He'Brew Genesis 15:15 - Shmaltz Brewing Company

srandycarter

California

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Beautiful beer. Very dark cola/caramel, Light tan head, slow to leave. Lots of cling

S - Better nose. Huge wet sweet bready malt. Dripping concentrated smells. I can almost eat it.

T - Taste is under the same as smell, just not as pronounced. Molasses is there too.

M - Thick bodied, almost undercarbed, balanced to the sweet, not bad but could be better.

D - All said and done, a kick ass beer and at 13.4 you had better be careful!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 05:10:40 | More by srandycarter

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Genesis 15:15 has a dark brown body and a healthy, fluffy brown head. The retention and the lacing are both pretty good.

The aroma has a lot going on; its's really fruity, has a lot of malt, and a good dose of whiskey.

You can really tell that there was all kinds of fruity juice added to this one, although it gets difficult to distinguish each juice from the others. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it if it weren't for the fact that I knew going into trying this beer what was in it. In addition to the juice, the hops bring fruity citrus flavors and a little bit of bitterness. This beer is by no means a hop-bomb, and the hops aren't huge, but they are noticeable. The rye whiskey adds a spicy, sweet flavor that blends very well with the fruity characteristics of the beer. The malt base has molasses and toffee, and is rich and a little bit sweet. Just a hint of warmth comes through in the finish.

Full body and creamy carbonation.

I actually liked the He'brew Jewbelation Vertical from last year a little more than this one, but I can definitely see that being a matter of opinion, as this one is similar and pretty good. Also, this beer does a great job of hiding its high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 15:35:14 | More by Hojaminbag

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle shared by Steve at his birthday, 22oz into a snifter.

Dark brown body, almost black with deep shades of ruby in the light. Tan head that leaves a thick collar with some big legs. Nose has some solid whiskey barrel notes, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, dark fruit character (in the fig, date, grape fashion as the label describes from all the various additions). A bit of alcohol but not to the level indicated by the label. Taste has s soothing whiskey barrel character off the bat, vanilla, toasted oak, substantial dark and fruity malt notes again. Heavy medium feel, sticky and allowing this to only be sipped. A big malty BA'd strong ale, lingering malt and fruitiness hangs out on the palate for a while after each sip. Alcohol isn't prevalent which is magnificent for the actual content, lending more of a warming feel than anything. A solid beer, and not as convoluted as the label seems to stress.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 15:15:35 | More by liamt07

claspada

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep mahogany with some copper showing through the edges under a big creamy beige head that's continually fed by some bubbles from the bottom. Head recedes leaving some nice soapy lacing.

Aroma is huge and excellent with lots of toffee, caramel and molasses. There is plenty of dark fruit like dates and plums and a little vanilla. The whiskey and oak are present in the nose but are just an additional layer in the nose as opposed to dominating it.

The taste is more of the same with different sweet components all piled together. There is the underlying caramel malts but with booze soaked overripe fruits and tons of toffee and treacle. The finish has more bourbon than the aroma would suggest, but never overpowering or harsh.

The mouthfeel is thick and chewy with plenty of carbonation. It's really stick on the palate. Surprisingly not too sweet, despite all he dark fruits, bourbon and dark caramelized malts.

This is a massive, fruity, sweet, boozy sipper. There is a lot of different flavors going on and I certainly wouldn't call it subtle. Nonetheless, I'm thoroughly enjoyed it. Boozy flavors are complementary to the dark fruitiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 04:08:37 | More by claspada

sweemzander

Illinois

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

22oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a deep deep burnt chestnut color with some reddish highlights. Some good tan froth and lacing.

(S)- A nice rich profile of lightly booze soaked raisin, molasses, and a mild nutty oakiness. Maybe even hints at some fig as it warms.

(T)- Pretty similar to the smell. A nice richness of raisin, molasses, vanilla oak, fig, and caramel.

(M)- A smooth carbonation level. A nice balance to it as well. Rich and sweet, but not overly so. It does have a decent ABV bite to it, but fitting for the style and barrel aging; nor is it totally over the top either.

