Coney Island Human Blockhead - Shmaltz Brewing Company

bargerking

California

4.93/5  rDev +34.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this poured into a Chivas Regal wiskey glass from the bottle.

It poured a thick dark and deep copper. I got very little head to it. Smell was molases with a hint of spice and apple. Very inviting to drink. Taste is very close to what smell was. Spicy, malty, sweet like brown sugar. Next to no lacing. Every drink was smooth and masked the alcohol quite well. Aftertaste is a sweet malty resiny taste that lingers. I really enjoyed this beer and will buy more to put away and consume on a special day.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2009 02:53:08 | More by bargerking

unibrew

New Hampshire

4.72/5  rDev +29%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've passed by this beer in stores since the first time I saw it. Why? I just don't go for lager's anymore, so, I didn't really even give it a 2nd look. Yesterday, I found myself at the Schmaltz micro-micro brewery on Coney Island, and received a sample of this "lager". Now, there's no way it's a lager, but, it is considered a double bock/strong lager. Clocking in at 10% APV, it's a sipper, but, I find it hard to sip. This bomber will disappear in 30 -40 minutes. It's taste to me is somewhere between a double bock/barleywine/strong ale. No matter, it's pure deliciousness comes through. The alcohol is there, but, mostly hidden. It reminds me of the Jewbelation 14, but, at only 10%, it's not going to knock me out as fast! It's sugary, raisiny, malty, and with a touch of bitterness at the end. It won the Silver at the 2010 World Beer Championships, and deservedly so! This is my first bottle, and it won't be my last, especially for the price!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 23:18:39 | More by unibrew

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Ka-wowsa! What a nice surprise to find this on-tap at Hop In Brew last night (April 20, 2011).

Slightly deeper brown than a regular ale, this one fits the Doppelbock profile even though it was compared to a Barleywine for me by the server.

The alcohol is up front and contributes first to the sweetness and then to the mildly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is very much like a barleywine; slightly thick and caramel-like.

Spectacular, in a word.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 19:30:52 | More by MAB

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I can't believe this one isn't getting more love!

A: copper-amber with an off-white head, thin ring of retention, hint of lace.

S: Smells like a double IPA with plenty of piny hops, citrus & rind, with underlying floral, grassy & peppery spice & toffee maltyness.

T: Very resiny, piny, some citrus & rind, hints of floral & grassy hops, nice toffee & biscuity malt, assertive bitterness, warming alcohol. Hint of sulfury mineral. No fruityness or spicing from the yeast to get in the way of the hops & malt. One or two dimensional? Maybe, but one hell of a brew.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body is very smooth, almost creamy; certainly some hop acidity. Incredibly well-crafted. I'd like to see more lagers like this!

D: Like hops?

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 02:00:04 | More by Derek

Redsoxnation

Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I am a sucker for bourbon aged beers so this had an advantage right off the bat. The color and initial sniff are very good. The taste and mouthfeel are great. The finish puts this one in another category. Just a great beer on a fall afternoon paired with a spicy chilli.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 00:51:40 | More by Redsoxnation

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Quite clear brown, but shows plenty of ruby redness to the light. A finger of creamy beige head that has good retention.

Boozy to the nose, with a generous helping of citrus hops. Notes of brown sugar and caramel. A touch of nuttiness too.

Malty sweet, with hints of honey to the taste up front. There's a definite alcohol spiciness through the back half. Citric hops show up again to the tongue, giving a strong grapefruit impression. Really quite tasty.

There is a fair bit of body to this lager, not as much as a big ale would have but more than most big lagers I've had. The carbonation is quite subtle, and together the mouthfeel is quite soft and pleasant.

10% eh? That spells trouble, as it goes down far too easily. I'm starting to get more and more sold on this brewery, after some shakier first impressions.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 02:48:46 | More by elricorico

Mitchster

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +21%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$5.99 for a 22oz bomber @ BevCo. Brewed with specialty 2 row, Munich, Vienna, Wheat, Crystal Rye, Rye Ale, Pale Crystal and flaked oats. Hopped with Warrior, Tettnag, Crystal, Liberty and Cascade. 10% ABV.

Pours out to a thick and syrupy dark amber, forming a thick yellow head with superior retention and nice lacing. Mild carbonation. Big nose of figs, white raisins, dates, mild floral hops. Mouthfeel is syrupy, smooth, clean with a huge dense body. The taste is a recap of the aroma...a huge malt body with mild bitterness, akin to a triple bock, black tea, toffee, almost rum-like. Alcohol is warming. A touch of rye spiciness. Reminds a bit of Zhiguly Grande 12 or Before-After...those odd brews from Lithuania that are redolent in their syrupy sweet maltiness.

