He'Brew Messiah Bold - Shmaltz Brewing Company

mactrail

California

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

More of a stout brown ale, with the big dark malt flavors. A touch of molasses. Light bodied, modest carbonation. Fairly plain, but the dark roasted barley provides some distinction. A restrained touch of the hops, but it seems like the slight bitterness comes more from the burnt malt. Pleasant nose of caramel and roasted malt.

I never buy this stuff, since I like their big, bold beers so much. But it's quite drinkable, and it you consider the category it's not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 05:59:17 | More by mactrail

EricCioe

Montana

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This pours an uninspiring deep brown with a bit of promising, fluffy, tan head that dies away to nothing with no lace. On the nose there is a combination of nuttiness and toasted malt, really quite appealing. However there is a bit of the ester I got with Genesis ale the other night, which I'm not a fan of. In the mouth the nuts die away a bit and the esters come out a bit more, along with the toasted malt and some measure of sweetness. There is very little evidence of hop bitterness here, not necessarily a demerit, but worth noting. The body is medium thin with a medium finish, the toasted malt hanging around the longest.

Overall, this is a better beer than Genesis to me, and something interesting, but when I want I nut brown I'll likely reach elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 04:06:37 | More by EricCioe

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - deep nearly impenetrable amber, short head dissipated very quickly to not much
S - super sweet brown sugar and nutty malt with a sherry note, light leafy
T - very sweet burnt sugars with candy nutty malt, its a bit over the top on sweetness as opposed to malt
M - syrupy sticky body out of the gate with a sweetness that sticks to the teeth throughout
O - its definitely flavourful and tasty, but it just has too much of that artificial try-hard sweetness instead of a strong malty base, just not up to standard for the style

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:22:08 | More by joemcgrath27

gregb13

California

2.95/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Saw this one on the shelf and had to give it a try. Nothing remarkable about the pour. Smells of light molasses and dark bread. Taste: dark toasted bread; mealy nuts, maybe cashew; some roasted notes; caramel. Maybe a little too carbonated, as there is somewhat of a fizzy presence in the middle and back of the palate. Funky bittersweet aftertaste reminiscent of hazelnut syrup flavoring. This is decent, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 03:37:08 | More by gregb13

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into 12oz Tumbler

Appearance - Very dark brown color that allows just a little bit of light to be let through. Pours a 2 Inch head that leaves behind some really good lacing

Smell - Burn and Roasts malts mixed in with caramel and hints of chocolate. It also has a sweet yeast scent to it along with a very faint trace of hops.

Taste - It has a very upfront coffee and chocolate taste along with some strong caramel notes. The roasted malts leave behind a bitter aftertaste that fades fairly quickly. The yeast/breadiness that was in the smell is nowhere to be found here.

Mouthfeel - It's got an average body to it, and the carbonation is a bit excessive, which doesn't feel right considering what style of beer this is. It's not bad, but the carbonation really offsets the feel.

Overall - All and all, it's just an average brown ale. Nothing bad, but really nothing good at the same time. Had the carbonation been not as strong, I would've had a much more favorable perception of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:19:26 | More by NuclearDolphin

Kendo

New York

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the bottle into a Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale tumbler-style pint glass. Body is clear brown with slight mahogany hues on the edges when backlit. A slightly-smaller-than-w-finger light brown head settles on top, leaving some legs of lace behind.

S: Brown bread, husky grain and a touch of citric hops. Not terribly strong in the nose.

T: Fairly non-descript, but also inoffensive. Some sweet malt - faint caramel malt - and a touch of nuttiness. Finishes semi-dry and neutral on the palate, though in the aftertaste there's a slight lingering bitterness that's almost oaky or tannic, actually. A bit odd.

M: A tad bit too carbonated, IMHO - a problem I recall from homebrewing Brown Ales myself some 15 years ago. Call it light-to-medium in heft.

O: Not bad, not great. A relatively easy quaffer that doesn't really engage the senses much at all, but rather just flows over them.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:14:02 | More by Kendo

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this American style brown ale from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured a brown color, produced a tan head, 1 finger width, average retention, very little lacing. The aroma consisted of chocolate malt and coffee. Medium in body, some roasted malt flavor, a hint of caramel and coffee. Very little hop flavor shines through. Decent beer, good session beer, decent beer to start someone off on craft beer- but not much more then that.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 00:59:10 | More by GossageBrewery

dgilks

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Opaque brown colour with a creamy, light tan head. Fair head retention.

Rich caramelised malt and bready melanoidin aroma. Good earthy hoppiness. Some fruitiness. A distinct sort of blend of American Brown Ale and Doppelbock.

Big combination of earthy, lightly fruity American hops and lightly caramelised malt with some bitterness. Well balanced and quite delicious.

