He'Brew Funky Jewbelation - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Opaque molasses brown with a thin cinnamon head.

Overwhelming scent of brown sugar, molasses, and cola.

Holy shit, it tastes like Dr. Pepper if it were a beer. Prunes, brown sugar, and a little blackstrap molasses.

Mouthfeel is sticky and cloyingly sweet.

With all the different beers and barrel aging going on here, it doesn't have the depth I was expecting. It was good, but all their other Jewbelations are much better.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:28:42 | More by Vonerichs

KajII

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Snifter]

The pour was a murky dark brown almost black with a large (2-3 finger) light brown rocky head that reduced to a thick film with a medium collar and had excellent sheeting of lacing.

The aroma was of a roasted chocolate malt and a sweet doughy yeast with notes of coffee, chocolate, toffee, dark fruit (Raisons and plums), bourbon cask and a touch of vanilla.

The taste was rather malty and extremely sweet with hints of chocolate and toffee from the onset with the finish having notes of coffee, a big dark fruit sweetness and a lightly noticeable bourbon alcohol presence at the end. The flavor remained on the taste buds for a nice long while with a sweet fruity espresso taste left to linger.

Mouthfeel was a few shades past medium in body and oily in texture with a nice soft carbonation.

Overall a very well put together brew, although I found it to be just a tad to much on the sweet side...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 18:22:59 | More by KajII

rangerred

Tennessee

1.98/5  rDev -46.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

22oz bomber into a snifter.

Pours a completely opaque dark brown with a tiny head that quickly dissipates

Aroma of dark fruits and a little bit of pine. I don't really pick up too much of the bourbon/whiskey aging.

The flavor is immensely sweet right off the bat. Some roasted malt, cough syrup, dark fruit and some tartness. A tiny bit of bourbon but not much. Alcohol is detectable through the nose. Mouthfeel is very heavy and sticky.

Overall, a really bad beer in my opinion. Like drinking overly sweet cough syrup. I really could only drink a couple ounces of this. Above and beyond cloying. There is just way too much going on in this beer and it is beyond sweet. I was really expecting a lot more.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 00:48:33 | More by rangerred

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up this bottle as part of a Hannukah mixed pack by Shmaltz brewing. The pack is of eight beers (for the eight nights of Hannukah); so expect many reviews to come.

This is a good smelling beer. You get a decent amount of sour presence off the top of this one. I also get some raisins from this one.

The Funky flavor is a very mixed bag. You get an uneven mix of sour and dark fruit. I would sip this one, as a full drink does not play well here.

Jewbelation is a little bit of a challenge. There is lots of stuff going on with this beer. I would sip this slowly for the best experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 19:59:54 | More by ummswimmin

barczar

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque deep brown with amber highlights and a solid two inch mocha head that dissipates fairly quickly into a half inch layer of foam, leaving spotty lacing.

Dark cherries and plums dominate the initial aroma, with rye, hints of chocolate, and today malt rounding out the profile. There's some ethanol notes that are offputting.

Flavor is far sweeter than anticipated, almost cloyingly so. Cola, sherry, and lightly roasted malt are at the forefront, accompanied by raisins, dark cherries, and booze. Toffee and rye emerge as it warms, along with perfumey hops. There's a complex vinous character.

Body is syrupy, with minimal carbonation. There's significant alcohol warmth.

Overall, a bit cloying. Interesting sherry qualities, and good dark fruit esters, but the sweetness detracts from the experience. Alcohol content is also not as inconspicuous as it could be. It has some great qualities, but unfortunately also has some pretty significant negative ones. To me, the positives are enough to redeem the brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 06:07:13 | More by barczar

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

1.8/5  rDev -51.4%
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

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev 0%
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

chugalug06

Colorado

2.03/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Mild brown foamy head builds and quickly fades. No lacing. Brew is deep purple.

Sour scent dominates. Lots of brown sugar and maple syrup. The nose does not hold up to the listing of blends on the bottle. Where's the barrel aged, rye, or bourbon???

Whoa! Sugar bomb! Heavy brown sugar, raisin, and dry malts. Sour funk. Wet and nicely carbonated.

Funky is right, but not in a good way... I'm not getting any flavors the bottle is claiming. To me, this brew is a total mess. It's missing all vanilla and barrel flavoring. Kinda makes me sick to my stomach... Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 02:09:48 | More by chugalug06

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 001/999
Bottled in March of 2012

A- Totally opaque black pour with a finger and a half creamy off white head. Lacing is pretty good for a barrel aged beer.

