He'Brew Genesis 15:15 - Shmaltz Brewing Company

SHODriver

California

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

A: pours an extremely dark brown and is nearly black. light struggles to make it all the way through the glass. A small tan head dissipates quickly
S: Hugely malty and sweet on the nose with notes of caramel, vanilla, molasses, and some fruits
T: Very complex palate with fruit flavors, caramel malt, a little roast malt character, some vanilla, and oaky flavors. Inoffensive aftertaste that leaves me wanting but very clean on the finish. Alcohol is very warming on the way down and well hidden in the beer
M: Oh so smooth and thick with adequate carbonation that is there but not overbearing
O: A fantastic and highly complex beer that is sure to please

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 06:21:45 | More by SHODriver

EricCioe

Montana

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at the Missoula winter solstice tasting, 2011.

This pours a muddy brown with a bit of a head that dies down without lace. On the nose there is caramel, vanilla, booze-soaked raisins or figs, wood, and something spicy. In the mouth the dark fruit jumps out most, with vanilla and rye complimenting one another. The fruit juices mentioned on the bottle show up but in small doses, which is fine. The body is medium-full with a long finish, slightly heated but not really indicative of its abv.

Overall, this is a great barleywine, one of the highlights of the night.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 19:35:16 | More by EricCioe

flannelman808

California

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: midnight brown with a tinge of red light glistening through. Topped with a nice sea foam tan colored head which would stick around for a good while and leave a good trail of lacing.

S: Rich toffee covered dark fruit and a hint of booze though it suggests rum more than rye.

T: The fig really shows up on the palate and melds with flavors of milk to semi dark chocolate and red table grapes. Rye complexity lends a finishing hand rounding out the other flavors and adding a touch of astringency. As this warms a slightly tart hint of pomegranate shows through along with a bit more rye inspired spicy heat.

M: viscus and somewhat hot on the back of the throat.

O: A very unique beer with a ton going on. Many of the components work quite well together though it may be a bit too heavy handed with sweet flavors. Overall this is a bit too sweet finishing and rich for me, but not bad in a small dose. As a previous post denotes I would agree this is not really an ageable brew starting out so sweet. I wish the rye component was a bigger factor, it's presence might have evened this sucker out.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 11:08:38 | More by flannelman808

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from Five Points Bottle Shop (Athens, GA). Served in a snifter. 

Pours dark brown with 2 fingers light tan head. Very little lacing. 

Smells of chocolate, fruits and sugar. Nice. 

Lots going on in the taste. Big milk chocolate, pomegranite, wood, carmelized sugar and a little whiskey. It's busy and all over but I like it. The near 14% abv does show through the flavors with a clean booze bite. 

Creamy heavy feel with very little carbonation. 

A very different and very good barleywine. A complex variety of flavors that blend well. This one is certainly worth a try and will most likely age very well. 

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 04:34:43 | More by ThickNStout

cvm4

Mississippi

4.16/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours like the color of a cola with a one finger tan head. Doesn't seem thick or viscous.

S - The whiff at first is a big dose of bourbon, vanilla, leather and followed by dark fruits with a sweeter ending.

T - The taste is flipped from the smell... Big vanilla, molasses and dark fruit taste up front and the encore is a bourbon & oak finish. Very complex & rich.

M - Medium to full mouthfeel that's sticky and somewhat cloying.

O - Very good, very complex, very rich... I'm glad I waited to crack this as age seemed to do it wonders.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:00:37 | More by cvm4

Lerxst

Florida

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

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter with a bottled date of 9-7-2011

A-Pours a very dark brown with a one finger beige head that has decent retention and leaves spotty lace.

S-A rich, sweet maltiness hits first. Followed by a plethora of dark fruit and somewhat prominent grape juice notes. Some whiskey notes coming through as well as hints of oak and vanilla. There is a lot going on here.

T-This tastes more like an English Barleywine than an American one though-very sweet and not much in the way of hops. Rich, sweet malt that is somewhat syrupy leads. Loads of dark fruit flavors here as well. The grape juice is most prominent, but the fig and pomegranate are there as well. A bit of booze comes in the middle and the grape juice really comes back in the aftertaste.

