He'Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale - Shmaltz Brewing Company

kylehay2004

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Single finger head on a murky orangish brown body. Aroma is very fruity with pomegranate obviously dominating. Strawberry and cherry as well. Flavor follows the nose but is more tart. Otherwise this is a simple brew. Medium body and moderate to high carbonation with a semi dry finish. This isn't a great beer and you can probably pass over this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 04:02:31 | More by kylehay2004

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

First had: at Philly Craft Beer Fest '07

Somewhat better than the Genesis Ale, but only because pomegranates make everything better.

Poured a reddish amber with a bit of haze, and a small white head. Caramel malts of an amber ale in the nose, with some fruit coming through. Mostly malts in the taste at first, followed by some harsh bitterness, and a pomegranate sensation that reminded me of the fruit you get in a witbier. Light-medium body a little thin, and sort of a bitter aftertaste. Decent, but disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 11:19:55 | More by Rifugium

donniecuffs

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

A: Poured a cloudy copper-orange, with a thin head that surprisingly lasted.

S: Similar to many of the other Shmaltz offerings, this one's sweetness gets overpowering at times. Grapefruit, tropical fruit, and raisins all come to the forefront, with a subtle hint of tartness and spiciness, maybe coriander. The alcohol is also evident from the nose.

T: Another over-the-top sweet concoction, that surprisingly tastes a little more tart than it smells, but with a not-subtle-at-all alcohol presence, and a sour/spice finish. Ever so subtle hints of ginger and caraway seed in the finish.

M: Syrupy, with a strong presence of alcohol.

D: Not to sound like a broken record with these guys, but I'm one-&-done. Too syrupy sweet...like many of their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2009 03:27:55 | More by donniecuffs

Douglas14

California

3.98/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Origin has a blood orange color with an impressive head that is off white in color and leaves incredible lace. The smell is sweet and fruity. Yup, definite pomegranate in the taste...if I hadn't known it were pomegranate, I don't think I would have been able to identify the fruit, but because I do know, it makes perfect sense. The taste has more to offer towards the end than it does at the beginning. The alcohol in this beer definitely sneaks up on you...I know 8% isn't over the top, but the Origin drinks like a pale ale. it is not that smooth/silky, but maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Overall, pretty good beer, but I was definitely expecting more from Shmaltz on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2008 01:59:20 | More by Douglas14

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Rec Billiards in W-S,came from the tap in a standard pint glass a hazed mix of ruby read and brown with a thinner slight off white head.Pomegranate naturally is the most prevelant aroma along with sweet malt and a faint leafy hop presence.Flavors are a bit of sweet and sour from the pomegranate with the sour winning,its defiently malt tilted with some sweet dough with a very light detectable shot of herb in the finish.Not bad it goes down very easy but its not overly complex,glad I at least tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2008 23:35:32 | More by oberon

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Opaque, orange-copper body with a small, wispy, white head.

Smell: Aroma of pale malts, orange citrus fruits, and, you guessed it, those pesky pomegranates.

Taste: Pale malts with a touch of grain. Orangey citrus. Sweet-n-sour pomegranate juiciness. Slight hop bitterness. Relatively tangy finish that dies down leaving a little bitterness to carry into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Texture thinned by fruit juices.

Drinkability: Decent for a beer vaguely reminiscient of that sauce you get with Sweet-n-Sour Chicken.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2008 06:56:25 | More by ChainGangGuy

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

BurnsTau

Alabama

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice amber, good small head.

Smells immediately are a bit fruity, I'm not a big pomegranate fan but I suppose that is what comes through good malt and earthy aromas as well. Taste isn't as fruity as a beer with pomagranate in the name as you think it would. Great earthy flavors, mostly malty with a bit of sweetness. Hops are pretty tame in this beer, as they should be. Great strong flavors all around, recommended at least to try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2007 21:20:18 | More by BurnsTau

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours out an auburn color with not much sticking to the surface, in the line of foam. A thick-ish ring remains. Decent clarity. Looks drinkable.

Smells like dark berry and slightly-turned malts. Insinuation of pomegranante is duly noted. Moreso, notes of raisin, fig, and caramel. Has a tropical bent to it, but it almost smells like an Old Ale with maltiness reminiscent of an English sipper.

More of that English maltiness, with perhaps a touch of Fuggle. Earthy and only mildly fruity. Again, pomegranate is a bit of a stretch, but I'll stick to their word. It's really missing a lot. A bit cardboard-y. It's either super-hard to get this beer fresh around these parts, or everytime I drink one, I'm severly disappointed by the way it's seemed to have turned. Burnt toffee in the finish. Here I go again...

Has a mild sudsiness and a bushy body. A little slick, too. It's easy enough to finish. I must say, I like how the alcohol barely creeps up (for a Strong Ale, mind you).

I repeatedly shake my head after trying to enjoy this beer. So many times now, it has failed me. Has it failed you, too?