S- Right up front you get a boat load of sour mash from the whiskey barrels. Dark malts, brown sugar, vanilla, licorice, black strap and some grape juice and apple skins. There is some shoe leather, a touch a peat and a bit of oak and tobacco. It's pretty funky, and very complex. There truly is a lot going on in here.

T- Brown sugar and sour mash compete for supremacy. Grape juice with apple skins than it shifts to super sweet. Brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, figs, dates and plums. The barrel ageing is evident and it really helps meld everything together.

M- Medium to full bodied, wonderful chew to it, carbonation is low as expected and the finish is sticky on the lips.

O- The He'Brew brand and me at first was a awful relationship. My first experience with them was their brown ale and it was a drain pour. I've bought every special beer they've released and have been floored with the results of them all. I think they should maybe stick to speciality beers only lol.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:44:20 | More by korguy123

goochpunch

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -19.5%
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

yamar68

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber to tulip:

Pours a near pitch black with hardly an edge of clarity, like cola, with a finger of sticky mocha head. Great, stubborn lacing. Complex on the nose - raisins, toffee, oak, grapes, licorice, overripe sweet fruit, booze. Super aggressive on the tongue, evolving as it warms. Sour licorice, some estery grain, sweet raisin, a touch of rye, subtle boozy burn to dry things off. Mouthfeel is very slick and sticky... not this beer's strong point. Overall, this is a weird beer for sure. Not at all in an off-putting way, just exceedingly complex I guess you could say. I'd recommend this one to the curious beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 03:27:37 | More by yamar68

Immortale25

Florida

3.61/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Bottleneck label says Batch No. 001/999 and Bottling date 3/6/2012.

A- Pours a full-on opaque black color with a 1/4 inch tan head that fails to retain long before it shrinks away to a paper-thin ring around the edge of the glass and a partial sheet of surface foam. Lacing barely hangs on long.

S- Intense burst of raisin, almond and pecan. Some sweetness in the context of molasses and syrup.

T- Heavy, deep booze bite in the front with a sweet start and a bitter finish. So, right off the bat, I'm getting the Jewbelation, Lenny's RIPA and Messiah nut brown. Loads of syrupy malt mesh with the alcohol and slam down on the palate. A lot of tastes going on at once but not necessarily complex enough to achieve much depth of flavor.

M- Sluggish and viscous with low carbonation fueling that sentiment. Syrup continues to be the word that pops up as the beer leaves plenty of residue behind on the tongue.

O- Definitely a sipper, and definitely an experiment. Just a bit too heavy and strong for the ABV and kind of all over the place in terms of flavor balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 00:50:19 | More by Immortale25

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Right off you can tell this is something different. Six of He'Brew's ales, each of which had been aged a different period of time, and in different barrels, all combined for one strong ale. Is it the Harry Buffalo of beers? Or the Friday school cafeteria "meatloaf casserole" made up of the Monday through Thursday leftovers? Let's find out...

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into an oversized snifter. The bottle bears a bottling date of March 6, 2012, and states this is Batch No. 001/999. Pours a dark cola brown, with minimal tan head that survives as a thin wisp on the surface of the ale. This is a a very still, sedate looking brew, with no apparent carbonation keeping things active.

Smells quite malty, with notes of blackstrap, chocolate, whiskey, and dark rum. Smells a bit like one of those small bottles of extract you pull out once a year at Christmas to help flavor the spiced cookies.

Taste is much sweeter than expected, with a bit of a medicinal tang, like cherry cordial. The black licorice flavor carries through with notes of dark molasses, like Black Jack gum. The ale sweetens as it warms, bringing out hints of maple and brown sugar. A bit boozy, this has a bitter, dry finish that leaves you a bit thirsty.

Very full bodied, with a cloying sweetness that turns the tongue dry and leaves the teeth feeling as if they're wearing socks. The tang is prickling the roof of my mouth a bit.

Intense and full flavored, this is a very slow sipper of an ale. There's a lot going on, and this will definitely wear at you if you try to tackle it too quickly. Plus, clocking in at 9.8%, you begin to feel this just a few sips in. Enjoyable enough, but hard to finish at 22 ounces.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:48:46 | More by TheHoppiest

Etan

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a tulip. Batch 1, bottled 3/6/12.

