Strong rust-hued 9.6% alcohol-fueled barleywine with alleviating spry fruitiness overwhelming subtle nut-grain bitterness. Maple syrup thickness and cider quip relegate cinnamon-toasted holiday seasoning.
All posts by John Fortunato
SIERRA NEVADA ANNIVERSARY ALE 2007
Wafting red-fruited esters emanate from phenol medium-bodied IPA. Dry Cascade hop bittering retains piney grapefruit standby opposing honeyed caramel malting. Restraint floral-herbal accents fill out backdrop.
SIERRA NEVADA ANNIVERSARY ALE
Vapid 20th anniversary IPA loses up-front pine needled Cascade hop luster and dry grapefruit bittering to unstable red-fruited splotch. Resinous acridity blurs setback apple-peach-pear reticence underscored by biscuit-y wheat base.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW REJEWVENATOR HARVEST ALE
Middling 7.8% alcohol-doused autumnal needs better up-front fruited malt prominence and more resilient finish. Chewy honeyed malts caress unripe cherry, fig, and date souring as well as delicate orange-bruised red grape and fuzzy peach sweetness. But sherry, bourbon, and brandy whir seems suspiciously inaudible.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW ORIGIN POMEGRANATE ALE
Bright amber-garnet ale brings lusty pomegranate juicing to protracted lemony hop bitterness and grain-toasted dried fruiting. Fig-date-pecan admix and subtle peach-apricot tang tether raspberry-cranberry tartness to sugared almond-praline finish. Latent orange rind snip adds to subtle complexity.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW MESSIAH STOUT
Rich and frothy without being too filling, this musty dark brown Messiah maintains cascading tawny head, abrupt coffee dryness, and bitter chocolate uprising outlined by brisk hop carbonation. Toasted barley further deepens mocha appeal until succinct sour chicory nuttiness takes over. Lacks milky lactose creaminess of heavier Shakespeare Stout.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW MESSIAH BOLD (DARK BROWN ALE)
Bock-like raisin-fig distinction picks up fruity grape esters as caramel malt sweetness anchors roasted almond-chestnut-hazelnut undertones. Smitten butternut finish dotted by resinous hop dryness and ashy cigar remnant.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW JEWBELATION 9
Celebrating nine years brewing with 9-malt, 9-hop, 9% alcohol limited ’05 release, this dramatic tan-headed, brown-bodied Semite-embracing ale brings incipient visual pleasure as frothy cascading spume floats briskly to top. Ebullient brown chocolate sweetness saturates complementary creme caramel center, swirled vanilla scoop, and cherry syrup topping. Deep-recessed creamy coffee linger perfectly counters curvaceous sticky sugared malt spine. Photo courtesy of www.beeradvocate.com
SHMALTZ HE’BREW JEWBELATION
Fabulous limited ’04 release brings unassuming 8% alcohol level to multi-hopped cherry ‘jewbelation’ breadth, retaining flaked oat depth and toasted barleymalt sufficiency. Bittersweet chocolate continuance intensifies luscious fig-raisin ascension, contributing to chewy, full-bodied scrumptious-ness.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW GENESIS 10:10 ALE
Constrained 10th anniversary ale goofs on Jewish scripture with tinny 10% alcohol acridity, undetectable pomegranate juicing, and dank earthen grain bitterness. Dry fig-date conflux and funky prune drub grievously override syrupy medicinal cherry afterglow.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW GENESIS ALE
Label brags of gefilte fish added to ‘the chosen beer.’ Made from famous Booneville grapes, beautiful organic ale emphasizes assertive fruited hop rush over chewy yeast sinew. Ethereal berry-citric juicing, white-green-red grape esters, and fig-date subsidy reach pomegranate center. Crisp mountain water softens smooth, well calibrated, top-rank bitter.
SHMALTZ HE’BREW BITTERSWEET LENNY’S R.I.P.A.
Exemplary 10% alcohol-throttled Double IPA salutes tragic off-color comic Lenny Bruce with an ‘obscene amount of hops’ deeply embittering a rich tapestry of agile adjuncts. Heavy molasses creaminess lines roasted caramel malting, dried prune sourness and oncoming barleywine-sherry warmth. Subsequent rye-wheat bottomed charcoal/pine tar harshness counters fluctuant spruce-fruited sweetness, advancing grapefruit, nectar and bruised orange ripeness to thickly chewy mocha finish.