He'Brew Messiah Nut Brown Ale - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Brubaker

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep dark amber. 1 finger off white head; lingering. Crystal clear.

S- Sweet malts with raisin.

T- Starts with sweet malts. Then dark fruits. Ends with a slight hop. Some cookie/biscuit to it.

M- Velvety with light carbonation.

O- Very enjoyable. Very clean. A unique Nut Brown.

Would Drink
Would Buy
Might Make

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 02:37:51 | More by Brubaker

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.39/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

This was one of the best beers I've had in a long time. A nutty, toasty aroma and appearance with a malty, thick taste and mouthfeel. The appearance was deep, dark brown with minimal head, but the taste was very refreshing and relaxing. I will definitely purchase this beer again soon. It was one of the best I've had ever, and I am looking for more beer crafted by the Shmaltz brewing co.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:47:36 | More by Jacurdy60

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle pours a dark chestnut color with an ample cap of frothy tan head. Excellent retention and lacing. A pretty dang good looking brew.

Nose is a nice blend of cocoa, walnuts, caramel, hazlenuts and buttery yeast. I really like the aroma on this one, has everything you want in a brown ale. Maybe even some coffee and brown bread as it warms.

Smooth and rich for the style with ample sweetness and a sharp tannic, hop bite at the end. A well thought out recipe on this one as the flow is terrific with the yeast, malt profile and notable hop presence all play nicely together. One of the better brown ales I have had in quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 21:11:01 | More by twiggamortis420

Chris_Cali_2o9

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams cup

A- Mahogany body, 1" khaki head

S- Roasted nuts, cocoa nibs, bitter dark chocolate, hints of dark fruit, floral hops

T- Roasted nutty malts, cocoa nibs, toffee, metallic twang

M- Creamy body, crisp carbonation

O- A great brew, can almost pass as a porter. Not only is it full of nutty goodness, cocoa nibs and bitter dark chocolate make a strong appearance. Smell and taste are one in the same, if it wasn't for the somewhat watery flavor and metal after taste, it would have gotten a better score.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 17:02:46 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark chestnut in color with an amber hue and good clarity. Poured with a rich, light being foam that slowly dissipated. Sweet dark and toasted malt aromas with hints of brown sugar, molasses and dark fruit. Medium bodied with rich, aggressive carbonation. Caramel and toasted malt flavors up front followed by ripe fruit and molasses. Malt and fruit flavors fade in the middle giving way to a brief nuttiness that immediately transitions to lightly bitter floral hoppiness that carries through to the end. Finishes semi-dry with a dark molasses and light bitter hop aftertaste. Overall this has nice character and was on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 18:17:25 | More by IronLover

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a dark, slightly hazy mahogany brown. Fine one finger light tan head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of sweet dark, lightly toasted malt, nuts and a hint of caramel. Flavor follows aroma, with light toasted and sweet caramel malt and nuts, finishing with light nuts, chocolate and hops. Medium bodied with good carbonation. On the light side of flavor, but very pleasant, well integrated taste. Left me wishing for more intensity, but enjoyed this well made, light brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:49:35 | More by LiquidAmber

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish Head snifter. The beer pours out a clear, dark, and deep mahogany with a really tight head that has good retention. Really beautiful color when held up to the light. The nose is very faint, but has some roasted notes, nuts, and a spicy note.

The body is medium to full and the mouthfeel is slick and slightly creamy. The flavor is quite full and complex for an American Brown Ale. You get bittersweet roasted malt flavors in the front of the palate that develop to coffee. At the back of the palate, the hops dry things up and provide a nice, lingering finish with coffee, nuts, and some cola-like notes. The beer is quite smooth and easy to drink, but it does have a little hoppy bite to it, giving it an earthy, rustic kind of flavor.

Overall, I thought this was an outstanding brown ale. I wish it was just a little bit maltier, but still one to seek out if you enjoy this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 16:26:44 | More by deadonhisfeet

shand

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic.