A: Pours a black-brown with a big tan head.

S: Caramel, mild chocolate and old hop leaf, sweet syrupy bourbon.

T: Very sweet. Grape, fig, chocolate and caramel, slight dry woody note followed by very sweet, almost brandy-like barrel notes (coconut, sherry, brown sugar).

M: Slight carbonation, thick.

O: The sweetness of the Fifteen definitely dominates, but the blending and barrel-aging make it a huge improvement over that beer. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 14:20:35 | More by Etan

GPHarris

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

3rd night of Hanukkah 2012...

a - poured a two-fingers thick creamy tan head into a tulip glass that left a thick ring and sheet throughout. the body was dark black with some red tinting.
s - tart fruits come through first with a hint of bourbon.
t - bourbon, rye, big malty flavors.
m - very chewy and creamy.
o - loved this beer, really well blended. i am a huge fan of their jewbelation beers and this one was no exception.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 17:15:54 | More by GPHarris

sprucetip

Alaska

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Kinda on the dark side of mahogany, with modest tan head. Looks good enough. I'm more interested in how she tastes and smells.

Sour and sweet, with a jumbled mess of other influences that all sound awesome but in this case, to me, don't gain any synergistic benefit and just don't work as that well together. I sense cherry, barrels, grainy malty sweetness, and fairly strong boozy esters.

Tastes pretty much like the nose, except that the prominent sourness and cloying bitterness are more prominent. Maybe a tad too bitter as well, or it just doesn't balance right to me.

Good carbonation, full body, medium viscosity and some bitterness in the finish.

I really appreciate the effort and will try any of these that I find if I have the resources. But this one didn't work as anywhere near as well for me as the last one-off Jewbelation (don't recall which) I had. The taste is, to me, worthy of the strong descriptor cloying. And that didn't mesh well with the sourness. And those two elements overpowered most everything else. But I commend Shmaltz for the creative attempt.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 07:56:21 | More by sprucetip

trxxpaxxs

New York

2.75/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a deep deep deep brown, pretty much black, with only slight lighter hues around the edges. There is very little foam, and what does exist is a frothy mix of bubbles (large and small) along the edges of the glass. No lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is vinegar and cherries. There are subtle note hidden in there (chocolate and fig), but the main scents are the two main ones mentioned above.

T: Hmm. It's a mix of sweet and sour right from the get-go. Big sweet malt and soy right off the bat, the vinegar and cherries shine through next, and then back to sweet syrupy fig. The barrel treatments on this are a detriment. It's too funky, and too weird. Not a fan.

M: Full bodied beer. It's syrupy to start and lingers forever. I wish it didn't.

O: Not a fan of this beer at all. The sour funk and sweet barrel aging make this beer a wacky mis-match that I just can't accept. Usually I can choke down a bomber of something that I don't particularly like, but this is rough. I've never been let down by Shmaltz before... so this is a first.

No thanks!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 22:28:38 | More by trxxpaxxs

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Half finger of offwhite head and an almost opaque brown body. Tiny trace of retention, not a lot of lace.

Nose has a distinctive brett tang, definitely the suggested funk.

Lots of brett up front, probably more to come with time. Underneath that, a sweet oud bruin with a bit of bourbon and bready rye undertone. Overall pleasant and balanced, on the sweet side.

Feel is nice and thick but not syrupy, good body.

This was pretty great. For some reason I didn't expect the brett since I didn't remember it on the bottle label, but it's definitely good and well-balanced. Don't know if I'll get another to age, but worth aging if you have one I'd bet.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 02:21:33 | More by zaphodchak

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark mahogany. for a near 10%'er, quite a tan, messy head.
smell: Wow, quite a mixture of smells as to be expected from the 6 blend menagerie. A sourness up front with solid malt and bourbon support. I sniff Lenny's RIPA in there too.
taste: That is well done. Just reading the blend I figured it would be somewhere between a chaotic mess and a divine blend. It's closer to the latter. Not quite an FW anniversary blend but damn good. Not a big sour fan but the hint really works here.
overall: Smooth and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 21:44:48 | More by cindyjeffsmith

larryi86

Delaware

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber, dated 3/6/2012, poured into a tulip

A- Black with a four finger tan foamy head.

S- Sour cherries stand out right away, but don't dominate the smell. Some bourbon, oak, rye, roasted malts, dark fruits, coffee, dark chocolate, caramel malts. Smell is king of crazy, but I enjoy it!