An interesting warmer of a beer. I would buy it again, and look forward to trying the other beers in this lne-up.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 00:29:00 | More by Mitchster

Buebie

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From what I've read this is a barleywine with a lager yeast. MN just got this today, but availability will be very limited.

Poured from a bomber into a snifter. Forming 2 fingers of foamy white head. The color on this is dark, almost black when looked at straight on. Hold it to light and it shines a deep dark red, almost wine like, but a bit more transparent.
Little to no lace, as most of what was on the glass slips back down into the beer.
Globs of bubble islands form a nice spot of retention.

Aromas are very much the malt bomb, with roasted chocolate grains, bits of bready rye like toast, butterscotch, fruity hops and pinneaple and just a wiff of bubble gum.
Mild alcahol at the knose as things warm up, but its subtle.

Smooth and creamy up front with just a touch of carbonation through the swallow. Its a bit slick on the tounge. Things warm up a bit into the swallow with alcahol warming becoming present, but its not hot or boozy, its just right. Quite mellow and smooth in the booze department.
Carmelised brown sugar, black tea, loads of malt, chocolate grains, more wonderful rye flavors. Its sweet, but not overly so, this is well balanced. Something like a spiced hop profile in there, its not peppercorn, its not sharp, its just modestly there, hints of grassy hops and a touch of citrus.
At the swallow hops linger and take over whatever sweetness there was, lingering a while with pine and orange rind like flavors for a good deal of time.

I had my doubts after reading some of the reviews and was not really thinking this would be a great beer. They probably like things I dont, vise versa, no crime in that.
I found this to be a terrifically complex and delicious brew. Typical of a great bock with the chocolaty grains and loads of malt. The rye was a nice surprise and was the fruityness and bits of sweetness.

This was very good and I highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2009 21:11:52 | More by Buebie

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - pours a caramel amber with high clarity. The head forms slowly, having to fight through some viscosity. Not real big, but a nice cap of light tan, with some good stick around the sides. For a doppelbock, it looks dark, rich, and tasty.

Aroma - sweet maltiness, a whiff of grain, sometimes lightly toasted, sometimes not.

Taste - big chewy malts, huge on the palate. A light roasty element is very nice. The sweetness and mostly well-hidden abv are in good tandem as the hops make their appearance. The bitterness is substantial but of minimal flavor, mostly just that alpha bitter quality. While it does do a herculean job of balancing the tremendous malt load, that's not necessarily called for in a bock. Despite that style flaw, this is a stellar doppelbock, or maybe I should say 'imperial bock'... The finish maintains some sweetness, caramel, and toasted grain.

Mouthfeel - huge body, some decent carbonation but it is well-tamed by the monstrous, viscous body.

Drinkability - superb flavor. Definitely a breathy abv-infused bomber, but delicious and worth getting a few to savor and cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 04:34:36 | More by brewdlyhooked13

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark clear copper brown with an ample full inch of creamy off white head that recedes to a thick lace ring. Very sticky too,

S - Dark fruits, caramel, bit of banana and a touch of noticeable alchohol heat.

T - Huh its definitely got more of a hop bite than most dopplebock's I have had, but in a way that makes it more enjoyable. Dark fruits of plums and raisins with a touch of caramel this one is enjoyable!

M - This beer is big but drinks medium bodied with no noticeable heat or burn.

Overall I have been impressed with most of Hebrew's offerings and this is yet another great beer. Best part is the bottle was around 7 bucks so I would highly consider getting it again. Very nice imperial dopplebock.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:03:37 | More by DrDemento456

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served at a good temperature, with a nice sized, off white head that soon settled down to a light cover and loads of lace. Color is a clear, orange mahoganey. Aroma is malty, bourbon, yeast, malt, earth. Flavor is similar to nose with addition of a bit of carbonic tang and yeast. Body is spot on; carbonation good. Finish at first was sans alcohol, but towards the bottom of the mug as it warmed up, the booziness came out. Great beer! Bravo maestro!

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 06:42:47 | More by drpimento

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.3/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Coney Island Human Blockhead has a thick, creamy, cascading, tan head, a clear, copper appearance, and some lacing left on the glass. The head really sticks around with this one. The aroma is faint, but one detects sweet beer and brown bread. Taste is of a strong piney hop aroma, which is not picked up in the barrel-aged version of this brew. The drinker also gets brown bread, sweetness, rye spice, and a bit of alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium, and Coney Island Human Blockhead finishes mostly dry, refreshing, and quite drinkable for an imperial bock. Overall, this is a most excellent beer, and I highly recommend it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 13:30:45 | More by RonaldTheriot

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Snazzy-looking beer here...deep rusted red in color, which sits under a toasted light tan head...head is soapy, a little creamy looking, and very complementary to the color underneath. A chain of lace dots stick to the glass.

