He'Brew Funky Jewbelation - Shmaltz Brewing Company

macrosmatic

Florida

4.09/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at Mr. Dunderbak's. Served in a pint glass.

A: Very dark brown, maybe with some hints of red, and nearly opaque. A one-finger light brown head on top, and low visible carbonation.

S: Sweet, boozy, chocolate, a bit of wood, some fruitiness (dark cherry?), and some tart funk.

T: Funky, dark fruity, wood, booze (sherry?), chocolate. Quite tasty, although pretty sweet.

M: Heavy bodied, thick sticky mouthfeel, significant alcohol heat, carbonation sensation on the low side.

O: Tasty, different, but it's heavy, sticky and sweet. I felt pretty much done with it after about 6 oz. worth of the beer, but those first six were quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2013 14:57:41 | More by macrosmatic

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep amber to black in color with a tan head. In the aroma, a small sweet to sour fruitiness and a licorice. In the taste, sweet alcohol, fruity white grape, plum, green apple, and licorice. A small bite, but mainly smooth, with a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry note of licorice and a small fruitiness in the aftertaste. A bit boozy, nice fruit, licorice, that lingers nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 17:09:16 | More by OWSLEY069

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got an 8oz pour at Mosaic in Astoria. Man, this is a big beer. Honestly, I think it could do with less blending. It's a rich beer, but not much can stand out. I couldn't even tell off the bat that this had whiskey barrel aging. It's sweet and almost a little juicy with dark fruit up front. The dark barley adds a slight roast and eventually a little barrel vanilla rolls in. Still, it'd be easy to mistake this for a massive brown ale. The hops are mild, the malts and dark and fruity, and the barrel character is very light.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 23:02:07 | More by tempest

david18

New York

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

I've had a number of these beers, as it has been on tap at the Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for some time now. I'm surprised to see it listed as an american strong because this beer is very funky and quite sour. ...and overall great.

Appearance is a dark brown with a lighter brown/tan head. Carbonation is adequate, not huge but not flat either.

Aroma is of the dark fruit, roasted malt and some of the sourness comes through on the nose.

Flavor has all of the same characteristics but also a very sour presence. Pretty well balanced if you're ok with sour as one of the elements.

A great beer from a great brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 19:02:23 | More by david18

jera1350

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with a tan head. Sweet hoppy molasses nose. He taste is extremely sweet with raisin, prune, fig, molasses, herbal, floral, hoppy and malty. Hints of barrel notes. Smooth and full bodied. So much going on and such a unique taste, but overall a great trip.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 21:54:38 | More by jera1350

SMortiL987

Louisiana

4.3/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Opaque black, tan-brown head which persisted until about half way through. Very stout like.

S - Prunes, & brown sugar or apparent. A little alcohol present.

T - Overt sweetness. I only get a touch of roast for how dark it is. Hops aren't overly present either. Citrus sourness is apparent, very grapefruit like sourness.

M - Thick mouthfeel, light carbonation. Perceived sweetness sticks around, not overly dry. Perceived slickness on the tongue, but can't tell if that's from sweetness or diacetyl.

O - Very unique beers. It made me say "wow" out loud upon the first sip. So much going on with this beer I don't know where to start. A sour, sweet, touch bitter and alcohol experience. Check it out if you can, it's very unique. Very big beer without being overly boozy. I was content with half a pint pour.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 18:05:31 | More by SMortiL987

russwbeck

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +29.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Rustico Ballston $4 for 4oz

A: A very dark black pour with a slightly light brown head. A nice size, the head laces very nicely but could last a bit longer. 4.5

S: The aroma is nicely tart and surprisingly not dominated by bourbon or rye. Booze and sour, smells inviting. 4.5

T: The taste is really interesting. Built upon what seems to be a base of dark chocolate and booze. The rye and bourbon are much more prominent here. The sweet vanilla and aftertases of sour tartness really blend beautifully. The rye and bourbon add to the taste, which I like to see. A very well put together beer 5

MF: The body is heavy and velvety smooth on the palate. The booze is not offensive at all. Very drinkable 4.5

O: This is wonderful, hope the bottle is just as good. I absolutely recommend you grab this. Every beer in this series has been well above average. A new take on sour beers in my experience. 5

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 02:24:36 | More by russwbeck

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Sierra Grille...kind of a mystery beer to me, a mix of various Jewbelation beers that has been funkified I believe?

Pours into a snifter a very dark brownish red, a nice off-white head retains pretty well, settles as a thick cap leaving good lace.