M-Syrupy with moderate carbonation. Just on the cusp of being full bodied.

O-This is an interesting twist on a style I really love. Seeing as how this is classified as an American Barleywine, I expected some hop presence. This is more of an English Barleywine. Still, it's a nice beer that was worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 00:33:50 | More by Lerxst

Viciousknishs

Virginia

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

Happy Rosh Hashanah everyone. Thought it would be appropriate to review this one!

A- pours a tawny garnet color with a tan head.

S- starts off with big sticky malty aromas of caramel and toffee. Figs and dates lend savory dark fruit aromas with the pomegranate and grape giving the slightest touch of tartness. Finish is toasty oak, rye whiskey and vanilla with a heady alcohol note. Amazing nose with a real layered characteristic.

T- big sticky caramel/toffee flavors blend with the figs and date dark fruit flavors at first. A hint of tartness from the pomegranate and grape juice. Spicey toasted oak with a robust rye whiskey flavor cut all sweetness towards the end leaving a warming alcohol with a note of vanilla on the finish.

MF- sticky syrupy mouthfeel with a chewy heavy body and light carbonation.

D- slow sipper of a beer.

Overall a unique complex barleywine. Take your time with this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 22:23:55 | More by Viciousknishs

brotherloco

California

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

22oz bomber. Batch No. 001. Bottled 9/7/2011. Served in a tulip.

Pours a deep dark blood red. A finger of beige foam forms and then dissipates to a small ring. No real lacing left behind.

Real nice barrel presence in the aroma. Vanilla, oak, and whiskey right up front. Backed up with sweet and bready malt, molasses, dark fruits. A strong fig newton note, sweetened by the other fruits. Alcohol isn't really strong, but you feel it in your nose.

Flavor is quite complex. Sweet and salty at the same time. A lot of grainy malt, roasted notes. Melted marshmallow, chocolate, caramel. Dark fruit juice. All of the oak and vanilla from the nose are present and are blended really well into the other flavors. Nicely balanced bitterness. Amazing how well the big ABV is buried. Just big, bold, and fantastic.

Full bodied with medium-low soft carbonation. Makes for a rich, thick, creamy feel. Good for slow sipping, which the ABV demands.

Kind of an odd hybrid. The nose is mostly barleywine, but the flavor has a ton of Imperial Stout character. I ain't complaining though, this is a really great beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 05:05:15 | More by brotherloco

ms11781

Massachusetts

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

Batch 1, Bottled 09/07/2011 on label. 22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a deep mahogany color that is near opaque. There are some lighter, reddish brown hues around the edges of the glass and looks somewhat translucent as each sip is taken. A surprisingly dense light tannish head develops and actually sticks around for a few minutes before receding to a foam ring around the glass.

The barrel treatment and a big sweetness are what stand out most in the nose. Right up front is a near perfect amount of whiskey, it's more than subtle but hardly overwhelming or even a dominant aroma. There is a huge caramel sweetness that gives way to some nice dark fruit aromas.

The taste is actually a step up from the nose. There seems to be a lot more going on and the nose had plenty going for it. The whiskey is present from start to finish and, while it makes itself known, it's not too intrusive. It definitely starts and finishes each sip but backs off in between and allows the other characteristics to play nicely. The taste is sweeter than the nose. There is a big caramel note, almost candy-like in its sweetness. There is also nice, almost acidic sweetness which I assume are from the different fruit juices that were added. None of the individual fruits are discernible, which shows how well the flavors blend together.

The mouthfeel is huge here. Each sip is big and thick, borderline syrupy but not quite. Full bodied with low carbonation. There is some warming from the alcohol but that's to be expected with a 13.4% ABV beer.

This is a great BA barleywine. There is whiskey is well integrated with the other flavors and aromas and is never too much, allowing everything else to shine through. This one is definitely ready to drink now.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 02:26:12 | More by ms11781

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

The head is about 2 fingers high off of a pretty aggressive pour. Head color is light tan and the head is between rocky and creamy. Head sticks around for a little while and the lacing is light. Color if the beer is a very, very dark brown.