Aroma: think Double Bastard if it were a lager, because you get that same big hops-meets-cherry candy malt thing, with that special something-ness that tells you it's a lager: a certain adjunct-like sweetness--although this may not have been brewed with an adjunct sugar source, no idea -- and a trace of vegetable smell. Interesting and alluring. Can't wait to taste...

Wow, my kind of beer. Just bursting with flavor, carrying its own unique personality stamp. And big. The 10% alcohol is actually pretty tame. It could be considered a bit medicinal, but that's largely the very sweet candy-like malts talking and making this seem just a few steps removed from children's cherry cough syrup. The hops are bright and floral, a bit green/grassy, which seem to spar with the cough syrupy maltiness instead of coalescing with it. Bubblegum; mint; grapefruit juice; caramel; treacle. Not like anything else I've tasted in beer-world. Weird and wacky, just like the label, and I love it. Trying to take it slow and savor every cc of liquid it has to offer.

Mouth is appropriately slick, creamy and round, gliding across the tongue and lacking any stickiness whatsoever.

Man oh man...this lager redefines "lager." Heresy to some, sure, and probably even sickening to some others...I couldn't drink this often, but I'm definitely glad to have made its acquaintance. Hail Shmaltz!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2010 23:32:05 | More by Metalmonk

Mavajo

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an amber/copper color with a reasonable white head that fades quickly and minimal lacing. Aroma was a bit subdued - malty, caramel. Taste again brings the malt and caramel, but both are more pronounced. Very sweet, but not cloying. Mouthfeel is smooth and sticky, coating your whole mouth. The alcohol is noticeable but not overwhelming.

Really, really enjoyed this beer - there aren't too many lagers out there that I would consider among my favorites, but this is one of them.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 15:26:31 | More by Mavajo

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very tasty beer that is a Dopplebock yet with all the hops tastes like an Imperial Red Ale. This beer is lots of malt , hops and that borderline sweetness that makes a dunkel. I like the thick mouthfeel and the smooth finish with hide the highish ABV. In fact the malt really shows up more as the beer warms up and the caramel flavours come into play. Nice beer in a style that can be overly sweet sometimes but not this time

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 05:15:17 | More by canucklehead

AutumnTwilight

California

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Barbara's at the Brewery, Downtown L.A.

Looks beautiful in the afternoon light, kinda reddish burnt sienna color with opaque sandy looking head.

nice gamey nose with a lot of burnt sugars. smells almost like a doppelbock.

Malt city!!! Deceptive hop character with a strong whiff of boooze. oh wait, now I taste the hops on the tail end. Lovely flavor

Good/average mouthfeel. Clean finish

hard to believe it's almost 10%ABV but it will lay you out if you're no careful. So yah, I guess it's drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2010 10:40:04 | More by AutumnTwilight

SDtastentune

California

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Why does the bottle say brewed & bottled by Saratoga Springs, NY and here its from California?

Anyway on to the review..

A - Lighter saddle brown/tan, not much head or lacing.

S - Kinda brown sugar, toasty bread with hints of alcohol.

T - Taste is interesting.... Up front is a balanced sweet alcohol'ish slightly malty thing goin on, Almost a little smoky but not. Aftertaste is bourbon like alcohol malty/kinda smoked.

M - Medium/more carbonation and great aftertaste, a little on the hot side.

O - Overall a good interesting beer, not sure on the style because the bottle says lager, and BA says dopplebock? Nice hints of malts, alcohol, and some smoky sweetness

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 23:12:58 | More by SDtastentune

lonestar4lunch

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy red/orange with a head that quickly disappears. The aroma is of sweet malt and booze.

The first sip is a slight punch in the face of malt and alcohol. I really enjoy taking a big whiff of the beer and then enjoying a sip. There is a light toffee that carries over from the aroma to the taste. This would be great with some pork just to throw that out there.

The finish is clean and very mellow. The booze is somewhat strong but I am really enjoying this. With the label I guess I was expecting something a bit different but this did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 02:41:00 | More by lonestar4lunch

JizackFH

New York

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - This beer pours a clear rust ruby color. It has a big fluffy 3-finger off-white head. The head has good retention and leaves behind some nice scattered lacing. There are some visible rising carbonation bubbles as well. A beautiful looking beer.

S - The smell is of lightly toasted malts and some caramel sweetness. There are also notes of light earthy hops, bread, some light dark fruit notes, and some citrus. also, I am getting just a touch of booze at the end of the nose.

