He'Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale - Shmaltz Brewing Company

tipnsip

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +36.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Shmaltz has become a favorite of mine over the last couple of years. In general I think they make some wonderful brews, but Origin is just phenomenal.

Its rich copper hue in the glass and slightly tan frothy head make it attractive to the eyes. The sharp citrus aroma entices the olfactory system and teases the tatse buds.

Its flavor is full (as its mouthfeel is too) and pleasing and then there's the surprise. That touch of pomegranate wrapped around hoppy goodness rounds out the flavor of Origin.

It goes quite well with fatty rich grilled meats because not only do the hops cut through, the unique flavor of the pomegranate adds a bit of sweetness but remains sharp and it's a great compliment to a slightly char-grilled ribeye steak.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 16:57:10 | More by tipnsip

mrshoppy44

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +36.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

the binnys in the south loop has a great selection of hebrews. i tried the 13th and the pomegranate at the same time and i just fell in love with them both but there is something about the pomegranate. i love the look, smell, taste. it just set well with the tastes i was look for!
thanks hebrew for the wonderful selection keep up the wonderful job looking foward to the 14th as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 01:03:28 | More by mrshoppy44

BigJTrucker

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I'm surprised to be only the 2nd person to review this beer. It'a absolutley amazing! Purchased a 22oz bomber from Market of Choice, Coburg Rd, Eugene, OR.

Pours an absolutely beautiful deep amber color. White foamy head settles to a minimal level and remains for a while. Not overly carbonated, as a small amount of bubbles rise fairly steadily. Smells only faintly like pomegranates, which is surprising. Taste is a bit like a good ipa, very hoppy but very well balanced. Very smooth, slightly drying moutfeel. Quite possibly one of the best beers i've ever had. I've had a few, and don't give that praise easily.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 00:18:10 | More by BigJTrucker

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Poured into a tulip glass from a growler purchased today from Green's at Piney Grove in Columbia!

A: Beautiful dark amber. Hazy with a nice 1-2 finger tan head that disolves slowly with nice lacing.

S: Mild citrus from that pomegranate. Mild malty and hoppy background. Not a heavy scent in any form, but I'm hoping the taste will outshine the smell.

T&M: Crisp, very tart up front with a nice mild sweet flavor from the pomegranates, obviously. Medium bodied with a pucker after-effect that is very distinct.

Come on folks. I believe the ratings are fairly harsh based on the brew. If you don't like pomegranate, you probably won't like this brew. This is QUALITY STUFF! Pomegranates are not my favorite and strong ales are definitely not my preference, but this is a great combination of a well-balanced fruit beer. I am really impressed with Shmaltz since my first 'Messiah Bold' experience. 'Lenny RIPA' is awesome and this 'Origin' is great.

Serving type: growler

05-12-2010 00:48:38 | More by cdizinno

Mosstrooper

California

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from 22oz bottle into 400ml New Belgium stemmed glass.

Appearance: Slightly cloudy reddish-brown color with a medium-sized off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly and leaves behind a thick lace.

Smell: Some buttered toast smells with sweet pomegranate. Slight nutty aromas in the background.

Taste: Sweet and tart pomegranate in the beginning, with a toasty finish that has a fairly heavy bitterness in the back of the throat. Also has hints of bittersweet alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fairly sharp carbonation and a sticky finish.

Drinkability: This is a very good beer and is deceptively drinkable for its style. The pomegranate in this is mixed in very well and doesn't overwhelm other attributes of the beer as happens all too often with flavored beers. Give this one a try!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 01:40:46 | More by Mosstrooper

ElCommodoro

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Smell and taste are very very reminiscent of a doppelbock, to me. Which is odd since this is an ale and doppelbocks, I believe, are lagers. It's got the same type of intense sweetness without quite being cloying. I mean, it's a bit cloying, but I like that doppelbock-style sweetness. So, I'm very much enjoying it. It is DEFINITELY desert beer, though. Didn't go very well with my dinner. I don't think it would go well with much of anything, really. It's a dessert in itself. It's got fruitiness to it, but I'm not tasting much pomegranate. I was thinking it would have a pomegranate-like bitterness and am pleasantly surprised that it does not. It's also a lot maltier than I was expecting from a fruit-flavoured beer. This is a must-try for fans of sweet beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 06:36:19 | More by ElCommodoro

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear, ripe red appearance, under lacey off-white head.