A good smell with balance between dark fruits, caramel, funkiness.

Lots of dark fruit/raisin up-front, caramel+nutty malts, molasses, quite a bit of sweetness but balanced pretty well. There is some light funk/brettiness there but it's toned down from the nose. Some earthy hop, slight booze.

Solid mouthfeel, a bit of a velvety feel, a little booze but not bad for almost 10%.

An interesting beer, I've never had any of the Jewbelation series or any Shmaltz beer for that matter so I'm not sure how well any of the elements of this blend were integrated. Certainly wouldn't mind trying it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 13:46:51 | More by Chico1985

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.23/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a dark rootbeer color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is likewise attractive, and the beer smells as if it will be on the sweet side (something I confirmed after my first sip). Otherwise, I get some concord grape, brown sugar, vanilla, chocolate in this beer and hint of bourbon on the nose. On the palate, this beer is just terrific. I toyed with giving it a score of 5 here, but the sweetness in this beer is a bit much. Otherwisee, I get an incredible combination of fruit cocktail, brown sugar, light caramel, a hint of citrus, chocolate and light booze. The flavor combination is exotic and complex in this rich beer, though needless to say, a little bit goes a long way. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, with a long, sweet, somewhat citrusy finish. Alcohol is noticeable, but is not over done. The beer is not hot or tiring on the palate, despite the sweetness.

Pretty impressive stuff from Shmaltz brewing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 19:36:16 | More by johnmichaelsen

DCon

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap @ the East Nashville Beer Festival in East Nashville, TN. Tapped from the "Bottle" handle w/ Funky Jewbelation branded into my 8oz Yazoo Festival Glass.

Aroma- Tons of booze and strong ale characteristics. Malt forward and has an interesting funk hanging in the background. Mellow berries also shoot out on the nose. Very nice!

Appearance- Pours a .5 finger, dark brown head that has good retention. Has a opaque body and definitely brown. Leaves thick lacing behind that coats the glass.

Flavor- Malt strong, tons of berries and fruit character, and then has a good amount of booze once again. Light-medium bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied while also being thin, Light Carbonation, and has a boozy finish.

Overall Impression- A VERY interesting one by Shmaltz. I've had the Jewbelation before so decided to hit this one first on this special day. Just like the brand. A funky strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2012 16:45:12 | More by DCon

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a snifter)
Batch 001 bottled 13/6/12
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a tan creamy head that last for a good bit.

S- The earthy wet wood aroma has a soft Flanders red cherry ester note to it with some tartness in the finish.

T- The nice tartness is followed by a red wine character with some caramel and smoke with some walnut hints to it. The sweetness of the finish has bourbon and chocolate malt coming through and lingering for a bit.

M- The medium-full mouthfeel has an alcohol heat and a soft carbonation in the finish.

O- This beer has some good layers and it is interesting how the sour and oak mix well with red wine and Flanders yeast characteristics with softer bourbon notes. It gets a bit too thick and syrupy for me as it warms but it was interesting to drink along the way.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 20:30:32 | More by rhoadsrage

Brenden

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A thick dark brown that's not quite motor oil thick or dark, this beer grows a brown head up to about a finger high. Retention is good, as the head doesn't fade much. Lacing is left in patches to the middle of the glass and a little beyond.
There's lots of complexity in the aroma. A little bit balsamic with caramel sweetness, some rye spiciness and mildly earthy notes, and some dark fruits, it foretells the complexity and depth that will be found in the flavor. Alcohol is well masked.
The flavor opens up even more, and it's such a good mix of a little tart, a little sour, a little sweet, and full of flavor with a great display of skill being shown in the masking of overly alcoholic notes between the high ABV and the whiskey and bourbon barrels. The earthiness and gentle spicy note are just enough underneath, as I imagine it's just what's pulled from those rye whiskey barrels. Delicious.
This is a big-bodied, robust, and smooth beer. A strong ale it is, but it doesn't overwhelm anymore in the feel than in the smell or taste. Even a little crisp, it brings a nice bit of dryness into the finish.
This beer and its overall reviews make me wish more BAs would rather have depth in their beer than just being overpowered by it.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:37:26 | More by Brenden

TBoneJones

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Very dark brown, nearly black. Minor head fades.
Smells of licorice and rye! Like a rye twizzler. Funky cherry too.
Tastes like barrel-aged oaky dark plum, sour cherry in there too, all of the aforementioned not blended in the most appealing way. Interesting dark fruit notes, but the funky aspect here throws me off.
A boldly tart and sour brew of dark fruits that leaves me with the overall impression that im glad to have tried a new barrel aged brew from a solid brewery, yet I don't see myself seeking it again. Grapey sourness with rye. Odd combo for my taste. Too sweet.? If you like sweet & sour rye ales then this may suit you well. It didnt for me, but maybe it will for you.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:50:09 | More by TBoneJones

HardTarget

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Deep brown glass glows a bit but has no clarity. Halo of tan tiny bubbles holds but doesn't really lace.

