He'Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale - Shmaltz Brewing Company

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

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

jsanford

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy amber-brown with a dense off-white head that fades to a slight cap, leaving a few spots of lacing. Mild aromas of sweet caramel malt, dark honey, and slightly tart pomegranate. Not much going on, honestly. Taste is spot-on with the nose, mainly malt, honey, and pomegranate. I suppose it's not bad, and you certainly get what they advertise, but it's just not a particularly tasty beer. Mouthfeel is a touch sticky, with a medium-full body and lowish carbonation. Won't be grabbing this again, just not too impressed.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 23:46:29 | More by jsanford

ADZA

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear copper hue which leaves a two finger creamy and sporadic lacing,the smell is really sweet its Anzac biscuts,butterscotch,caramel candy and pomegranate,the mouthfeel is medium bodied with not much carbonation and has tastes of pomegranates first up followed by caramel candy,butterscotch and finished with a earthy herbal bitterness and overall its above average but i couldnt see myself buying it again anytime soon cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 05:49:00 | More by ADZA

MeowTom

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Normal look, of a hazy brown with a head that goes away fairly quickly.

S- Fruity pomegranate, with a tart crack to it. Probably the highlight of the beer.

T- It taste a lot like a typical he'brew with a slight tartness to it. Average

M- Pretty full body and nice alcohol taste with it.

O- Just an average beer that I wish was more for it being a special ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 22:48:38 | More by MeowTom

vfgccp

New York

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Hazy ice tea. Low retention and lace on the head.

S - Light cranberry and apple over a malt backdrop.

T - Sweet malt up front. Caramel center. Woody hop and roast malt finish. Not much pomegranate to speak of, but still tasty.

M - Medium body, low carbonation.

O - Great malt forward profile. Couldn't find the much hyped pomegranate but it's still a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 17:49:06 | More by vfgccp

Mora2000

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a hazy orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the pomegranate with some toffee. I also get a little bit of cherry and some red grapes. The flavor is more of the same with a ton of pomegranate as well as some grapes and cherries. The fruit really stands out, but the toffee and some alcohol are also present. Overall, the beer is very sweet, which makes it hard to drink too much of. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 04:14:45 | More by Mora2000

txbrewer

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Coppery, clear, just off white head (that does not seem to go away), lacing that moves slowly to the level of the head as you drink.

S - The cereal and hops come through, not anything fruity from the pomegranate though.

T - More hops that malted grain on this one. Nothing much from the pomegranate.

M - The bitter lingers on this one, nothing from the pomegranate.

D - Sure but not what I expected based on the label.

While not a bad beer it does not match the label. The Imperial Amber Ale part comes through from the malt and hops flavor but I did not get anything too fruity to think of pomegranate. Other reviewers talk about the fruitiness so I wonder if the recipe has been tweaked at any point.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 23:08:41 | More by txbrewer

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