(D)- Overall, a very solid barrel aged barleywine. Some age might help soft out its subtle rough edges, but is overall quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 18:22:00 | More by sweemzander

Arbitrator

California

2.93/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: Pours a dark, chestnut body capped with a modest collar of light tan foam and some milky swirls atop the brew.

S: LOTS of grape and fig, almost to the point of reminding me of a grape lollipop. Mild presence of rye whiskey on the nose with some lingering oak.

T: This is treacly and sweet; it's very figgy and grape-like, which are signature Jewbelation flavors. Toss in the barrel aging and (presumably) sherry-like oxidation, and you've got a dark fruit overload that nearly overwhelms anything else in the beer. Toffee, mild chocolate, some rye bite in the finish.

M: Way too much imbalance on the sweet flavors up front; they fall off in a rough, burning finish. Also noticeable astringency in the aftertaste. Not a very impressive mouthfeel at all.

O: Eh, not really worth $12 when you can (in theory) pay $1 more and get King Henry, or $3 more to get Sucaba. It is simply outclassed as far as barrel-aged barleywines go.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 06:30:03 | More by Arbitrator

cosmicevan

New York

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

cracked a bottle with my bro-in-law.

a - poured into a FW mini snifter. nice deep plum, thin head, spotty lacing.

s - smells spot on. the barrels are just great. rye whiskey with this malty barleywine is just a great mix. up there with the other big barrel aged barelywines.

t - deliscious. caramel malt with a barrel aged shine. chocolate.
nutmeg.

m - smooth and easy drinker. booze is invisible.

o - I am running to the store to get more of these. this is TOP notch. super impressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 00:35:58 | More by cosmicevan

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours an opaque deep caramel color with a thin beige head. Wispy film retains and leave a few splashes of lacing on the glass.

Burly and boozy in the nose with plenty of barrel character. Vanilla and rye with dark fruit sweetness. Dark grape skin and pomegranate with some juicy tones. Caramel and burnt sugar with bready notes.

Smack of vanilla and oaky booze up front with a dash of hops. Roasted malts with caramel and breadiness. Touches of toffee and burnt sugar which is crushed by an avalanche of dark fruit. Plenty of red grapes with pomegranate and a few touches of dates and raisin. The beer gets really sweet at this point, and finishes with another splash of vanilla soaked booze.

Fuller body, mild carbonation, sticky and lingering on the tongue. A pretty solid barrel aged brew, although the pomegranate and grape got a little fruit-juicy for me at points.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 00:08:47 | More by xnicknj

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a very dark, ruddy brown color. It poured with a medium sized sticky head.

s: The whiskey barrel takes center stage, but it isn't harh or overwhelming. Lots of earthy vanilla, boozy caramel, and hints of tobacco dominate. There was also prominent but mellow rich chocolate liqueur and some vinous fruit.

t: Sweet overall, but not cloying. Brown sugar, caramel, molasses, vanilla, and raisins up front. It finishes with lots of well incorporated whiskey, chocolate liqueur, lightly tart fruit juice, and a hint of cola.

m: Big, creamy, and very smooth.

o: It was a real pleasure to spend a few hours with this bottle. Everything comes together extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 14:29:26 | More by DIM

Bung

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. A very dark murky brown, thin layer of light tan head.

Aroma, large amount of molasses, fig, caramel, vanilla. Ah the bourbon barrel.

Taste, a little more fruit here, grape, raisin, prune. Quickly goes to more malty, rumcake, molasses, caramel vanilla. Toast and barrel at the end, and a stinging little dose of heat.

The carbonation is just a bit prickly, combined with the warmth make this a very slow drinker. Solid medium body and fairly well coating. This would be helped all around if it was a little more creamy.
Still another well done big beer from Shmaltz.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 03:13:33 | More by Bung

Phelps

Arizona

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

And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
- Genesis 15:15

Lots of background info for this one: it’s He’Brew’s fifth barrel-aged release, batch 1, bottled 9-7-11, made using five malts, seven hops, and juice from dates, grapes, pomegranates and figs. THEN it’s aged in Sazerac 6-year rye whiskey barrels for eight months.

Deep purple, wine-like in color and clarity. A hold to the light reveals cranberry highlights. Half a finger fizzy medium-tan head pops away to nothing but a thin layer of silk. No lace.