Smell: Dark malt extract with a sour cherry twang. A powerful nose gives you bang for buck.

Taste: A real kick in the teeth this one. Sour brett cherry bourbon malt bomb on aisles 4-9. As I get somewhat accustom to the tidal wave, a lot of smokey charred barrel starts to come in, as well as a heady alcoholic slap.

Mouthfeel: Cask to still carbonation drags this back a bit. There's plenty of body to support a little fizz.

Overall: Sour beers don't sit well with me. Love the taste, don't like the indigestion later. Still, was glad to get a nose and taste of this monster. If the Sour doesn't scare you, it's an experience you shouldn't pass up.

Thanks to Illudium for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:03:38 | More by HardTarget

goochpunch

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2

Pours a very dark brown. Kind of cloudy/hazy. Smell reminds me a lot of a Flemish red/brown ale: vanilla, oak, tart fruitiness, and dark malts. Smells awesome. Taste is kind of messy, but kind of interesting, all the same. Odd mix of roasted malt, fruity tartness/sweetness, barrel, and hops. Kind of medicinal aftertaste. Mouthfeel is fairly full with smooth carbonation. Overall this is not that great. I might have liked the flavor more (or truly would have been less disappointed) if the smell hadn't blown me away first.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:08:47 | More by goochpunch

Auraan

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a very dark color with a little bit of a thin, off-white head that dissipated quickly. Scent is sweet malt, slight liquor and a hint of soy sauce. Flavor is incredibly sweet malt, hints of chocolate underneath, some slight raisin and sour notes and a bit of woody and liquor flavors from the barrel aging. Mouthfeel is sticky, with low carbonation. It sips pretty, well, but it is almost too sweet, syrup like in most regards. A nice experiment, but it could do with some lowering of the sweetness and a little more roasted flavors and hop character.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 06:06:24 | More by Auraan

DovaliHops

California

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Batch 2. Pours a pitch black color with a small tan head that goes down slowly. Scent is very interesting. Somewhat tannic notes with some dark chocolate and brandy aromas. Sweet vanilla and coconut with dark malt and oak. Subtle cherry and plums...other dark fruits as well. Smells like this one is going to taste pretty sweet...I'm hoping it's not overwhelmingly sweet. Taste is...extremely sweet. Almost coming close to Dark Lord-sweet. I really wish this beer would have tasted just like it smelled. There is some cloying sweetness and soy sauce flavors here, very similar to Dark Lord. A hint of tartness, I'm assuming from the barrel aged Origin in this blend. That slight tartness is the only thing saving this beer, making it seem more complex and balancing out that intense sweetness. Brandy and whiskey flavors, but not very well-balanced. Drinkability is fair, as this one is too sweet. Small doses. Mouthfeel is a tad thin...could use a little more body and creaminess. Overall, not a bad beer at all...in fact, this one will be highly recommended by me. It is unique and delicious in very small doses. Too sweet to drink a pint or 22oz of.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 05:04:45 | More by DovaliHops

laituegonflable

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very, very dark colour. Almost black, with a hint of red the only colour to be seen. Head is darkish beige, large bubbles. Looks nice.

Bit of funk to the nose, but also dark roast and chocolatey sweetness. Burnt caramel, bit of organic barnyardy funk, and underripe plum as well. Touch of coconut. Very nice.

Taste is a little too sweet. Slight tart notes, giving apricot, fig jam and plum; touch of cocoa, and then finish is all fruity with slight funk - some mango, caramel and molasses. A bit sweet, but mostly just not enough roast. I think with more bitter roast, you'd have a really interesting beer here, whereas now it's just a bit off balance.

A bit thin, but quite fluid on the body. Not bad.

A bit too much light. Needs more dark. It's a little incoherent. Dark - seriously. I need you here. Why have you forsaken me?