Lovely aromatics! Bright fruit, lush malt, plentiful, but not prominent, hops. Malt is king, and fruit is...queen, I'd guess?

Beauty on the tastebuds, once slipped onto the tongue and into the belly! Slick, supple, sensuous, delicious! Juicy malt, tasty fruit, tantalizing hops...gorgeous! 8% abv not felt, really...yet.

"Imperial Amber Ale"...yup, that says it..."brewed with luscious promegranate juice"...nothing much else to say, but, thumbs up!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2007 06:26:49 | More by feloniousmonk

JayTheFinn

California

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow, I really liked this one! He'Brew's on to something here with this mix of pomegranate with amber ale. It blends quite nicely.

A - Looks awesome! Beautiful orange brown body with a foamy medium thick head. Some good staying power and lacing.
S - Not very strong. Slight citrusy sweet malty scents. A sense the scent of pomegranate only just a little.
T - I love amber ales and this has a great style base to start with, but then they mixed in just the right amount of sweet pomegranate flavor to give it just that extra added tasty boost. Fantastic!
M - Malty flavors and a small amount of carbonation spread about the tongue fairly fully.
D - I could drink this sucker all day...although its sweetness would make it more suited to an after-meal, dessert type of ale. And some may find the sweetness too much, but not me!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2007 01:43:50 | More by JayTheFinn

davexisxrabid

California

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass with a half in head on top of an amber body. A lot of carbonation visible; light lacing left during the drinking period.

Very sweet citrus hop aroma and raspberry scent.

Triple layered taste; malty at first with a slight hint of raspberry, good citrus hop kick, followed by a mellow raspberry flavor that smooths out the hops.

Full bodied despite the high carbonation. The carbonation does make this beer a sipper - else yer burping like crazy. Pleasingly full flavor which lingers on the palate for a moment.

Very good drinkability. A good full beer flavor with a perceptible raspberry flavor that doesn't feel like juice dumped into a beer. Interesting kicks of flavor from hops and raspberry make this an interesting beer. Looking forward to having more - my girlfriend liked this brew too!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 05:27:06 | More by davexisxrabid

athensbeermaster

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer suprised me I thought at first the fruit would take over the mix like a lot of fruit beers out there.Wrong this one drinks like a Imperial Amber ale with a whisper of Pomegranate fruit.The bulk of the flavor is the roasted malts and toasty bread quality with a nice hop spice peaking thru the mix. This is a must try from this company.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2008 03:28:46 | More by athensbeermaster

bradybeer

California

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a copper brown-with a thin head and medium carbonation. Tasting this beer at a brewfest in San Francisco didn't do it justice. Taste is lightly sweet with bitter finish-i can't tell if the bitterness comes from h hops or the Pomegrante. Mouthfeel is medium and drinkabliy is high-I love this beer. When I first heard of the He'Brew beers I thought what a marketing move and didn't think much of them-until I tried them-I am hooked!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2007 22:22:57 | More by bradybeer

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a foggy amber. Nose is ripe with pomegranate. This is what a fruit beer should taste like. I feel like I am eating a pomegranate. The sweet combined with the bitter. Add into that the beer factor. Strong ale characters come into play with a slightly hoppy profile that seems mild at first and picks up quickly after that. Robust and full. Feel has a good carbonation to it and a smooth liquid feel. Very drinkable. There is just a touch of bitter that seems to detract from the overall experience.

While at The Blind Tiger I overheard some girl/woman exclaim: "I had the Origins and it doesn't taste like pomegranate at all!" Woman. What the hell are you talking about?