Sweet, tangy, spicy nose. I get toffee and grape, smoothly blended with whiskey and buttery oak. The whiskey is a bit stronger than the fruits, but not by much.

Burly rye is the foremost flavor, though it avoids harshness, providing a smooth backbone for the almost-as-strong toffee notes. The barleywine aspect of the brew comes out more here in the form of toasty bread and squashed oranges. The swallow brings a blast of zesty hops and fresh red grapes before a lingering dark fruit tang. There’s a bit of booze in here as well, but not enough to compete. A nice, complex blend.

Soft, whipped, medium body. The alcohol does more here, numbing the tongue and sending fumes through the nose. Carbonation pinches the tongue absent-mindedly.

I feel about Genesis 15:15 the same way I feel about all of Shmaltz’s barrel-aged stuff: it’s tasty, but not world-rocking. Good enough for an occasional purchase if you need your whiskey-aged fix, but nothing worth getting excited about.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 22:34:21 | More by Phelps

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Got this one from Irishgurl4 in a recent trade. Cheers! These guys make some stellar stuff, so I was excited about this one.

From a bomber into a snifter
Ale brewed with pomegranate, fig, date and grape juice.
Aged 6 mos in Sazerac rye whisky barrels.
Bottled on 7 September 2011
791 cases

APPEARANCE: Pours a 1+ finger, medium looking, light brown head with good retention. Bistre brown body, clear, with medium carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp and ring remain until the end but leave no lacing down the glass. Looks fine.

SMELL: Bourbon, vanilla and oak notes for sure. Caramel and toffee are there, with nutty notes and some definite brown sugar. Lots of brown sugar actually. The grape juice comes out, especially as it sits, and combing that with a bit of peppery spice gives it some quad charecteristics as well. There's some piercing booze in there, which lends a bit of hair spray to the aroma and makes is a little challending, but otherwise, this is a massive, complex and interesting nose to say the least.

TASTE: Caramel and toffee sweetness up front, with some dark fruit and flavors from the barrel aging. The taste explodes after the swallow, with lots of caramel, brown sugar sweetness, a touch of dark chocolate, dark fruits from the juices, and a well integrated barrel component. Bourbon, oak and vanilla interact with the spicy and sweet base beer, meshing seamlessly with the dark fruits and sugary flavors. Quite boozy as well, but that doesn't detract from the wonderfully complex and interesting flavor profile. A big and bold aftertaste lingers and lingers. This is great, and balance here is top-notch.

PALATE: Medium body and slightly higher levels of carbonation. Enough weight and creamy enough on the palate, goes down alright with a scratch and burn at the swallow, and finishes rather sticky on the palate. Definite heat lingers. A little harsh perhaps.

OVERALL: This was an increadible treat. I had no idea that this was over 13% alcohol, but now that I see that, it certainly explains a lot. The nose is phenomenal and the flavors an absolute treat, but the slightly harsh palate kept this one back from being as divine as it could have been. A little time might let the heat fade a bit, which would bring this to another level I think. For now, it's a delicious beer with definite quad influences and an almost perfect balance between base beer and barrel aging. Another very impressive brew in the He'Brew line. Well done gents, and cheers for picking this one out Irishgurl4!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 12:50:53 | More by Jeffo

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 'Harvest' Barleywine ale brewed with pomegranate juice, fig juice, date & grape juice, aged in Sazerac 6-yr rye whiskey barrels. 5 different malts, 7 different hops. A clusterfuck of a beer, and I can't wait.

Bomber bottled on 9/7/2011, divvied up in two snifter glasses.

Inch or more of latte foam colored head that fell to a ring; no surprise at 13.4%. A deep, dark brown body with violet tinges. 4.0

Huge nose! Mega caramel and toffee with sugary fruitiness and distinct rye whiskey aromatics. Vanilla, maple syrup, fig cookies, trail mix, and a stiff booziness. Recognizing the pomegranate in the nose is a bit of a stretch. Hint of piney hops, but it's faint and blends in with the oaky barrel and the rye whiskey spice notes. 4.5