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 05:12:10 | More by laituegonflable

alk3kenny

Georgia

4.26/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark dark some ruby color around the edges not a ton of head . Smell is complex dark fruits candy sweetness wood alcohol. Wow taste is different sour fruit some banana i expected the barrel aging to leave more mellow flavors but you can tell there are aspects of different beers here. Not too hot either I like this.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:40:19 | More by alk3kenny

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter; Batch 1, bottled on 3/6/2012. Pours nearly pitch black; hazy very dark brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big raisin, fig, date, caramel, molasses, toast, toffee, dark bread, chocolate, rye, bourbon, vanilla, oak, light pepper, and roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity, malty, and barrel notes. Taste of raisin, fig, date, prune, molasses, toast, toffee, caramel, dark bread, chocolate, rye, bourbon, oak, vanilla, light herbal spiciness, and roasted earthiness. Lingering notes of dark fruits, molasses, toast, toffee, chocolate, rye, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice flavor complexity and balance of fruity, malty, and barrel notes; barrel strength is just enough without being overpowering; with some slight cloying sweetness present after the finish, but not bad at all. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very slick, creamy, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel blended strong ale! Great balance and complexity of fruit, malt, and barrel flavors; and extremely smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 04:06:25 | More by superspak

abriggs1

Connecticut

2.76/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

I love Shmaltz, they're possibly my favorite brewery. But this one is a miss. The Hebrew 16 is an incredible beer, and might just be the best beer ever brewed after it ages a few years. But this one is just a mess. Too sweet, and unfocused to the point that it just doesn't satisfy. I wish I loved this beer, but I think there's only so much craziness you can have in a beer before it just gets out of control. Certainly an interesting concept, but if you look at the beers that go into this, they don't really work together. But who knows, maybe if I sat on one of these for about 5 years the flavors would coalesce into something incredible. It's impossible to say. I've collected the Hebrew 14 through 16, and I have no doubt that they will age like champs. This one might, but I'm not willing to risk $10 to find out.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:07:46 | More by abriggs1

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

1.8/5  rDev -51.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.75

12 oz.

Pours jet black, tan film for a head.

Smells of whiskey, molasses, cinnamon, figs, caramel, coca cola and nutmeg.

Tastes like grapes, bourbon, oak, soy sauce, cranberries, cinnamon, molasses, chocolate, lemon juice and orange peel.

Medium body with a light tingle of carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

I really want to like this beer and have had and liked several of the component beers that went into this ale blend, but this is awful. Cloyingly sweet and nauseating. The only beer I've ever had that I've had trouble getting down without gagging. I see from the other reviews that I am in the minority here. Maybe I just got a bad one? The bottling date says March 6, 2012, so maybe it just aged poorly. Batch 001 of Case 999. Whatever the cause, this is pretty terrible.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 21:12:28 | More by Cylinsier

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

A thin tan head on a black body.
The aroma is wood, molasses, alcohol and chocolate.
Well, the taste is outstanding. It's amazing that this is a blend of six barrel aged ales and that it tastes this good. Where to begin? There are bits of every one of the six beers in this one beer and they all play together nicely.
The texture is smooth with low carbonation.
Try it.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 00:12:09 | More by Fatehunter

ferrari29

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Beer poured from bottle into a Snifter shaped pint glass

A - Beer pours with a heavy motor oil, dark brown colored body; some bubbles subtly sit on the bottom of the glass; quarter finger sized brown colored head; didn't hold for very long; not much lacing

S - Smell dark fruits like dates and figs; whiskey and booze; prunes; sweet brown sugar; syrup

T - Taste of dark fruits is sweet and overwhelming; not much hop bitterness; prunes; sweet brown sugar and syrup; rye; slight touch of toasted malt; oak and moldy wood barrel

M - Medium body; slightly tart at the end of the sip; lingering dark fruit, sweet brown sugar and roasted malt flavor; not effervescent

D - Great Strong Ale; I really liked the fruity-whiskey blend of flavors; its easy to drink and not too heavy; just has a nice strong booze; I really like that you can taste all the unique ingredients in the beer

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 05:25:29 | More by ferrari29

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance. Pours deep brown, pretty much black with 1.5 fingers of tan head.

Smell. Sour cherries, bourbon and sweet chocolate with some tart dark berries and old wood. Interesting.

Taste. Dark berries and fruit, very light sourness, bourbon and caramel, with a little chocolate and barrel and a bit of woody funk. Really sugary sweet.

Mouthfeel. On the lower side of full bodied with medium, smooth carbonation. A little sticky.

Overall. I like the intention of making something interesing, but this just isn't doing it for me. Way too sweet for this guy and a strange blend of flavours that didn't really go together well with that sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:29:15 | More by Rutager