Plenty of dark fruits, sour fruit, and caramelized malts, sweetness, boozy alcohol heat, molasses, and brown sugar. Behind that, and really way in the background, are some hints of oak, whiskey, vanilla, and chocolate. For being aged in whiskey barrels, there really isn't much barrel presence.

Taste is in line with the aroma, sadly. Dark fruits, slightly sour fruit notes, syrupy fruit juice, sweet caramelized malts, light chocolate and chocolate covered cherries, molasses, some brown sugar, plenty of hot alcohol as well. Again, as in the aroma, the barrel aging aspect really isn't very apparent. At best there's notes of oak and whiskey, with a slight twinge of vanilla on the back end, and that's after this has warmed substantially. Taste is better than the aroma, and reminds me more of an English barleywine, but still nothing great.

The mouthfeel is decent, but really just average. Consistency is smooth, carbonation is light, body is medium, and the finish is medium length.

Overall, I have to say this beer is about average at best. Maybe it would benefit from some lengthy aging, since it is pretty hot currently. However, with such a subdued barrel presence in both nose and taste, that will only continue to fade with time. This certainly left something to be desired, for me, for being a barrel aged barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 09:47:09 | More by matttttYCE

IKR

California

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appear: Dark brown color with reddish overtones with an light brown head, which dissipates to a thin ring.

Smell: Whiskey/Bourbon aroma dominates with some fruity notes also present.

Taste: Upfront Whiskey/Bourbon taste with some fruity notes also present. The hops are present in the finish. The Whiskey/Bourbon notes leads to a slightly sweet initial taste, but there is enough of a hop presence to result in a fairly dry finish. I find this beer to have a definite alcohol presence in it's taste compared to top notch Bourbon Bal-aged beer, e.g. Melange 3.

M: Body is on the light side of medium with a modest level of carbonation.

Overall: Whiskey/bourbon taste is prominent with the alcohol present but not overwhelming. The fruit juices used meld nicely within the taste profile, I can't pick them out individually. Shmaltz Brewing Co. always seems to come through with good tasting beers that are a bargain. I find this one a bit hot at the moment but ask me to name a Whiskey/Bourbon Bal-aged beer that tastes as good as this for the price and I could not do it. I think I will sit on my other one for a while in anticipation of a stellar beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 01:32:08 | More by IKR

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Arguably beer of the year for me and barrel aged beer of the year for me if it were not for BCBS Rare.

For my palate, the best advise I could give is drink this beer ASAP. It's fantastic right now and I do not see age making it any better. If it looses any of that barrel profile going on right now it would not be the same. The ABV at 13.4% drinks more like a 10% beer and each sip leaves you begging for another looking for what complexities you will find next. Too easy to kill 22oz to yourself and the barrel flavor in this one has me pondering converting to Judaism. (Sorry that I'm not sorry for the bad joke, I couldn't help myself here...)

The barrel is at the forefront without being hot at all. Bourbon, coconut, light vanilla oak, chocolate and dark fruits. Although the bottle states it's brewed with Pomegranites, Figs, Grape and date juices, they are mild and play second fiddle to the barrel. The barrel flavor reminds me alot of Firestone Walker's signature Barrel profile but not as sweet. (good thing) This beer for me is everything as good or better than Abacus for the record and at a $11.99 price tag to boot.

After Vertical Jewbelation and now this Gem, Shmaltz has my Full attention and I'm buying everything barrel aged with their name on it.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 18:35:04 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

Kshock

California

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

A- Dark brown/copper color. Almost no retention, some lacing. So far so good.

S- Vanilla, whisky, chocolate, oak, dark malts, and some fruity notes hiding in the background.

T- Fruity sweetness immediately over shadowed by oaky hop bitterness on the end. Big flavor, strange but nice. Very clean finish for a beer so big.

M- med to a slightly heavy body, dries out a lot leaving a very clean finish.

O- nice offering from Schmaltz, their barrel releases are getting much better.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 21:06:13 | More by Kshock

kennylopez

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from Sept. 2011 22oz bottle into snifter.

