on from the fruits. The palate is sweet and full bodied with a super thick syrupy texture. It somehow astonishingly hides the 13.4%.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
22 oz. bottle. Pours a very deep but clear amber with a moderate tan head that lasted beyond mid-glass and left a coating of foam with each sip. Huge aroma of vanilla, caramel, figs, and dates. The flavor is equally impressive again with huge vanilla, caramel, oak, figs, and dates. Holy crap! Rich and full bodied with a luxurious mouthfeel. Some mild alcohol warmth at the finish only enhances the experience. Definitely sweet, which is perfectly fine for me. I am planning on picking up a few more of these to put away in my cellar. Wow.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
22oz bottle poured into a Snifter at 42°. Color is black with a little amber showing. Carbonation is good making a nice light brown head. Aroma is amazing and rich with dark fruits, vanilla, oak and a hint of whisky. It has a full body that gives a rich sharp mouth feel. Flavor like the aroma is just amazing, coming on with bold dried fruits, mellow roasted malt, chocolate and a touch of coffee then the oak shows with a bit of vanilla. After taste brings a faint sweetness, then the roasted flavors come back giving a light bitterness on the tail end with a little of the whisky showing. Overall I love this one, it’s a great brew with big, bold, and complex flavors.
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
22oz bottle, Batch 1/791 Cases, Bottled on 9/7/2011.
5 malts, 7 hops; Aged in Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey Barrels. Pours reddish-brown mahogany color, light tan foam. Heavy legs. Smells of heavy malt syrup, loads of sugar in the nose. There is also a good amount of booze in the nose as well. Fig, date, sugar, vanilla, alcohol aromas. Sweet flavor, there is a presence of fruit sugars like no other. Loads of chocolate malt, date, dark fruit, Whiskey barrel fruitiness. Date and fig is there! So is the barrel, a good amount of burn. Nice chocolate malt finish coats the palate after the burn has dissipated. Goes down like pure malt syrup with dark fruit puree. Very heavy bodied. It is hard to believe that there this is really a beer, as the distant cousin to the American Light Lagers(*sarcasm). Genesis 15:15, Heaven in a bottle.
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle from Bev 4 Less: Poured a medium leather brown liquid and was topped with a thick pillow of foam for a head. As for the aroma, a bold scent of caramel malts and other mentionable scents such as fig, raisin, prune, date, cigar, and a faint whiff of vodka or whiskey due to the already high alcohol by volume content. The drink is rich and robust with an initial taste of sweet sugary malts that come across as molasses or even maple syrup, but as for the aftertaste, there is a minor taste of astringency as if I were drinking some sort of medicine. Palate is smooth and very refined while also having a sticky residue in the finish. However, the combination of fruit juices and whiskey barrel aging has added so much complexity to a barleywine style recipe that I have to say this will certainly be one of the most memorable barleywines. Hands down Shmaltz/HeBrew brewing has become one of my top 5 breweries in the world.
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