Reunion - A Beer For Hope 2011 (Shmaltz Brewing)

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Brooklyn, New York USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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How much heat will greet me? Poured out a medium brown brew with a medium tan bubbly head that dies quickly. Mild aroma that is waaaaay weaker than I was hoping for. Dark, rich chocolate, vanilla, faint cherry fruitness or something, biscuit, I guess the cocoa is really starting to dominate. Yea, the chilli aroma comes around but ONLY when warmer and this is after a long long sit. That chilli goes well with the vanilla. Plenty of chocolate in the taste, weak chilli taste and heat which is interesting because I’m used to these chilli beers being retardedly hot. Yes, I see the red squiggles under "retardedly". Cocoa, fruit that I think is figgish. Yes, I also see the red squiggles under "figgish". There is also one under "fruitness". Vanilla, a bit of roast but the dark chocolate flavours go over top of it. Faint heat and figs. Nothing overly complex yet somewhat enjoyable and smooth with a tinge of warmth. Nice mild carbonation. Chocolatey roasty finish. Roasty is also not a word. No sips for 3 minutes and I discover the slightest lingering heat. If I knew what I payed for this I’d say that I overpaid but I just throw money at that old unhappy unsmiling fuck at the till every time I visit so I won’t. Maybe I’ll get some angry stock room action one day. One that includes plenty of face slapping.

Panama City, FL - Chan’s Wine World (Thanks to the wife for bringing to me!) - 22 oz bomber. Pours a very dark almost black with a sticky off-white head that leaves plenty of lacing. Aroma is pleasant, but not very apparent. Some grainy notes and a hint of ripening vegetables come through. Flavor is somewhat muddled. Brief hints of chocolate, a slight wisp of the aforementioned peppers, but would probably not pick them up if I did not read the description. Feel a slight burn in the aftertaste from them. Hint of vanilla in the back end. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. Much preferred Terrapin’s version of this that I had last week.

Pours dark blackish brown with off white head, aroma has notes of toffee, chocolate, some vanilla, coffee, hints of pepper in there, slight roast and earth notes. Taste is some slight toffee and cocoa, roasted malt, touch of coffee, chili every so slightly finishing bitter and dry.

Pours nearly black with a khaki head. Aroma is chocolate and light roasty malts. Flavor is a little sweet roast malt, chocolate, vanilla, and a little chili spiciness.

22oz bottle poured into a Snifter at 43°. Color is a deep dark mahogany with good carbonation and a soft off white head. Aroma is light with a bit of chocolate coming out, a hint of roasted malt and a faint citrus in the way back. It has a lighter medium body with a light crisp mouth feel. Flavor comes on a mild roosted body with coco, coffee and citrus then a mild bitterness shows. In the after taste the bitterness builds a bit, then the chocolate comes back out and becomes more prominent. Overall its a good brew, interesting flavor mix but I don’t get any of the chili pepper.

650mL bomber pours almost black with red highlights when held to the light, two fingers of tan head which left some nice thick lacing behind. Aroma is roasted malts and cocoa. Taste is roasted malty sweetness up front with a hint of chocolate and licorice and some hop bitterness and a trace of chili pepper in the finish. This beer is very well balanced and with moderate carbonation and a medium to heavy body provides a nice tingle on the tongue. Very well done beer to support a worthy cause with. Two thumbs up!!!

On tap at the Sugar Maple. Deep brown. Aroma of roasted and toasted malts, cocoa, chili spice, mild vanilla? Light roasted malt, chili acidity, cocoa/chocolate balance, and a weird vanilla sweetness to finish. Trailing cocoa and chili acidity. A little muddled, especially with the vanilla flavor. All in all, pretty good. No one flavor particularly overwhelming.

Bomber. Pours a dark and inky chestnut color, showing some coppery translucency at the edges when backlit. A small, smooth head of dark beige foam clears out quickly, leaving only a thin outer ring. Tiny wet spots of lace are few and far between, and even they mostly rejoin the body. The nose is very fruity, suggesting of caramelized figs and dates over a bed of semi-sweet cocoa roast. Yeast lends a milky element, matching the cocoa nibs nicely. Vanilla adds a hint of spicy sweetness, while the pepper brings just a subtle wisp of capsaicin. The flavor is quite lactic. The yeast, vanilla, and cocoa do a good job of mimicking chocolate milk in the malt base. Caramelized fruit and roast lend depth and some balance, while the pepper adds just a touch of warmth. It’s nicely crafted, if not just a bit too sweet for me. The palate sports a medium-plus body, with round, milky sugars and slightly above moderate carbonation. Some heat lingers after the swallow. Interesting brew, overall. Pretty much a Hunahpu clone in a much smaller brown ale body.

Bottle:   Very dark ruby, huge rocky head, beige in color, fairly nice lacing.   Strong cocoa on the nose, faint pepper.   Whoa boy, thats a super strong cocoa flavor up front.   More of the chilies on the tongue than on the nose.   The cocoa dominates a bunch, making this one a little difficult to drink.   This is one of those beers that I need to have something to eat right after taking a sip.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate to full.   Oh boy, just loads of cocoa on the finish.   Hard to tell even what the base is on this one.   Looks good, nice body, but that cocoa is a bit overwhelming.   Would have been nice if the chilies were brighter, and if this beer were a bit sweeter.   Very soft dryness with the cocoa.   Not my thing...

Bottle. Dark mahogony beer with a big tan head. Chocolate and dried fruit aropma with light earth. Malt and chocolate flavor with toffee and dried fruit. Medium bodied. Chocolate and toffee lingers with light earth.