Appearance: a dark reddish brown with a dark white head that fades and leaves no lacing.

Smells: a super sweet dark fruit that is dominated with a sour fruit juice backbone.

Tastes: a strange unique ale that coincides with the nose. It is a sweet barley wine with a major juice flavor that isn't to balanced in my opinion.

Mouthfeel: there is a strong sting from the 13.4% but the strong fruit tastes balance it in the aftertaste and there is very little carbonation.

Overall: this is a strong fruit flavored barleywine in my opinion. I don't think I personally would buy it again due to the fact that I don't get much of a barrel flavor through the sweet fruit backbone.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 02:31:33 | More by kennylopez

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle of this after getting several recommendations at the spot where I bought it.

Appearance: Very dark brown, almost completely opaque, but a reddish haze can be noticed. Have about an inch and a half of toffee head. Seems very tasteful

Smell: Vanilla bean, but with a mix of dark fruits such as grapes, figs and actually maybe a slight touch of chocolate (cocoa). Also has a nice chestnut-like taste.

Taste: First rush is instant rush of a fine liqueur. Has a nice tone of vanilla in the beginning along with a thickness that also appears to be caramel flavorings . This brew has nothing less than great, fresh flavorings. Only reason I don't give it a higher rating is mainly because of the whiskey-like feeling I get in my chest once I engage.

Mouthfeel: Great creaminess that is brought in well with what I consider moderate carbonation. Nothing this beer has to hide.

Overall: Wow this beer rocked my world. I bought this thinking it really wasn't going to knock me off my feet. Boy was I wrong, I instantly noticed this beers power and awesome flavorings. I will totally grab this beer again, and knowing that its Hebrew, I'm assuming its Kosher which is something positive to think about. I will warn any newcomer that this brew is nothing to be taken lightly. I know most of my friends think Victory's Golden Monkey is something serious, but I think the bar just got raised HAHA. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 02:19:49 | More by DMXLOX22

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz snifter into my Victory snifter. Batch 001/791 bottled on 9/7/2011. (Big props to Shmaltz for an easy to read bottling date)

Pours a practically opaque deep brown with ruby highlights around the edge of the glass. Pours with a spotty, light tan head that quickly dissipates and leaves a single layer of bubbles on top of the brew. Nice.

The nose has lots of bready and dark fruit notes to it. I don't immediately get much of the bourbon but there is a whole lot going on here. It definitely smells very young too leading me to believe that this may do well with age on it.

The alcohol is NOT hidden at all here. The taste is bity, spicy, and sharp. Tons of deep, dark fruit on the taste and then a quick alcohol bite at the end. I really think this could do with a good year in the cellar at least.

The mouth feel has a lot more carbonation that is lead on by the pour. Relatively prickly but not overly so.

I think that this brew is going to mellow out a lot over time in the cellar and I think it desperately needs it. I'm looking forward to opening this up in time but right now it's HARSH.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 00:21:34 | More by hippityhops85

SkiBum22

New York

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

A - This beer pours a thick and frothy tan colored head that holds very well for such a high ABV. A very dark mahogany color that you can see through just a little.

S - Very potent aromas of dark fruits such as figs, grapes, and prunes. Cocoa, bourbon, and a healthy vanilla aroma can also be detected.

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

M - Very sticky syrupy mouthfeel with a chewy heavy body and light carbonation.

O - This is my first brew that I've tried from this company and I'm very impressed. One of the better barley wines I have ever had. I wonder how one of these would do with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 15:14:37 | More by SkiBum22

Dubber55

New York

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

Batch 001
Bottled 9/7/2011

Into a Founders snifter, pours a dark burgundy/maroon color with 1 finger of mocha/beige head. Looks pretty viscous.

The barrel aging is evident in the aroma- you can really smell the oak and whiskey. It is not a boozy smell though which is good. I can also smell dark fruits, cherries, and raisins. Many layers of flavors. Very nice.

The taste starts off with oak, vanilla, raisins and cherries. In the mid-palate I get some chocolate and a little coffee. The finish is mainly whiskey and rum soaked raisins- not boozy though. I notice more caramel flavor as the beer warms up. I can taste a little bitterness from the hops but the flavor is mostly dominated by the malts. Very nice.

