He'Brew Jewbelation Vertical (Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Blend) - Shmaltz Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Complex, strong, whiskey right there, some sourness. Black with big lace. Would have this again, but it is big, and noticeably boozy. jason's bottle. Above average mouthfeel.Whiskey and barreling come through in smell.Possibly the best in the series because of the differing tastes work with a meal.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 01:20:31 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

incredibly impressed with this one here. i grabbed this bomber from gbx for 11.49 as i did not wanna waste time on the box. served into a snifter.

nice ark brown pour has some light touches of reddish color around the edges and the back and and a decent head that seemed to last for a few good moments before settling back down with a thin coating of lacing on the sides. aroma of deep sugary malts. brown sugar, hints of dark fruits, a nice touch of vanilla and oak round it and the perfect balance is struck here. amazing how smooth and complex this is compared to some of the other in the series which seemed to come off hot, and just out of sorts. a bit of sting as it hits the belly but the lasting flavor is that of smooth, and creamy sugars that blend well with a light whiskey and fruity flavor.

really well done here. a very interesting use of the barrel for sure and finally i think they have gotten this right. just release this every year.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 03:33:10 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Mark for sharing this one. I've been meaning to try it for awhile now.

A: The pour is a dark brownish-amber color with a finger or two of off-white head.

S: Sweet caramel, toffee, and brown sugar on the nose with plenty of barrel notes. Lots of oak and whiskey coming through with a sweet vanilla aroma. Dark fruits such as raisins and plums are also present.

T: The rye whiskey and vanilla flavors are fairly potent. Nice charred oak notes with the sweet toffee and caramel. The raisin flavor provides some additional sweetness and more depth.

M: Medium in body with a smooth feel on the tongue.

O: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I've had lots of lackluster beers from He'brew, so this was a nice change.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 17:17:22 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of bmanning. Served in a tulip.

Pours near black with a thin tan head a bubbly collar. The nose is a bit plain with only a bit of slight barrel character and roast. The taste brings more barrel notes as well as some of the rye whiskey and a slight amount of roasted malt. There is some chocolate character there as well. The mouthfeel is really quite smooth ad integrates the whiskey quite well. Medium to full body. Drinkability is nice and certainly enhanced by the smooth feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 00:36:32 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Part of HeBrew Jewbelation Vertical Pack - $25.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours an essentially black body with an initial tall, airy, beige head which eventually settles into a thinnish layering.

Smell: Earthy, barrel-licked, lightly sweetish nose with well-integrated notes smelling dark caramel, humble chocolate, moistened previously dried fruits, and carefully charred oak barrels.

Taste: Smooth, sweet caramel and sugary milk chocolate with additional sweet additions of brown sugar sliding effortlessly into coconut-vanilla cake and piquant oak with a carefully dosed dash of whiskey. Hints of coffee and oven-burnt pumpernickel bread crusts. Slight wooden and earthen tones. Not much bitterness felt, really, or heated booze for that matter. Rye spiciness from the malts utilized as well as the Sazerac barrel as well as the hops used. Sweetish, oak-aged finish with a pleasing smoothness to it.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Features that pleasant smoothness found throughout the majority of the HeBrew anniversary beers.

Drinkability: After the particularly potent Jewbelation 14, I'm surprised (and pleased) by the relative smoothness of this brew. Very enjoyable, and, now that I hear it's available in bombers, besides the task of just hunting down another gift box, I may grab another bottle to quietly age.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 23:40:21 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a large tulip glass a deep dark brown with some ruby highlights when held to the light,a one finger frothy off white head atop.Aromas of wood and vanilla mixed with sweet alcohol and dark fruit,not much hop presence but a whole lot of good malty vibes.Thick and coating mouthfeel,its chewey but not overbearing.Flavors of vanilla and oak with alcohol dipped dark fruit,the leafy hops come in and bring a light drying element.Its big and brash,for sure a sipper,it has alot of different malty complexities without being devoid of a hop profile,well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 01:27:20 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Big thanks to mdfb79 for this bottle!

Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF Round 5. It pours a very dark garnet-brown, bordering on pitch, topped by over a finger of staid, light oatmeal froth. The nose comprises light oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, red grapes, figs, vanilla, chocolate, and light butterscotch. Damn, this smells delicious! The taste holds notes of roasted malts, dark chocolate powder, oak, light vanilla, brown sugar, light molasses, light maple syrup, whiskey, and light black grapes. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a nearly chewy feel. Overall, this is some very good stuff. I've heard the set was worth picking up just for this, and I can see how that would be so.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 21:12:28 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Served in my Hebrew vertical glass because I can. Beer is brown and clear with almost a ruby red hue to it. Thin head of tiny bubbles that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation moderate to low.

