HeBrew Jewbelation 5766 Ninth Anniversary Ale

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

The pour is just like the other Jewbelations...a dark almost black, brown body with reddish highlights. A thick and foamy beige head that dies down to a thin foamy cap. Some light lacing rings are left on the glass. The nose is roasted with a bit of an earthy nose and big coffee and espresso notes. A hint of hop and some alcohol are dully noted. The middle has some light sweetness with a chewy, full roasted malt. Hint of wood, light grapefruit hop, caramel, toffee and coffee. This one somewhat lacks the overall robustness and smack of resinous hops. Overall, this is just an "okay" brew.

650ml bottle pours amber in color with a small beige head leaving a little lacing on the glass. Aroma of chocolate and dark fruits with some lightly roasted malts and some hops. Taste is dark fruits with a chocolate malty sweetness and a nice blend of hoppy bitterness in the finish. Another complex and tasty brew from the guys at Shmaltz. Well done!!!

On tap in late 2010 at the Grad. Just noticed I missed the tobacco notes from my other ratings of the Jewb’s. This one was just a hair out of the range of 10-12.

12 oz bottle. Similar to the other anniversary beers, black, no head. Malty, old ale nose. Taste is similar, with tons of chocolate, malts, sweet stickiness. Most of these ann beers are very similar.

bottle thanks to Kyle, pours dark mahogany with a medium tan head. Aroma is wonderful with lots of licorice and roast with bits of tobacco. Flavor is really layered with lots of malt complexity. Dry roast, bitter cocoa, biscuit and nuts. Ends with sweet cream and roast with light hints of the hops that used to be. Really nice beer.

Weak molasses nose. Clear mahogany, thin tan head, minimal lacing. Sweet, a little cloying, with a complimentary tartness. Earthy with notes of date but dominated by soil, with faint hints of soy sauce. Finishes with unsweet prune skins. This beer seems to combine some of my least favorite flavors from other beers all into one somehow. Rustic yet cloying. I’m not real crazy about this.

For the look of this beer I will use my wife’s discretion, “Used dirty motor oil with frothy cappuccino foam floating on top. Raisin, plumb, alcohol are all in the aroma. Some slight nose burn on deep inhales with hints of coffee at the end. Wife says it smells like bitter. I just randomly smelled apple sauce. Aroma was yum and complex. Taste is also of a high yumminess. Burnt brown sugar and mild coffee, with prunes, cherry, and sweet earthy alcohol hanging out in the back ground. Taste does start to lean on the watery side but still good. last few sips that where very warm, probably an hour after pour where very ashy and dry. Good beer but forgettable.

Appearance: deep wooden mahoganies with burnt garnet edges. Tan head lingers as a collar with a decent tannish film in-between. Swirls with lace and thick edges.
Nose: smoky. Black root and dark fruits – figs and dates. Tar. Black taffy. Some red apple skins bob in and out along with plum skins, purple and ripe, with the flesh a sweet afterthought. Root beer syrup, all natural please. Heavy and dense. Interesting essence of fall foliage and the changing of seasons whilst standing amidst an apple orchard.
Palate: earthy dirty twiggy presence which reveals a tart grape and plum skin twang. Earthy spiciness lingers atop middle of tongue. Unsweetened prune juice tartness. Black root and black licorice under and in back of swallow. Mild up front, then meaty and chewy with a faint whisper of juniper in the breath. Grows leathery and tannic as it warms up. Lingering burnt black strap finish. Chocolate bark?
Final Thoughts: so far of the two Jewbelation brews I have tasted, both have proven to be a unique exploration of flavors unexpected and enjoyed. Big and chewy. Who needs food when one needs beer. May I have another please.