A nice viscous, coating beer. Slightly syrupy. Low carbonation.

This is a very nice beer. I like how the barrel aging was not overdone like most other beers. There is a nice balance between the different fruit juices and the oak aging- not overly sweet or overly boozy. Ready to drink now- does not need to be aged

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 01:54:44 | More by Dubber55

Impfan

Washington

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Amazingly rich, and wonderfully Sazerac barrel aged, this Genesis is remarkably complex with esters of grape, mandarin orange, fig, date, toffee, coconut, persimmon, kumquat, plum, cherry, chocolate, cappuccino, rum, and, of course, lots of rye. The body is silky/syrupy, but not as heavy as i had anticipated, and the massive flavor profile is incredibly balanced with no excess heat , despite its 13.4% abv. This is a very sweet and luxurious ale, for sure, but the Sazerac aging has dried it out sufficiently in the finish for it to be a wonderful sipper that continuously calls me back to indulge in another "hard" taste. To date, I’m not sure I could come up with a better fireside liquid companion to take away the chill of what’s shaping up to be another colder winter than usual. I’m glad I stocked up on a number of these beauties!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 16:36:40 | More by Impfan

ficknish

California

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Opaque black. Hints of red. Tannish red head. Active bubbles.

S - Grapes. Stone fruit. Tannic acid. Rye. Leather. Raisins.

T - Oak. Plums. Grapes. Alcohol. Molasses. Chocolate.

M - Slight heat from alcohol. Small bubbles. Coats mouth in leathery feeling.

O - Very oaky. Strong, dark, and delicious. Went great with Colston Basset Stilton like any barely wine should. Might drink again.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 07:24:05 | More by ficknish

GrumpyJunglist

California

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

Batch 001 bottled on 9/07/11. Poured into a tulip.

A: Poured a dark brown, but with more light it looked like it had a reddish tint to it. Amazing creamy looking head, very thick 2 finger head that slowly fades slowly but surely.

S: Initial smell is a creamy malts, which i can assume is the pomegranate, grape and fig juice. The end of the nose i can catch some of the barrel. But I can find a little roasty aromas.

T: Creamy maltiness welcomes your first taste, with a mild fruity kiss in the middle. Then at the end it was a nice roast/smokey finish.

M: it is very smooth, no carbonation bite, but it is warm at the end.

O: Pretty freaking awesome. A tad bit hot, but with age this baby is gonna be amazing. Kind of bummed I only have one more, may have to get more of this for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 05:36:19 | More by GrumpyJunglist

karlbronson

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a deep dark red-brown color that is approaching black. It is rather dark for a barOhleywine. It tops with a decent 1 finger head. Not bad for a BA beer.

S: Oh boy. Here we go. This beer has a wonderful nose with a lot going on. The barrel treatment is definitely apparent. I smell charred oak, tannins, and rye whiskey mingling with the dark fruits and sweet malts. It is a bit sweet smelling. In the background I pick up vanilla and fresh warm caramel. Given this beers big nature, the alcohol doesn't come through on the nose. You do know, however, that it will be a huge beer based on the depth, complexity, and strength of the nose.

T: The nose is a good indicator or what you will get. The dark fruits enter with some sweetness and then give way to the malts. There is chocolate covered cherries in there with a lot of caramel and toffee. The tannins step in a little bit and introduce you to the rye whiskey. The spiciness of the rye is a perfect complement to the sweetness of the fruits. Very well balanced.

M: Thick but amazingly not syrupy. The sweet in the nose and palate entry would make you think you are in for something sticky, but that isn't the case. The finish is long and gives way to the rye's spiciness. Once again a great compliment to the sweetness. Very well done here as well.

O: This beer is extremely well done. Very complex, very drinkable, and very satisfying. At first I thought the various fruit juices were odd in a barleywine. they pulled it off just fine. I will definitely buy this again. Maybe not the most traditional barleywine, but its damn good. Nice job Schmalz!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 03:05:56 | More by karlbronson