Medium body with moderate carbonation but given the flavour profile the body actually feels quite light.

A bold, well balanced Brown Ale with plenty of hop character and a nice malt complexity.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 09:47:42 | More by dgilks

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber brown, generally unremarkable. Nutty in terms of both smell and taste, with a little bit of toffee thrown in. At times this beer seems to confuse itself with a scotch, but still fairly tasty and drinkable. Probably the weakest of the Schmalz offerings I've had, but nonetheless, a good drink. I like the fact that the despite leading with the yiddish gimmickry, they haven't forgotten to make decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 11:38:20 | More by lurpy1

tdm168

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brown with a reddish hue. A nice one finger soft, foamy brownish head sits atop. The nose has notes of caramel malts and a faint nuttiness. The taste is rich roasted malts and caramel malts up front with some toasty, nutty undertones. There are some faint hops for balance. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

Not a bad beer, but not one I'd seek out.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:42:34 | More by tdm168

laituegonflable

Australia

3.63/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark mahogany brown, with the only colour visible at the edge. Head is cream-coloured, dissipates to practically nothing with a thin rim of lace. Looks slightly stagnant, but otherwise nice.

Smells malty with a slight sour, yeasty edge. Touch of carbon and some sweet corn aromas, dull nutty edge at the back. Falls short of malt-bomb status but not much else there.

Taste is fairly dark, and predominantly malty. Starts with caramel grain and a slight licorice spice on the front. Develops roastier notes later which are nicely rounded with a touch of blueberry and raisins. Some pepper on the back which dries the palate as well as adding spice. Yeah, nicely rounded brown ale palate.

Nice body, bit too much tingle though.

A brown ale to sip and enjoy with two of your favourite cheerleaders.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 03:37:26 | More by laituegonflable

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.83/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with ruby highlights and a large head.
Nose shows soy sauce, winey notes, caramel and nutty malt. Luckily the soy sauce and wine aspect is relatively faint.
Flavours are more aggressive, with more emphasis on the roasted malt, including some coffee notes. Unfortunately the winey character is still present and there's a biting herbal astringency in the finish.
Carbonation is too high by far.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 08:12:00 | More by CrazyDavros

ADZA

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark cherry brown which leaves a two finger creamy head that stays and sporadic lacing,the smell is brown sugar,dark fruits and caramel,the mouthfeel is just over light bodied and has tastes of brown sugar,caramel candy,ripe dark fruits,light coffee and finished with a dark chocolate bittersweetness and overall even though i find this drop better than the last i would not buy again out of my own hard earned $$$ cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 14:01:48 | More by ADZA

thedoubler55

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Dark brown in color with a finger of off white head at the top left almost no lacing at all.

S: Mettalic and rasins, very weird smell on this brew, some sweetness as well.

T: Taste of some caramel and oak notes, malty and a bit bitter, very crazy brew.

M: Light bodied, I think my bottle was not fresh, almost no carbonation.

O: Confusing brew for me, do not think I will try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 18:34:36 | More by thedoubler55

pBRale

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +31.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From tasting notes 9-4-11

Appearance:The darkest of brown with a rich and creamy tan head that quickly fades and has thing and spotty retention, leaving rings of lacing down the glass.

Smell: Lots of toasty malts, abundant nutty smells, and a sweep maple and toffee smell. Inviting and delicious.

Taste: Rich coffee, some roasted dark chocolate, plenty of toasted malts, a hint of toffee sweetness, and a slight nuttiness to the taste.

Mouthfeel: Creamy mouthfeel, mildly carbonated (but enough carbonation-perfect for the creaminess), and super smooth going down.

Overall: Excellent Beer that took me by surprise. Bold aroma and flavor profile. A well balanced, complex, smooth, and delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 00:49:18 | More by pBRale

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Chestnut brown colour, ruby hues show up in the light, minimal off white head. Smell is of dark malts, nutty, chocolate and roasted coffee with some sweet sugary notes. Taste is sweet caramel, malty, moderate bitterness, nutty, coffee, dark fruit like, nice roasted finish. Med-high carbonation, medium body, decent feel. Fairly tasty brew, a little one dimensional but still enjoyable stuff, perhaps a little on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 19:10:01 | More by peensteen

JizackFH

New York

3.13/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a nice dark brown color, and has shines a bit red when held to the light. It has a big fluffy 2-figner light tan head on it. The head has pretty good retention, and it leaves some scattered lace behind.

S - It smells of sweet malts and some dark fruitiness. There are also notes of nuts, caramel, brown sugar, and a bit of chocolate.

T - The taste starts off with a nice sweet caramel maltiness. There are some dark fruit flavors and a nice nuttiness. Also, Im getting some molasses, chocolate, and a low hop flavor. The finish leaves some lingering sweetness and nuttiness. A little on the sweet side.