Aroma is sweet and liquor, the whiskey comes through.

Beer is medium bodied but finishes nicely, it's not hot on the lead off but there is a great liquor character to the whole thing. The finish is nice but there could be more in the back of the palate, as far as I'm concerned this is a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 04:32:22 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jjfoodie and yelof77 for sharing this bottle. I am a big fan of the other Jewbelation beers so I have high hopes for this one. Review number 1,800 on Beer Advocate.

The beer pours a dark brownish-red color with a tan head. The aroma is heavy on the rye whiskey, but I also get a lot of cherries, maple, oak and vanilla. A very inviting aroma.

The flavor is heavy on the brown sugar, rye whiskey, maple and roasted malt. The alcohol, as it is in most Jewbelation beers, is present. That being said, it goes very well with the other flavors and doesn't hurt the drinkability in any way.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very drinkable for a beer that is 10.5 percent alcohol. A great beer that didn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 06:10:27 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is very dark brown in color and poured with a thin creamy tan head that died down but left a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and thick lacing in the center.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of whiskey from the barrel aging in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has lots of flavors of whiskey and some hints of alcohol, brown sugar, dark fruits, maple and roasted malts. The taste of rye is evident in the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and somewhat syrupy yet smooth on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation. There is warming from the alcohol in the finish.
D: This is a beer that needs to sipped given its alcohol content but despite the strong smell and taste of whiskey it's quite drinkable because these are not overpowering.

Note: Batch No. 2, Bottled 12/1/2010

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 05:44:12 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. Batch 002, 892 cases. Bottled 12/1/2010. Served in a taster glass.

A - There's a pleasant finger of reddish tan foam that settles to a thick ring, leaving behind minimal lace. The body is a dark transparent near-black color with ruby highlights when held to the light.

S - Zesty rye, milk chocolate, oak, vanilla, a hint of alcohol and grain whiskey. Lightly roasted grains. Gets better as it warms up, as it's initially understated.

T - Taste again is heavy on rye zest and bite. Lots of caramel, cocoa, and roasted grains. Surprisingly unmuddled considering this is a blend of 7 beers - actually displays more consistency than the beers on their own.

M - Medium bodied, smooth texture, zesty carbonation, and a dry tannic finish. There's a bit of warmth, but not as much as I'd expect from this sort of beer.

D - Probably not worth $13, but pretty good nonetheless. I'd have this again if I saw it on-tap somewhere, or if it was available in 12oz bottles again.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 17:59:28 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at 1702, Tucson; December 2010
The beer arrives from the tap, in its special Jewbelation Vertical glass, with an opaque, concentrated amber color that is topped by a frothy, ½-finger thick, dark amber tinged tanned head. The beer shows a touch of clear, deep red / brown hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells of vanilla soaked toasted coconut, softly spicy oak, Bourbon, some toasted malt character that has a richly concentrated caramel character to it. The aroma is appetizing and well integrated, though not entirely unsurprising.

Soft and creamy feeling, the flavor accentuates this as does the light carbonation. Nice flavors of vanilla and coconut infuse the tongue and palate along with sweet, concentrated, caramelized malt character that plays more of supporting role than being intrinsically being noticeable in and of itself. The beer finishes with some spicy and hot alcohol notes that are subdued enough to not get annoying as well as a sort of tartness that I associated with charred oak and Bourbon. There is perhaps a touch of almost roasted malt character to this beer that helps to dry out the overall effect of this beer. This has a fullness to it, enough to coat the palate and provide a creamy texture, that balances the barrel character quite well; this is definitely a sipping beer, though it is not cloying as it has enough barrel influenced spiciness, toasty malt character and alcoholic warming to keep this fairly well balanced. At times this seems to remind me a bit of some sort of richly caramelized mix of soda and ice-cream; it is more the feeling of this than any particular flavors, perhaps it is the texture that has evoked these.

This is a pretty nice barrel aged brew, while the Whiskey / barrel character is dominant, it is smooth enough to not become overwhelming and the rich, chewy malt character certainly helps with this as well. And I always like when a barrel aged brew is able to achieve the vanilla and toasted coconut character that this beer manages to achieve. This ends up being a very nice cap to my long, working lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 15:44:01 | More by Gueuzedude

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, dated 10/4/2010, the last of the comprehensive Jewbelation variety pack...sigh...

This beer pours a deep, very dark cola hue, with two fingers of thin frothy beige head, which settles soon enough, leaving a Cartesian map of lace around the glass. It smells strongly of the trappings of bourbon - corn, spice, and astringent, woody alcohol, with an underlying roasted malt. The taste is much more sweet upfront - chocolate malt, a bit of bittersweet coffee, vanilla and caramel barrel flavours, some oily nuttiness, a bit of soused black fruit, and a general rye whiskey-inflected alcohol burn, which overrides any nascent hop presence. The carbonation is there, but fairly mute, the body medium-full in weight, a bit viscous, and smooth, but for a zingy edge surfing the tongue. It finishes off-dry, in the 'Imperial' sense - a residual woody sweetness, held up by a boozy bitterness.