T - It tastes much darker than the smell suggested. It starts off with roasted malts and a big sticky caramel sweetness. There are some big dark fruit flavors here such as figs, plums, and raisins. Other notes I am getting are brown sugar, some grassy hops, and some light spices that I can't put my finger on. The finish has some lingering roastiness and sweet caramel flavor. Also there is also a slightly sharp booziness as well.

M - This has a medium to full body and prickly carbonation. it is smooth, goes down easy, and has a bit of a chewy quality to it. There is some lingering bitterness as well as a bit of a sharp booziness and alcohol warmth.

D - The drinkability here is good. It goes down easy and is damn tasty. I really am enjoying this beer. It is my first beer on the Coney Island side of Shmaltz brewing, and I'm pretty impressed. There is quite a bit of booze presence here that makes it a bit more of a sipper, but I think the strong booze presence is actually kind of nice. I recommend trying this. I'd definitely pick up another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 12:06:07 | More by JizackFH

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle poured into pint glass dec10 2009

A clear reddish amber with loads of carbonation and two fingers worth of head that had a few minuets of retention and left lace where the foam existed

S lots of pine and citrus hops but caramel is stronger then both

T not far from the smell but some bread comes to play and a little sour apple, I must admit this beer confused me just a little

M thick syrup texture a high point with this beer, it has decent carbonation but not what I expected from looking at it

D I liked this beer and at 10%alc it's easy to drink a little too easy if anything

still a little confused with this one, before drinking it I thought it was a dopplebock this site has it as an American Amber/Red Lager and I think it drinks and tastes like a DIPA oh well, I enjoyed it and I guess that's all that matters

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 06:57:30 | More by wordemupg

yesyouam

New York

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Coney Island Human Blockhead is a very clear copper lager with a dense, yellowish off-white head that leaves great lacing. It has a tart aroma with sweet malt notes. It's full bodied and very smooth with a clean, dry finish. It tastes tart and sweet and syrupy and simple. It's rather lightly bittered with a grassy, herbal spice. It tastes clean. It's very drinkable... but strong.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 03:49:33 | More by yesyouam

Vancer

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A semi-hazy deep amber, almost mahogany brown brew pours from the bomber into the Corsendonk classic tulip. Thick, marshmallow ivory head, full and complete sheet lace rings. Nice so far.

Almost barleywine-like aroma of malt, caramel and orange liquor. Quaff turns into an American brown, with a sturdy dose of hops mixed with the sweet, but subtle, chocolate malt shake. Damn tasty brew. No hint of any alcohol, even with this big hitter.

Another very nice brew from He'Brew, and with the $5.50 for a bomber of 10%, an absolute great buy.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 19:45:43 | More by Vancer

pkalix

California

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

havent had a samiclause in probably 25 years, but that's the first thing to come to mind.
pours a dark ruby (is fig a color?) translucent brown. no head
smells of wild dark fruits (agai with the fig, and others), but very nice.
taste is rich and dark-fruit-y, get lots of alcohol off the top.
definitely a medium to thicker feel, but heavy on the tongue.
overall, i like my laty brews, but whe it gets this malty it leans in the other direction. still a decent one, and like i said, it reminds me of a samiclause. i like the 10% abv, but ya definitely taste all of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 01:27:11 | More by pkalix

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

happened to find this on tap one day at a local beer bar (from notes)
A - Clear amber, creamy tan head, lacing all the way down with each sip
S - Strong buttery toffee, leafy and piney hops, along with some alcohol heat
T - Nutty and molasses malt dominate, fresh leafy green hops, black licorice, earthy and spicy finish
M - balanced smooth feel for such a high octane brew, drying out with the alcohol on the finish
O - unique and big in flavour, very impressed, I'll likely try a bottle to see if its any different

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 04:51:51 | More by joemcgrath27

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a nonic)
A- This beer has a crystal clear but dense reddish-brown body with a thick tan head that last for much of the beer.
S- The caramel malt aroma is slightly sweet with a dry toffee aroma that grows and a pale malt and grain hint aswell. There is a faint butter quality the leads to a dry pine hop finish.
T- There is a nice sweetness to the fresh caramel malt flavor that is not cloying but is supported by a faint darker toasted malt underneath. There is a nice dry hop bitterness in the finish that lingers with the caramel malt.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a creamy head that adds a chewy quality to the beer. There is no alcohol heat noticed
D- This clean lager has a nice full-bodied malt profile with some nice sweetness supported by the dry hop finish. To easy to drink at 10% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 21:40:56 | More by rhoadsrage