M - This has a medium-heavy body and good carbonation. It goes down easy and has a rich smooth feel to it. There is a bit of a syrupy feel to it as well.

O - This has pretty good drinkability. It goes down easy and has good flavor. I think it is a good brown ale, but it is a little bit on the sweet side. I think it could use some more hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 07:28:53 | More by JizackFH

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear dark brown with two-finger off-white head that diminished in a few minutes. Nice lacing.

S: Roasted coffee and slight earthy fruitiness. Not bad.

T: Slight sweetness and then a nice subtle hop bitterness. Not much coffee or nutty flavors though. A bit disappointing, but not bad.

M: Light body, refreshing, but not too watered down. Not much carbonation. Okay.

O: Not bad, but I don't think I'll be going out of my way to purchase this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 00:52:27 | More by SolipsismalCat

ebby82

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light brown into a pint glass. There is a bit of head which disappears quickly.

Not an intense aroma. Sweet and malty, that's about it.

It's quite tasty. Nice slightly toasty flavor with a little bit of hops. Somewhere between strong and light, although the name says bold, I wouldn't call it bold, but I like it.

Quite easy to drink, this could be a sessionable brown, although most browns are sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 16:32:10 | More by ebby82

Paincane

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Amber brown in color after poured into pint glass. Has a cream-colored head that leaves nice lacing after dissipating.
S: Sweet, roasted malt and caramel.
T: Roasted malt and caramel with hint of chocolate.
M: Medium-bodied with good carbonation. A bit on the sweet side.
D: Oy! A tasty albeit sweet brew that I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 00:59:44 | More by Paincane

20ozmonkey

California

2.7/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very dark brown with amber hues when held up to light. Quite a large head that disappeared to a thin head pretty fast.

Has a malty smell with muted earthy hops. Smells like the sort of amber/brown ale that I don't appreciate much. A touch of rust in the smell, too.

Tastes much like it smells with a sticky sweetness that coats your mouth and turns into a slightly bitter back end to the taste. Not liking this much at all. I bought a single bottle of both this and Genesis just to try out. Glad I only have a single botle.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 01:49:50 | More by 20ozmonkey

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - When they say "robust dark brown" they mean it. Almost pitch black with just a tint of ruby highlight in the bottom of my glass. Head sticks around for a bit with a nice touch of lacing.

S - Nothing off putting but it does seem like someone just put a "shit ton" of brown malt in the boil. Faint notes of chocolate and coffee but mostly a strong robust nut smell.

T - Kind of one dimensional as the brown malt covers over all robust coffee's and bitter or sweet chocolate taste. It taste pretty much like a stronger version of Newcastle's brown ale. Walnut to the extreme...

M - Surprisingly it drank rather thick and I expected 7 percent. Was shocked by the real ABV.

Overall kind of like a harsher version of Voodoo's brown ale with a lower ABV. Still I enjoyed it more than I did back in the day and it is fairly smooth. Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 02:13:01 | More by DrDemento456

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Messiah Bold has a dark brown body and a brown head. The retention and lacing are both good.

The aroma has sweet malt, roasted, and a bit of chocolate.

This is definitely a dark brown ale. Strong roasted malt followed by muted coffee. Dark bread and a little bit of caramel round things out. Just a little bit nutty. Definitely a malt-forward American Brown Ale.

Medium bodied and a little bit creamy with a well-done carbonation.

This is a solid brown ale, considering it's called Messiah Bold, I'm surprised that it isn't especially bold, but it is solid.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2011 19:37:13 | More by Hojaminbag

sixerofelixir

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. A lot of stuff to read on the label. No date codes or info to ascertain..

Pours a dark, translucent brown. Only a remnant of a head remains after a minute. Smell is chalky, muted coffee beans. but with a pleasing milk chocolate as well. Taste is certainly more acrid than the smell, but is well within the bounds of a brown ale; maybe a nut brown. Feel is a bit thin and astringent after a while. Overall, an average brown ale, but definitely not bottom shelf.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 04:47:51 | More by sixerofelixir

superspak

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense light tan head with good retention that reduces to a lacing ring that lasts. A small amount of lacing sticks to the glass as you drink. Aromas of light caramel, roasted malt, toffee, and a bit of spicy hops. Really weak aromas, but decent for what they are. Taste of caramel, roasted malt, nuttiness, light chocolate, and coffee. Finishes with a decent amount of citrus bitterness. Taste is a little uninteresting though, but it is decent. Fairly dry finish but some chocolate and caramel notes do stick around for a bit. Medium carbonation and light-medium body. Easy drinkability as expected from the alcohol content. Overall a decent brown ale, but it won’t be something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 20:03:31 | More by superspak