The bourbon barrel essence features prominently, and if that's your thing, this'll wow your socks off. Me, I'm more on the fence, but can still admit this is a very well made big beer. The hefty 10.5% ABV isn't nearly as evident as the associated whiskey flavour would suggest. An agreeable sipper, to be sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 23:55:01 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I feel like sometimes when you blend too many things together, instead of getting a more complex beer, the high notes get lost and the beer gets dumbed down. This was such a beer.

I will say, it was surprisingly smooth and a nice dessert beer. I got a couple toffee and coffee notes, but mostly this beer sat on the smooth chocolate malts and spicy vanilla barrel character. It was quite nice, I just wanted more depth.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:25:04 | More by tempest

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a deep brown with some reddish hues, tannosh head, lots of bubbles and lacing

S: Bourbon, wood, dark fruits and booze

T: Dark fruits, bourbon, vanilla, booze, oak and wood, toffee and chocolate

M: Big body, nice feel, balanced and tasty

D; Exceptional for the style

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 04:23:09 | More by barleywinefiend

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a snifter)
Batch/case 002/842 bottled date 12/1/2010
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a tan head that is sticky and a few tiny bubbles at the base.

S- This beer has a nice rich bourbon barrel aroma with a slightly sweet wood and caramel aroma with a paper straw quality to it.

T- The buttery vanilla oak has a softer bourbon taste to follow with some roasted malt flavor. There is some sweet caramel and toffee notes with dried fruit hint in the mix. The finish has a soft hop bitterness that completes the beer.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel is slightly creamy and there is no alcohol noticed until the beer warms a bit. There is a tight little scrubbing fizz in the finish.

O- This beer is sweet but not cloying and a big rich malt flavor balances the big barrel flavor. The finish is just a bit to dry with a bitter quality coming through that is not really hop related. This beer is nicely blended and aged.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 21:44:58 | More by rhoadsrage

mdfb79

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 12/06/10 notes. Had on tap at FireWorks in Arlington, VA as part of "The Chosen Bar" Jewbelation takeover.

a - Pours a dark brown, almost black color, with one and a half fingers of tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Leaves some light lacing on the glass and rentetion lasts two to three minutes. Looks great.

s - Smells of whiskey, oak, vanilla, sweet cherries and dark fruits, roasted malts, and chocolate. At first the vanill and whiskey jumped out at me but than the cherries and dark fruit really come out as it warms up. Smells great.

t - Tastes of dark fruits, chocolate, roasted malts, oak, whiskey, and light vanilla. More bourbon and less dark fruits in the taste than smell, but still very good.

m - Medium to full body and momderate carbonation, pretty smooth and creamy.

d - A very good barrel aged strong ale. I thought this was the highlight of the night and better than all the normal Jewbelation beers. I liked how as it warmed up the smell turned from bourbon and vanilla to dark fruits, and the taste had some great oak and bourbon in it as well. Would love to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 19:09:18 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich creamy darker colored head, that fades semi slowly after reaching 1 finger. A bit of lacing. The beer is a very dark coca-cola colored brown with a bit of light getting through.

Nose of plenty of rich dark malts, a strong or old ale like malt quality, some aged malts, creamy light porter and roast, lots of crystal, plenty of caramel, oak, vanilla, a slight bit of fruity rye, some light dark fruits, a bit of toffee and molasses, hints of coffee and a very light nougat, a slight bit of spicy booze. Very nice!

Taste starts very rich with lots of dark malts, again the soft aged dark but heavy malt taste, a bit of sweetness, hint of roast and coffee, again with sweet additions like molasses, caramel, toffee, etc, some light nougat and fluffy feel and just a touch of an oatmeal feel, a bit of an earthy grassy hop taste but not much, plenty of dark fruits too, fig, bit of raisin, chewy but smooth. A bit of oak and vanilla smooth it a bit as well, with just a hint of a spicy rye taste and touch of a whisky flavor. The rye whisky flavor doesn't blend as well as a bourbon would have I think, but it's still good. It gets a little boozy, but not too bad. Finishes with a lingering roast and coffee, a hint of earthy hops and some bitterness, a bit sticky, and some warming booze, a little oak as well on the finish.

Mouth is fairly rich and heavy, with decent carbonation and some warming booze.