Intense flavors. Dried fruit and caramel nut toffee sweetness with maple syrup and tart fruit punch and concord grape juice. Picking up some red apple and Belgian chocolate. Madness! Crazy to say that I'm picking up some vinous oxidation notes. The whiskey is so much more subtle and perfectly complementary. Starts out with it, and subsides slowly. Finishes with some hop bitterness that is borderline acrid, otherwise, an atomic malt bomb. 4.5

Hands down, one of the THICKEST beers I have ever drank. Drinks like fortified wine with flour whisked in. Sticky sweet, but this IS a dessert of a beer. Low carbonation and a sting of alcohol. A slow sipper. 4.0

I thought this would be a mess, but instead is a cornucopia of flavor and complexity. An amazing take on a barleywine. I MUST get another bottle to drink, and MAYBE one to age. Highly recommended! 4.5

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 00:29:56 | More by thecheapies

koopa

New Jersey

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

Had this one on tap at the Copper Mine Pub in North Arlington, NJ.

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with a 1/2 finger khaki crown that shows no retention and little lace.

Smell: Lots of grainy malt, sweet dark fruits, a touch of whiskey, a hint of molasses / brown sugar, and some alcohol presence.

Taste: Same as the nose.

Mouthfeel: Thick bodied with low carbonation.

Overall: A meal of a beer. Decent flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 20:34:05 | More by koopa

Dope

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch/Cases 001/791. Bottling date 9/7/2011 (almost a year old)

A: Pours a dark brown with a huge and dense light brown head. Fades at a medium pace, leaving only zig-zags of fluffy lacing behind.

S: Dark fruit overload. Dates, raisin and fig primarily. Some molasses and caramel mixes in. Maybe a hint of grape and vanilla in there, hard to tell.

T: Super heavy molasses up front with some toffe. A wonderful rye whiskey following it. Sweet caramel kicks in in the middle with hints of those dark fruits but not nearly as pronounced as the aroma. Finishes dry, astringent and oaky with a flourish of bitter and earthy hops. Just a bit of alcohol sting on the back end but not as bad as I was expecting.

M: Heavy, borderline syrupy.

O: A really enjoyable big barleywine. A lot of times these can be super heavy on the molasses. This one is too but the rye whiskey cuts it nicely and prevents it from being overbearing and cloyingly sweet, while still adding extra complexity. Hoppy bitterness helps out in that department as well. A rich and balanced brew, I enjoyed it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:58:43 | More by Dope

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you to Ken for sharing this one.

Deep brown in colour, one finger of tan head, some lace left behind. Smell is malty, lots of fruit here, dark fruits, pomegranate, oak and whisky, mild vanilla and some hoppy notes as well. Taste is malty with generous hints of vanilla, oak, assertive bitterness throughout, rye whisky, fruit rolls in more in the way of dark fruits, citrus in the finish and aftertaste, really complex stuff here. Light carbonation, full body, syrupy with a nice full feel. ABV not to be found, really solid with a good mixture of bitterness, malt and fruit to keep things interesting all the way through, worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:09:23 | More by peensteen

DovaliHops

California

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown with a small-medium off-white, somewhat tan head that disappears quickly. Scent is absolutely amazing. Tons of fresh figs and other dark fruits with a very inviting whiskey aroma. The way the dark fruits and barrel mix together in the nose is just great...not as great as King Henry, but pretty damn good. Taste is...now here's where the juices come in... I can definitely taste the pomegranate and grape juices. Aton of caramel malt and other dark malts. A ton of toffee blended with candied dark fruits and brown sugar. Just a bit of bitter hoppiness and sweet whiskey throughout. Mouthfeel is very full bodied and a bit on the syrupy side. Drinkability is scary high for this high ABV sipper. Overall, the aroma had me thinking this beer was going to be on the same page as King Henry, but the taste was quite the step down. By far, this is not a mediocre beer...it is very good. Just not "King Henry or Abacus good". A tad too sweet and not as well-balanced as I was hoping for. ABV is hidden well.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 05:43:53 | More by DovaliHops

shand

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a monster. Genesis 15:15 pours a deep viscous brown, and has aromas of sweet and dark fruits, vanilla, bourbon, and oak. The taste here is very complex and delicious, it's incredibly heavy on the fruit flavors. There's a lot of different fruit flavor going on here over strong caramel malts. The rye bourbon helps out here, adding a welcome boozy edge to the proceedings that would be otherwise covered up by the fruits. More oak comes in on the finish. The mouthfeel is heavy and drying, but there's a strange sticky aspect here too that kinda clashes with the dry feel. The drinkability is great. Overall, this is an excellent barrel aged barleywine, the barrel really supports the very fruity base beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:07:44 | More by shand

Docer

Washington

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

Appearance: (4.0)
- Nice super dark brown brew that I can hardly see through in my large glass. Wonderful slowly rising light tan head.. settles with lace all about, and scattered pillows of foam. Pretty beer.