Pours out a very deep brown (for the style, at least), with a finger of fluffy head. The aroma is malty, nutty, and a bit watery smelling. The taste is much better, providing a nice rounded roasty maltiness along with a nice nut flavor. Bitter and delicious. The mouthfeel is very smooth and medium-bodied, and the drinkability is good. Another solid brew from Shmaltz. I'm really finding that a lot of their smaller beers are really overlooked, the Coney Island line has some real stunners in it as well as long as you can find them fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 02:47:20 | More by shand

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, pours deep brown color with a short light tan head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing, clear

S: toasted malt, caramel, toffee, hazelnut, pecan pie

T: coffee, pecan, hazelnut, slightly smoky quality, slight hop bitterness towards end

M: thinner with little carbonation, slightly silky quality

O: richly flavored brown ale with nice nutty flavors

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:14:25 | More by M_C_Hampton

scootny

New York

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A towering head with nice lacing. Dark off white. Brew itself is clear and a dark cola. Smell sweet malt with a nice healthy breadiness. A good nutty character to the nose. Flavor has a nutty malt core with lots of roasted grains and a light sweetness, mostly Caramunich malt. Flavors of faint chocolate and coffee. The finish is dry and mostly earthy with a light leafy hop and oil lingering. A touch of bread and earthy hops as it fades. Feel is medium weight and a crisp tingly carbonation. A really good nut brown/American brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:00:11 | More by scootny

claspada

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy medium brown color with ruby tints and a small creamy, fairly long-lasting, off-white head that leaves some decent lacing.

Aromas begin and end with toasty brown breadiness with an emerging nutty and light yeasty fruity presence.

The tastes begin with the same toasted brown bread maltiness, a little cocoa, light earthy hops, and that aforementioned nuttiness. Some molasses and burnt caramel flavors emerge more as it warms.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. The finish is fairly smooth and dry.

Overall this is a decent example of a brown ale, a bit on the hoppier end of the spectrum but it's appropriate for an American Brown ale I guess, I just usually prefer a little less in my brown ales. Not bad, worth a go.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 15:35:35 | More by claspada

MonkeymooTJ

California

3.84/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate brown with slight flashes of deep amber red around the bottom edges. A healthy slightly off white head lingers a good while after the initial pour and clings nicely to the edge of the glass on the way down.

Aroma: A nutty essence hits the nose immediately justifying its name. A good caramel backbone and a nicely placed roasted scent is also noticed. A bit of a buttery note sneaks in but isn't necessarily overdone. I really couldn't detect much hop aroma but did pick up on the slightest herbal essence.

Taste: A whole lot of toffee is noticed up front. A wonderful chocolate flavor mixes in as well. Though sweet, it is not overpoweringly so. A slight bitterness helps to balance this out perfectly.

Mouthfeel: Low to moderately low carbonation. Body initially leans to the medium side but finishes rather dry. Feels a bit watery.

Overall: A good brew. Fits the style rather nicely. The malts were the definite star of the show. With just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness in check, the flavor profile was really good.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 00:35:26 | More by MonkeymooTJ

TBoneJones

Texas

3.79/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a brown with some ruby coloring when held to light. Nice-looking but slim head that nearly vanishes.
I do get a nutty roasted malt aroma, coffee hint, but slight.
I actually like the chocolate/ nutty flavor of this brew. Sweet. It has a small bite of a hop finish, yet in the end feels lacking overall, somewhat. It's nothing complex, but i like what basics are in here. Dryness in my mouth after sipping this. Of beers i know that are brown, It made me wish i were drinking a Celebrator instead. The fact something in the ingredients of this decent brown ale even reminded me of a great doppelbock tells me i liked this beer more than I expected to.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:08:48 | More by TBoneJones

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served 11/10/12 poured into a glass from Old Chicago in Madison, WI. This pours a dark brown color with a light beige head. The scent is rather mild with hazelnuts. The taste is bold and nutty with a great blend of robust malts, caramel malts, and nuts. The texture is smooth and is an overall pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 20:03:51 | More by Lemke10

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Has a ruby chestnut brown color with a thin loose structure head. There is a nutty malt aroma, but lean. Taste is malty with some nutty notes, licorise. Drinks alittle sweet with light hop bitterness.
Drinks smooth and clean and is apleasure to drink, though it drinks lean and thin.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 12:54:30 | More by micromaniac129

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 355ml bottle. Pours a nice cola brown colour. There are light aromas of chocolate and smoke on the nose. Not very bold or pronounced. There are flavours of chocolate and toffee with a dry, slightly bitter finish. This is definitely a session beer, something that goes down easy and won't fatigue the palate over the course of an evening.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 21:22:00 | More by CookstLiquor

obywan59

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with a 1 1/2 finger head that leaves very light lacing.