Drink is decent for what it is, it is 10.5% abv and drinks like it, but doesn't hit too hot or hard, a bit of a sticky finish, the sweetness is balanced well by the rich malts, fruits, and hints of earthy grassy hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 02:48:01 | More by jlindros

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a very dark brown color with very good head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is rich and complex in this beer, showcasing milk chocolate, mandarin orange, prunes, light coffee and vanilla. The flavor profile generally replicates the nose, though there's some noticeable hoppy bitternees in the finish that seeems to dry out the sweetness somewhat. Mouthfeel seemed to be medium bodied to full, with a fairly long, slightly bitter finish. Drinkabiltiy was pretty good for a 10.5% abv. beer, though there was a touch of heat at the end to remind you that there is some alcohol in this one.

A very good beer here, and probably one that would improve a bit with some short term cellaring. For now, this is a very nice winter warmer to help make it through the cold days of winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 12:23:55 | More by johnmichaelsen

lacqueredmouse

Australia

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

Purchased from Whole Foods Union Square in NYC. Brought back to Sydney Australia and shared with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a really deep brown-black colour, with a filmy but fine head of smoky white. Patchy lace forms above the oily body. When swirled, it has legs. Remarkably fine carbonation. Overall, looks really great.

Nose is softly sweet at its basis, but roaringly layered with big American oak characters, giving boozy hints and vanilla up the wazoo. Hints of roasted malts give some depth and complexity. Overall, it's exceptionally aromatic, it perhaps not as byzantine and heady as some others in a similar style.

Taste is also layered with oak, but with a slight oxidised character to it, giving a hint of old red wine and paper bags. There's still a smooth roasted character, but it's lightened and leavened by the oak and the age on it. Some dryness on the finish gives it a slight mouth-smacking quality that works against the smooth vanilla and chocolate roasted overtones.

Overall, this is a nice beer, and a beer of this type with this pedigree in this style is always going to be good. But it feels inferior to many of the other similar brews, especially the Firestone Walker anniversary beers, and in its genre it's nearer the bottom than the top.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 04:42:52 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Dan’s place – thanks!

Pours black with a one-finger dark tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of smooth roasted malts with dark chocolate and vanilla aromas. Also present are mild amounts of rye spiciness.

Tastes more robust than it smells. Large roasted malts and dark chocolate flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by smooth vanilla. Joining in shortly thereafter are mild amounts of butterscotch and dark molasses flavors. Midway through the sip the flavor profile dries out a bit with the addition of spicy rye that carries through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall this is the second time I’ve had this beer and it calmed down substantially from the previous time I’d had it (also on-tap). A surprisingly smooth beer that’s well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 01:13:01 | More by glid02

mactrail

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sensational boozy and rich dark ale.

Dark brown with copper highlights. Nice ruby hint on the edges as you tilt the glass and enjoy the lacing. Great mouthfeel with the robust carbonation versus the thick richness. Immediate flavor is the unmistakable whiskey taste. As if they added a dollop of Jim Beam to the wort. The nose is full of it. Hops give a nice edge to the powerful malts. Just a little sweetness on the tongue to start and a pleasantly bitter finish. Dark rich fruit-cake flavors and a little rum-and-coke.

Shmaltz really knows what they are doing with their strong malty beers. All of the annual big beers have been great, both refined and tremendously flavorful. Glad I got the nine-pack retrospective. I'm a believer!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 04:20:40 | More by mactrail

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had at the event for He'Brew at Barley's Greenville. Served from tap into a shaker. Poured a massively dark brown, almost black, with a one finger very light tan head that subsided to a half finger very slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, chocolate, caramel, and alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, rye, alcohol, cream, and caramel. It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. Really enjoyed it much more than the others by themselves. This one is definitely a sipper, so be warned. Glad I only had to commit to a pint and not a bomber of this. Would try again, but not anytime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2011 13:35:17 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.72/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma is - WOO WEE, strong, malty, woody, with an alcohol underpinning and yeasty and floral hints. It pours a pretty chocolaty brown that is opaque save at the edges, with a fairly good beige head. Flavor is - not for the faint of heart! Quite strong, it is woody, malty, a little honey sweet, slightly fruity, slightly nutty, with a good alcohol edge. Texture is smooth and edgy, leaving a woody and tingly finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 02:20:01 | More by Cyberkedi

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reddish-brown with crimson edges. Thin head recedes to a crown.

Musty, oaky aroma. Integrated whiskey -bals and alcohol, quite a bit of chocolate and raisin. Vinous with sweet caramel.

Musty -bals, whiskey and raisin on the palate. A bit like a Belgian quad. Chocolate, mellow booze, quite a bit of tannin in the finish, lingering vinous/dark fruit flavors. Good stuff, probably the best beer I've had from Shmaltz.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 17:41:12 | More by largadeer