Smell: (4.0)
- Rich sweet malts. Very caramel and candy-like with a molasses, fig, and touch of esters. Little bit of alcohol with a touch of whiskey, vanilla, and earthy oak flare. Certainly smells like a heavy one.

Taste: (4.5)
- Hot damn. This is one heavy barleywine full of complex flavors. Certainly one to share with friends. Big caramel malt with wonderful vanilla whiskey flare. Esters, fig, all melded in there with maybe a small dose of earthy hops. Hard to say, but there is a nice gritty rye note going on. Win.

Mouth Feel: (4.5)
- High marks on the feel. Not so hot, not overly dry by any means though just a touch, and not too thick and syrupy. Very well put together. Medium to heavy body, and super easy to drink for its strength.

Overall: (4.5)
- Great beer, and well made for sure. I can't quite recall, but I don't think the price of this brew broke the piggy bank. Price doesn't affect my judging though. It's about the beer. This is a great beer, and makes a nice sipper late at night while reading a book or relaxing with friends. Easy to drink, very full of flavor, and hits the spot. Get it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 05:48:40 | More by Docer

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes taken during a Shmaltz tap special event.

Appears as a very dark semi-opaque brown color with two fingers of foamy tan head, some minor lacing left behind after about a minute of retention.
Aroma is mostly a tremendous blast of almost every variety of dark fruits and woody rye whiskey spiced with a burnt brown sugar sort of maltiness and a whisper of a vague floral tone hiding behind all the booziness.
Flavor contains elements of chocolate and fig puddings, sweet toffee, and faint licorice on top of a strong tannic and leathery note spiced with rye whiskey booze (but not overwhelmingly so). Most of the fruity flavors present from the pomegranate, fig, dates, etc are actually quite drier than you would think from how heavily present they are in the nose. Also there is a really cool leathery / peat accent on the finish!
Body is thick, chewy, and it can get sort of syrupy in the mouth if you take too large a sip at once. But if you take small sips, there isn't a problem.
Really this one is a brilliant barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 21:36:27 | More by WastingFreetime

Damian

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 1pt, 6floz bottle purchased at Marty's Liquors, Newton, MA
Served in a snifter

Deep mahogany and nearly clear in appearance. The beer poured thick and syrupy and was topped by a one-finger, foamy, caramel colored head. Spotty drops of lacing clung to the sides of the glass. The head slowly faded to a resilient ring of froth.

The aroma was intense. Super sweet and boozy with strong caramel and toffee notes. Bourbon (perhaps rye whiskey?) was quite apparent. Lots of brown sugar. Uber malty and rich. Subtle hints of oak. As the beer warmed, prunes and raisins were also noticeable.

The flavor profile was similar to nose. Sweet and rich with an over-the-top amount of caramel malts. Strong plum, prune, fig and raisin notes. Lots of maple syrup. The fruit juices were definitely more noticeable here in the flavor profile than in the nose. Unfortunately, I could not detect any pomegranate. Nutty and slightly woody in the center. The finish was boozy (but not hot), slightly oaky and tannic with subtle roasty/toasty notes. I also picked up a bit of spiciness (perhaps from the rye). Although the sweetness became a bit cloyingly toward the drink's end, I felt like it balanced out the booziness quite well.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this beer was the mouthfeel. It was fantastically rich, creamy and smooth. Quite syrupy and almost chewy. The liquid contained a fine, mild effervescence which gave the beer a beautiful, supple frothiness. After each sip, the residual sugars left a sticky coating on my lips.