Nutty aroma of toasted malt

More toasted malt in the taste, but here it's got more depth. Some faint coffee and a definate biterness from burnt malt.

Medium bodied with light carbonation. Slightly sticky.

A decent brew. A bit more roasted than some other brown ales I've tasted, but it doesn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 04:19:25 | More by obywan59

Mojo

Alabama

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is one smooth beer. It pours a deep mahogany with not much head and no lacing. The smell is very subtle but I mainly pick up nuts. Mouthfeel is rather average. The taste is smooth. I really don't get a lot of overly sweet notes and the finish is a little bit of coffee. I'd drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:12:23 | More by Mojo

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, another nice single find in this American craft beer far-flung consumer outpost.

This beer pours a clear, deep, dark reddish cola hue, with two fingers of supertight, fine foamy beige head, which leaves a few streaks of bleeding cut lace around the glass as it slowly sifts away.

It smells of lightly roasted caramel malt, a twinge of edgy toffee, oily mixed nuts, and herbal citrus hops. The taste is somewhat biscuity, semi-sweet bready malt, a grainy, almost dry nuttiness, some dark, singed wood-tinted sugar, some mild generic citrus notes, and earthy, leafy hops.

The bubbles are rather sedate, but still softly burbling in the background, the body a sturdy medium weight, and generally smooth. It finishes off-dry, the nuttiness pulling more or less even with the malt by this point, while the hops loiter about listlessly.

A tasty enough brown ale, the inherent nuttiness showing some commendable staying power - the flavour does not let up to the (not so) bitter end. Not a smack in one's keister, but at least worthy of seeking out more, methinks.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 23:34:48 | More by biboergosum

Giggy

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very dark brown ale with a thin off-white head. It had an initial aroma of sweet malts & hops, fresh baked brown bread. Taste was lighter than I expected, great balance between the malts, hops, and carbonation. Flavors of caramel, chocolate, coffee, and toasty malts. Very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 00:06:26 | More by Giggy

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Malty aroma has caramel and fruity notes and a hint of molasses. It pours a dark, slightly hazy cola brown with a fairly thick, fine-bubbled, pale beige head. Mouth-filling flavor has a malty core and caramel, nutty and apple tones plus a hint of - cola? Rather tasty and enjoyable. Smooth texture has average fizz and body. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 01:40:05 | More by Cyberkedi

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a NOLA beer snifter following the outset of Hurricane Isaac. (Tired of the wind and rain--need beer.)

A: Very dark brown (I like other reviewers use of the word Mahogany). A non-lingering half finger tan head. Minimal lacing.

S: Heavy malts, leather, toffee, a small gathering of nuts.

T: Malts cascaded in with a sweet caramel base, dark chocolate, nuts and lingering low hop finish. Robust. Smooth. Some coffee in the mix.

M: Medium to heavy with creamy, chewy carbonation.

O: A decent brown ale. Glad I tried it. I'd rather have more malts than hops on the finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 15:18:11 | More by brewskifan55

Blargimus

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. No freshness information.

Pours a deep brown that turns a deep ruby when held up to light. A finger or so of tan head. Nice lacing.

Nutty malt smell, perfect to style. A hint of bitter hops.

Certainly a malt-forward brown ale. The nutty character definitely comes through strongly. Not much bitterness, but it combines with the nuttiness to cut the sweetness well.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin. I'm not looking for an RIS, but I could use a little more to chew on. Carbonation is good.

Another solid brew from a "novelty" brewery that appears to be not-so-novelty after all.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:40:15 | More by Blargimus

RunForYourBeer

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown, almost black with a thin off-white head.

S: On the sweeter side. Toffee with some caramel and a bit of nuttiness.

T: Same as the smell. On the sweet side with hints of nuttiness along with some roasty flavors.

M: Light to medium with normal carbonation.

O: Good example of the style, I would like it to have a bit thicker/creamier mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:01:15 | More by RunForYourBeer

metter98

New York

3.66/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is clear dark brownish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige head that gradually died down and consistently left a thin head covering the surface and a coating of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of chocolate in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, but is a little stronger, having flavors of chocolate and nutty malts along with a very slight amount of bitterness and some hints of earthy yeast towards the finish.
M: It feels a little more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is quite chocolaty compared to other nut brown ales. It is also rather easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:19:56 | More by metter98