Tonight I'll be drinking a Messiah Bold brown ale from Schmaltz Brewery in San Francisco, CA. I've only tried a couple beers from this brewery, the most memorable being the
Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA, a huge Rye IPA that absolutely kicked ass. Schmaltz is well-known for their Jewish....ness. They include lots of facts, quotations, and funny little quips about the religion and culture. On this particular bottle, the label states "MESSIAH BOLD", "THE BEER YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR." They've got quite the marketing shtick!
The beer is nearly black-brown color, far darker than your typical brown ale. Nice off-white head forms and recedes quickly. The aroma is completely stumping me - I have no idea how to describe this! Malty, musty, with some fresh dark fruits covered in brown sugar. Sounds good, right? Well not quite, something in there seems off. Can't put my finger on it - it's a weird sort of astringent-ish-ness. The flavor starts off with a chalky maltyness - cocoa powder and light roast coffee meet slightly bitter, citric hops. And that, folks, is about it! The carbonation is fairly high for the style, and the finish leaves a hint of that cocoa powder and lets it linger for a while.
Overall Rating: I'm sorry to say it, but this beer was boring. Not a whole lot going on...certainly not "BOLD" like the label claims. I won't be seeking this beer out anytime soon. C
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