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 10:12:04 | More by RblWthACoz

beveritt

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Poured from a 22oz bomber into a standard pint glass. The label has a lengthy description of both the beer and the associated religious history of pomegranates. Pretty cool. No discernible freshness date.

Appearance: Pours with an immense, pillowy head, nearly half the glass at first. This lite tan foam settles very slowly,leaving behind the best lacing I have seen. The lacing on the glass is thicker than the head on some beers. The beer itself is a crystal clear amber with lots of activity.

Smell: Fruity but not sweet with an acidic backbone.

Taste: Fruity and tart up front, with a mild wheat-like middle. Finishes with a decent punch of hops that linger long after.

Mouthfeel: Average carbonation level. Decent body.

Drinkability: I tried this on the recommendation of someone at a local beer/wine store and am very impressed. This is my first He'brew brew and it is a great balance of fruity and bitter.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 02:53:36 | More by beveritt

philbertk

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shmaltz Brewing Company--He'Brew "The Chosen Beer"--Origin Pomegranate Imperial Amber Ale--2007 22 oz. Bottle. 8.00% ABV. 55 IBU's? (4.5 / 5.0) Amber Ale--Imperial--Pome. Mild lacy head. Slightly cloudy bright amber orange color. Mellow floral pomegranate hop front.Dry sweet crisp thin smooth caramel pomegranate fruit mild ester body. Tangy dry sweet hop fruit spicy end. Sampled 5/30/2007.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 04:32:24 | More by philbertk

arguemaniac

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A superb amber ale, lighted toastly and well-hopped, with just the right amount of pomegranate fruit character thrown in there to perfectly accentuate the grainy malt sweetness.

Honestly one of the best fruit beers I’ve had in a while: no sugary fruitiness sweetness, and it’s just a great amber ale to begin with. On top of that, the 8% abv is well-hidden.

Recommended…

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2007 22:29:45 | More by arguemaniac

djamieson

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Imbibed this out of a 22 0z bomber into a wide-mouthed wine glass. The aroma was a wonderful fruit, the most pleasant of the pomegranate I have experienced. The taste is yummy. You detect fruit and warmth and yeast, reminiscent of the fine Belgians. The finish is very dry and pleasant. A great anytime fruit ale. The only problem with this ale is its category. American Strong Ale it is not...I think that is what is throwing off other reviewers. This beer deserves its props, regardless of style mislabeling. Try it and you'll see.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 03:04:23 | More by djamieson

rattech

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Reddish brown with a nice two inch head. This appears to more red (as opposed to brown or orange) then most beers. Looks tasty.

Smell: Sweet, but I don't detect a strong pomegranate smell. I'm not sure if I am glad there isn't an overpowering smell of pomegranate or not....

Taste: Fairly sweet, I can detect the pomegranate but it isn't very pronounced. The beer is slightly bitter, but nothing overpowering. The alcohol is only a little detectable. This is a solid albeit mild fruit beer, great for a summer day.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin for a high alcohol beer, a little better then average.

Drinkability: One bomber is probably enough for dinner and after dinner. I would consider buying this again, and it was pretty reasonable (5 dollars) for the bomber. The 8% alcohol is hidden fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2007 23:30:48 | More by rattech

nickfl

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Reddish orage color, excellent clarity. Large, rocky head that settles down quickly but leaves a nice, thick film and good lace.

S - Fruity and hoppy. It has a pretty mild smell and I have a hard time picking out anything distinct.

T - Malty and thick with distinctly fruity notes. Good, strong hop flavor that remains smooth through the finish.

M - Thick and smooth with moderate carbonation.