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 03:05:27 | More by thecheapies

TBoneJones

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours amber with light carbonation, and a good head that presents itself and fades to a minimum. Lacks lacing.
Smells of malts, leathery to me, hint of tropical fruit/ the pomegranate.
Tastes a bit better than my nose was suggesting it would. An earthy/ woody bready goodness with a fruity blend (pomegranate indeed, and this fruit works well with beer here it seems). Hops poke through. Not complex by any means, but i like what is there. Herbal flavoring bordering on medicinal, but in a balanced way. I am stuffed-up while sampling this so maybe I'd have a lesser opinion without a probable cold! Not a favorite style, ambers in general, but somehow this imperial effort tastes better than many to me.
Feels smooth and creamy, unlike its appearance in my pint. Medium carbonation. I do enjoy the bitterness in the finish.

Id probably try this again. Unique in that it centers on pomegranate. Maybe i will try more bold ambers in general.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 23:22:47 | More by TBoneJones

Auraan

Arizona

4.06/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a good looking orange/red with a thing white head that dissipated. Scents of ale yeast, malt and slight pomegranate juice. The flavor begins with dark fruits, citrus and some sour fruity flavors, a mild hop bitterness is also present and allows the sweetness to shine through. There is a pronounced flavor of alcohol on the finish. It has a mildly carbonated mouthfeel with some slight stickiness. Overall it's a good beer, with a combination of bitter, sweet and sour flavors. It may not be everyone's thing, but I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:14:59 | More by Auraan

Murrhey

Montana

2.31/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a standard pressure-cap bottle into a pint glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. No best-by date readily visible. Reviewed live.

A- One-finger white head with medium-to-low retention. Wet, drippy lacing. Orange-red color with low clarity. Some light permeates, but not a ton.

S- Fruity hop character and some syrup. Can't pick out pomegranate though. Unappealing smell.

T- Boozy, sour and unappealing. Can now pick out the pomegranate, not strong though. Not a good flavor.

M- Syrupy, finishes wet.

O- Oofah. This beer makes me shake. Not a fan. Had MUCH better strong ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 04:39:54 | More by Murrhey

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

I poured this beer into my tulip glass. The Origin had about two fingers of foam over a light brown color.

This smells like a lager with a touch of sweetness. I get some euro hops on this one.

This tastes like a stock lager with a good dose of bitterness from the pommegranite. The pommegranites throws off the balance with this one.

Overall this is an off-tasting lager. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for it.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:37:27 | More by ummswimmin

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.59/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A half finger of head on a hazy, medium straw colored body.
The aroma is grain with some fruitiness thrown in.
The taste is not enjoyable. It has a strong bitter-sweetness that does not come across well.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
Not fun.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:12:05 | More by Fatehunter

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.44/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Dark amber brown/tan with a nice 2 inch creamy,foamy head. Lots of lacing.

Smell - A rich blast of pomegranate, smells like a wine, or a wine cooler. Some yeasts, malts and minro hops.

Taste - Strong hops mixed with added pomegranate at first sip. Has a bitter hop backbone mixed with real pomegranate flavor, tart and a little sour. A little bready malt mixed in, and some alcohol warmth at the finish.

Mouth - Bitter hops and sour/tart pomegranate coats the tounge. The palate gets more of the same with bready caramel malts. The aftertaste is dry, sour and tart.

Overall - Well the plus is it has a real pomegranate flavor, the issue i have is its not fruity enough, the hops are bitter, mixed with the sour tart pomegranate gives it a extra tart, kinda bland flavor. Still its enjoyable but nothing to special. Nicely priced for the 22oz'er, but not the great summertime beer i was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 00:50:16 | More by wvsabbath

ESPNman

California

3.28/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served into a Stone IRS snifter

A - Pours a cloudy, rusty amber. You can definitely tell that this is a beer that has been brewed with a significant amount of pomegranate. It produces a bit of thick, reddish head. Dissipates quickly, leaves moderate lacing, along with a small ring of head around the edge of the glass.

S - Sweet fruits and some caramel sugars. Also a bit of biscuity cereal-like grain in the nose. A bit of pomegranate, but not a ton.

T - Much like the nose, there isn't as much pom as you'd expect here. A relatively inoffensive amber ale taste, with a bit of bready malt and an oddly bitter / sour finish. There isn't the sweet/tart pomegranate flavor that you'd expect, but perhaps it was just a poor match to put pomegranates together with a strong ale.

M - I actually really enjoyed the amount of carbonation that this brew has. It's more champagne-like than I would have expected, but it helps bring a liveliness to a beer that would otherwise have been pretty disappointing.

O - Not bad, but certainly a flawed beer. It was a good attempt at an experimental strong ale, but it just falls short in a few areas. The bready malt flavors seem out of place, and the lack of true pomegranate flavor is disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:03:46 | More by ESPNman

Jemonster

California

3.21/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours a nice amber with a tight off white head. Looks pretty nice in the light. It looks like they did a good job going for clarity.

S: Barely perceptible to me. Some yeast and a little bit of hops. Slight tart citrus.

T: Pretty pedestrian. Nothing really jumps out. Mid-level, simple hop character. Tastes pretty much like a generic American ale with some slight pomegranate notes at the end.

M: Not bad. Kind of thin and dry but nice compliment to the flavor of this beer.

