Schmaltz Brewery - Messiah Bold

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

Schmaltz Jewbelation 14

"Celebrating 14 years of delicious beer and delicious Shtick.  L'Chaim!"

Tonight I am going to be drinking this monster ale from Schmaltz Brewing - Jewbelation 14.  This is their 14th Anniversary ale, so in due form, they decided to brew it with 14 different malts and hops, and it comes in at 14%ABV.  This is a very clever, albeit scary, themed brew, but this isn't the first time something like this has been done.  Remember Bell's Batch 10,000?  They threw a bunch of random shit together, boiled it, fermented it,  and called it beer.  Sure enough, it tasted great!  Here is the list of stuff Schmaltz threw into this brew - the ingredients look great, but I can't imagine what this thing is going to taste like....

I'm pouring into my ale glass - it pours thick and dark, a mute copper that doesn't let the light through.  There is a bit of lacing left over after the half inch of tan head receeds.  The nose contains hints of vanilla, and other sweet scents that remind me of coconut.  Also some sweet malts come through in the form of caramel sugars. 

The first sip brings a wave of dark fruits and caramel malt.  A dark, sour fruitiness hits with a blast, but as it subsides there is a syrupy, sweet brown burnt sugar flavor that really permeates throughout the finish of the brew.  The finish also reminds me of sweet raisins.  There isn't anything bitter present through the drink.....just different forms of sweetness.  The body is thick, chewy, and syrupy.  The carbonation barely provides enough bubbles to keep this from drowning me. 

Overall Rating:  (4.6 out of 6.0)  This beer is thick, heavy, sweet, and filling.....all things that I normally don't enjoy in a beer.  However, it all works together and creates a wild flavor profile that I really enjoyed.  If you can get your hands on this brew, go for it.  It's big, bold, and full of flavor.

Schmaltz Brewing He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A

Tonight I'm drinking the one, the only, Schmaltz He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA.  This beer comes in a slick 22oz bottle with a show-time movie theme.  On the neck of the bottle, the label states, "Leonard Alfred Schneider.  Born in New York 10.3.1925 Died in California 8.3.1966.  Finally, one last four-letter word concerning Lenny Bruce: DEAD.  At 40, that's obscene."  There is also a little story on the bottle that you can check out here.  It classifies as a big Imperial IPA at 10%ABV, and an absurd hop bill that is too long to list.

Pouring this beer into my goblet, it pours a sexy rusty amber color.  It has a hazy look to it, but when held up to the light it's perfectly clear.  Light beige head that reaches an inch high, with clinging sticky lace that holds strong. 

The aroma, mmmmm, the aroma.  There is a hoppy fruit aroma there that reminds me of fresh apples and tangerines.  Also some lemon zest present, along with a muted bready malt.  The taste is a simultaneous rush of multiple hop notes, sweet biscuity malts, and strong carbonation pushing it all around.  The hop profile definitely has multiple personalities.....oily, bitter, herbal, spicy notes that really linger.  I think the rye shows up in that sweet biscuit (toasted bread) malt backbone, which holds it's own against those schizo hops.  The texture is dense and chewy, and there is a pleasant warmth attributed to that big bang of alcohol content.  Despite the thickness, and oily mouthfeel, I still get that sense of a dry finish. 

Overall Rating:  5.8 out of 6.0   This is an aggressive brew - it dances dangerously close with the Barleywine style, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!  If you're in the mood for a big-time IPA with a big bite, dig your teeth into this behemoth.  Phenomenal brew.