D - Quite smooth and flavorfull. It reminds me of a nice barleywine; I can't detect much that is distinctly pomegranite flavored but that is no reason to complain about a beer this nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2007 06:30:22 | More by nickfl

aquaderek

California

4.15/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured for 4th day of Chanukah. I poured from the bottle into a tasting glass. It is beautiful and bright orange/amber color. The nose is fig newtons, hops, some malt in the background. I thought the nose would have more fruity characteristics based on the pomegranate, but I didn't notice them. I really like the taste of this beer initially you get the pomegranate juiciness followed by a super dry hoppy finish; I believe it works very well. The mouthfeel is juicy, the best way to describe it. It could drink a lot of these, although the alcohol content is deceiving.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2007 03:11:22 | More by aquaderek

aerozeppl

New York

4.15/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Split a 22oz bomber.

A: Slightly cloudy orange color. Minimal off white head.

S: Pomegranates and a surprising amount of yeast. Almost has a barley wine scent to it.

T: Not as sweet as you would think. Actually this is fairly malty. The fruit is actually barely noticeable. The strong ale dominates.

M: Nice med to heavy thick body. Low carbonation but fits the style.

D: Very easy drinking. Did not think I would like this beer as much as I did. No hint of the ABV at all. Probably could have taken on the bomber by myself.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 23:23:53 | More by aerozeppl

Tone

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, brown with a dark golden color along the bottom. 2/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of citrus, yeast, sweet malt, slight hop, toffee, and slight alcohol. Fits the style of an American Strong Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and creamy with an average carbonation level. Tastes of yeast, citrus, slight hops, sweet malt, and slight alcohol. Overall, a good tartness level, nice blend, and good body.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 02:16:19 | More by Tone

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A very nice thick half inch of head atop of what seems to be a hazy dark amber colored beer. Head turns to a slight lace ring.

S - Naturally smells of Pomegranate but not as tart which is nice and a bit of sweet malts with a bit of caramel malt in the back end. No booze alcohol smell to speak of

T - I do get tones of pomegranate but could use a bit more tart since it's almost completely covered by a slight boozy strong ale with a sweet caramel taste. Overall it is very enjoyable.

M - Surprisingly it doesn't taste too boozy leading to moderately pleasant body and drink ability.

Overall for what I paid ($6.99) I am impressed. Didn't really want a tart monster (Like Blushing Monk) just wanted a bit of fruit flavor and it covers the boozy aspects of this imperial red nicely. One of the best beers I ever had from Shmaltz.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 03:40:07 | More by DrDemento456

Drinkerofales

California

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear copper with a fluffy medium khaki head with some great lacing.

Smells of warm and sweet malts, but not much pomegranate.

Taste is another matter though, as it starts out with tart fruity pomegranate, not overpowering. Some of the sweet malt hits in the middle rounded out by some piney hop characters. Feels nicely balanced, as all aspects come through, none over powering the other.

Feels light and crisp, very refreshing. It does have a bit of a sting, but it's a nice one, and a great dry finish. Light to medium bodied and very enjoyable.

What a surprise this was, I have seen it along time at every store, but I hadn't been inspired, but finally gave in on a big shopping trip. Very nice and drinkable.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 18:19:43 | More by Drinkerofales

micahgoldfus

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured amber, with a 1 finger head. Looked tasty! Smelled of sweet caramel malts, with some fruit hints, but not necessarily pomegranate. I could sense some berry flavor in there as well. The taste was solid, malty with fruit undertones, and well complimented with hops to give it a crisp, lightly bitter, dry finish. No trace of alochol. Many fruit beers get it wrong: the taste is dominated by fruit and has malt compliments. This beer gets it right: malt taste with fruit compliments.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2007 15:25:30 | More by micahgoldfus

BMoney575

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on 8-19-08

Pours a cloudy orange/amber, with a filmy head that leaves thin rings of lacing.

Smell is slightly fruity, with a sweet malt underneath and a nice citrus hoppiness in the background.

Taste is much like the smell, subtle sweet malt with a hoppy, yet balanced finish. Very IPA in flavor and execution.

Mouthfeel is nice, thickness to go with the hop flavors.

Drinkability is very good, tasty and just a little on the hoppy side.

Overall, a good, beer. I failed to pick out the pomegranate, but I don't really know what to look for.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 00:32:49 | More by BMoney575