O: Meh. I don't think I will look for it again. It's not as interesting as I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 21:56:03 | More by Jemonster

Ford

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a pint glass

Not as sweet as I was expecting... truthfully I've never had pomegranate juice, so I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for..ha

Look and smell are great. Wish I liked the taste more, but it's just ok to me.. not bad, but not great or standout in any way.

It's 8 percent and the alcohol is very prevalent. I recently had a beer that was over 9 percent and you couldn't even perceive the alcohol.

I'd like to try this again later to see if my thoughts change on it. It's good, but could be better in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 21:21:10 | More by Ford

caddybuyer

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Love He'Brew's strong ales...its like "how much shit can we throw into a beer?" Also love pomagranate, so hoping for greatness here.

Original review. 8.6.11

A-Rich ruddy amber veiled pour with an eggshell head head that settles to a scuddy ring. Decent lacing

S-Pomegranate surely present here, as well as some caramel malts and dark fruits that one normally finds in barleywines.

T-This is a bit of an oddball. Taste opens with a big sweet barleywine infused with pomegranite juice, and ends rather abruptly in an astringent tangy hop finish. It is an 8 abv that drinks like a 10 abv and this may be it's downfall. I'd take this down a few notches to where it might be refreshing, but since we are reviewing a strong ale, I won't ding it for points on that. Another oddball like Hairy Eyeball.

M-Thick, chewy. Decent carbonation balance.

O-I love Shmaltz....they go way out on a limb, and either totally hit the cover off the ball (Bittersweet Lenny) or totally fuck things up. (Freaktoberfest). I did not expect a summer referesher with this, and will revisit it when in the mood for a heavy and ponderous brew...not bad, just not what I was after right now...

12.25.12 Re-review. I will stand by my earlier review of this. Taste is a cross between a barlewine and an IPA, but I really don't like it much better than I did last year. A shame, because I would really like a nice pomagranate ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:57:43 | More by caddybuyer

vinhgoh

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice bottle, decorative right out of the holiday gift set.

Not too much froth during the pour out.

Hop flavor overcomes the "pomegranate taste"....can taste a fruitiness but not the pom.

But overall, not a bad ale to just sip...kind of disappointed that I can't taste the pom.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:52:40 | More by vinhgoh

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium coppery orange amber with a fine, two-finger white head with great retention and lots of lacing. Aroma of sweet and biscuit malt, and fresh pomegranite juice; very appealing. Flavor is malt, biscuits and pomegranite juice, finishing with well melded dry grassy hop bitterness, malt and residual sweet juice. The flavors are well integrated. Medium bodied with a nice mouth feel from carbonation. A uniquely flavored ale that was fun to drink and well made. I will revisit this one again. Shmaltz is one of a handful of breweries who are pushing the envelope for ingredients, having fun with the presentation and still producing top notch ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:36:53 | More by LiquidAmber

GPHarris

Alabama

3.05/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a - poured a one finger thick off-white head into a snifter that left a thin ring throughout. the body was a bright, ruby red color.
s - juicy pomegranate is the main aroma though it is somewhat muted.
t - juicy poms that give a hint of tartness with breadiness to balance.
m - thin and slick to begin with but has a bubbly and dry finish.
o - interesting take but not a beer that made me look forward to the next sip.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 15:36:21 | More by GPHarris

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a He'Brew shaker pint glass. From the 2012 Holiday gift pack.

Appearance: Pours a clear copper amber color with a moderate amount of rising bubbles. About two fingers of off white head that recede into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a good amount pf lacing on the glass.

Smell: A fairly mild malt driven aroma. Toasted malts with hints of sweet caramel, toffee, biscuit, grains, yeast, toast, and a little butterscotch. A little burnt sugar and honey sweetness. Noticeable hints of pomegranate fruit although its kind of laid back. Fairly earthy with a light hop scent. Laid back aroma but decent.

Taste: Like the smell hints, a malty taste that is fairly subdued with the fruits and hops. Sweet toasted malts with a taste of caramel, toffee, biscuit, toasted bread, grains, butterscotch, and yeast. A light touch of honey and brown sugar. Taste of pomegranate fruit and a slight citrus taste. Earthy hops that provide some moderately drying bitterness. The malts stick out the most.

Mouthfeel:Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy and pretty smooth. Alcohol is hidden well.

Overall: A decent beer, but lighter than expected. Could of had a stronger fruit taste. It is really smooth for the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 07:02:19 | More by MattyG85

dvb

Washington

2.48/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Another reviewer stated that he thought this beer tasted like a doppelbock. I am reminded more of an eisbock, but no point in splitting hairs.

ST: 22-ounce brown bomber.

A: This beer has an attractive copper color. Quite transparent. A nice tan head quickly vanishes, leaving almost no lacing.

S: I am getting a medicinal aroma. The alcohol is not well-hidden.

T: The pomegranate is pleasant enough, but is beaten over the head by alcohol. This would be better as a non-imperial.

M: Sticky.

Personally, I feel this recipe needs refinement. It is not without promise, but it just doesn't deliver the goods. Sorry, He'brew. I really wanted to like this, but it just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:11:43 | More by dvb

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