He'Brew Genesis 15:15 really impressed the heck out of me. The addition of multiple fruit juices and the rye whiskey barrel aging lent the beer a rich complexity found in few other versions of the style. If you like your barleywines sweet, fruity and syrupy, then you need to try this. L'chaim!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 00:44:59 | More by Damian

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up for $11.99 at my local Binny’s.

Appearance – Pours into a tulip with a dark color and two fingers of toffee colored head. Held up to the light, a chestnut red hue can be seen glimmering through the glass.

Smell – As soon as I pour the beer into the glass there are potent aromas. Dark fruits such as figs, grapes, and prunes. Cocoa, bourbon, and a healthy vanilla aroma can also be detected.

Taste – More bourbon up front than the aroma led me to believe. Dark fruits with a heavy grape presence. A nice spiciness, oak, vanilla, and alcohol warmth. There are just a load of different flavors mixing together rather well.

Mouthfeel – Wonderfully creamy, a hint more than medium bodied, slight carbonation, and oily on the tongue.

Overall – This is a great tasting beer. A bit boozy, though I do not taste the alcohol (though there is warmth). This is the second time Shmaltz has impressed me with high alcohol beers that are masked quite well. This is a wonderful sipper and I am enjoying it thoroughly. Can’t wait to see how the other one I picked up ages.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 00:33:17 | More by SpdKilz

dogfishandi

New York

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle at about fridge temp poured into a darkness snifter. batch no. 001/791. bottling date 9/7/2011.

pours out a very dark reddish brown color, nice ruby red hues in the light, good clarity. a big 2-3 fingers worth of tan/ khaki colored creamy heady,very good retention and some decent lace. some nice legs noticable as well.

very nice aroma. reminds me a lot of HotD- Matt. a very nice burnt caramel/ toffee, burnt sugars, almost a maple like sweetness. a whole range of dark fruits, figs, dates, even a touch of grape noticable, a nice slight vanilla like oaky woodiness, then some hot warming whiskey hits the nostrils.

similar to the aroma. big sweet, sticky caramel, burnt caramel sweetness. almost a bit of maple, burnt sugars. lots of dark fruits going on here, figs, dates, with some vinious grapey flavors as well. the rye whiskey barrel comes through in the end adding some nice heat, a bit of a whiskey like flavor, and a smooth vanilla oakiness.

sticky, very sweet, and very chewy mouthfeel, full bodied and a slightly lighter carbonation.

at first i didnt know if i was really going to enjoy this, came off a bit cloyingly sweet with loads of dark fruits. but as it opened up it really started becoming very enjoyable. id definatly buy more of this and would recommend this to any barleywine of HotD lover. still, it does have that signature hebrew flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:38:05 | More by dogfishandi

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a 16 oz. snifter.

A- Dark brown almost black. Light cola color 2 finger head with lacing that resides quickly.

S- Bourbon, tobacco, leather, vanilla, oak and dark fruits.

T- Chocolate malts, bourbon, dark fruits, and has hop bitterness. Bourbon, bitter chocolate, leather, and oak come out more as the beer warms.

M- Full body fairly smooth, abv is hidden fairly well. Not really hot at all for 13%.

O- Another great ba beer from Hebrew. Don't like it quite as much as the vertical jewbelation but still really good ba barleywine!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 02:33:36 | More by kawilliams81

Treebs

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle served in a Deschutes tulip. Batch 001/791 cases. Bottled 9/7/2011.

A: Pours a very deep ruby with a frothy tan head about two fingers in height. The head recedes to a thin collar and doesn't really leave on stick on the glass.

S: Dark fruits and sweet grape are most prevalent in the nose with just a touch of rye whiskey lingering in the background. There is some mild oak as well.

T: The first sip is a smooth, but very subdued, rye whiskey with a slight oakiness. There is a definite candied grape sweetness mixing with other dark fruits, but it is more on the sweet side. The backend is slightly warming with a little burnt sugar bitterness to cut the sweetness.

M: Full bodied with medium to low carbonation. Slick and oily feeling with a minute warming sensation after each sip.

O: The fruit juices used definite amp the flavor up a notch and the barrel aging added a nice little layer of flavor. The fruity sweetness might turn some people off, but it worked for me in this case.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 14:41:01 | More by Treebs