T- Sweet dark fruits, sugar, some cherry tartness in the finish, only getting a little bit of the barrel. Not getting the coffee and chocolate, sweetness really drives this beer.

M- Full body, syrupy and chewy.

O- Worth the money to try once, but probably won't buy this again. This is very sweet. I can see why it got the name Funky Jewbelation, with everything going on it is a little bit of mess but it does work.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 02:32:58 | More by larryi86

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Happy to try this interesting beer.

Pours a dark ruby tinted brown that is very dark. There is a thin ring of light tan head. Tiny spots of lace.

The nose consists of cherry, dark fruit, butterscotch, vanilla, light oak, and just a td bit of rye spice.

The taste is a beast in the game. Cherry, caramel sweetness, rye spice, dark fruits, and a bit of vanilla.

The mouthfeel is full and thick as most of the Brews brews is. Creamy and rich, a bit gritty, sweet and beast.

Overall, another great turnout from the barrel program at Shmaltz. Rich and luxurious.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 06:48:20 | More by ChugginOil

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

2.28/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

First try of Shmaltz brewing, a brewery that I’ve been watching for a while. For some reason, this one had a picture of George W. Bush’s face taped over the afro face on the label – looks like someone in the liquor store had a little fun.

Batch #1, brewed nearly three months before the date of this tasting (bottle date 3/6/2012 on the label).

A: Black body with a dark brown, soda-like transparency at the bottom of the glass. The head, a big, slow-moving, dark tan cream; full, smooth retention and a collection of stringy lacing all over. Looks like a stout.

S: Sour and fruity, acidic and complex: the biggest aromas are fig, cherry sauce, pecan, and a bright, bretty funk. It’s smoothly tannic, but with big hits of oak, grape, burnt sugar, rye whiskey, coconut, and vanilla nougat.

T: Dark, creamy sours dominate this palate; I’m not even sure how to explain it. It’s so cloyingly sweet, sticking the palate into a syrupy, unpleasant place. It’s all too much – thick licorice, root beer, and molasses that do nothing but lay on the tongue with too much oiliness. Sure, it has a bit of funkiness (via sour cherry and grape), and the malts do provide a gingerbread, rye, and cinnamon taste, but the whole palate is sadly cloying. Finishes like cough syrup, with a booziness that tastes more like vodka and coke than bourbon. Strange, strange brew, Shmaltz.

M: This one is very mildly carbonated – it goes down slick, way too mouth-coating for such a painfully sweet palate. I can’t finish my first glass.

O: Funky Jewbelation just hit all the wrong spots for me. I don’t know what it is, but I did not really enjoy the taste of it; I heard that the standard Jewbelation 15 was good, though.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 04:43:37 | More by BarryMFBurton

homebrewhawk

Kansas

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bottle served in a snifter. Poured a deep brown/black with a finger of tan head. Lots of brett in the aroma along with some roasted barley. Tart with dark malt and dark fruit. I didn't get a lot of barrel. A little thinner than I would expect. Fair amount of malt sweetness. Alcohol is not very apparent. An interesting experiment, but not a beer that I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 22:05:56 | More by homebrewhawk

Pahn

New York

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Bottled 3/6/2012, Batch 001.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1 inch frothy/fizzy offwhite head that dissipates quickly and lacelessly. Pours black with red highlights. Sparse, short-lived lacing.

Smell: Some hops (pine, foresty), some whiskey, bit of caramel. Prune note comes out with time. Overall smell is bold and good.

Taste: First sip: wow, spicy and weird. Lots of caramel/vanilla oak up front, then an unexpected hit of herbs/spices (anise one of the few I can pick out distinctly), then grape, prune, and molasses in the finish. Long aftertaste, not bad.

Subsequent sips integrate a lot better, and generally are more caramel and prune than anise, but there's the occasional spicy surge. I would like a bit more flavor, but what's happening is ultimately good.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, extremely smooth and creamy. Low but not too low carbonation. Slightly dry finish. Great.

Overall: Good barrel aged oddity. The flavors work well together, but don't really sing (bit of a cliche; think I've written that exact sentence in previous reviews). Price not bad at all for a barrel aged strong ale ($11~ I got it for... though at the same time, I would like more barrel influence in the flavor; you get what you pay for this time).

Vertical Jewbelation was better, but this is a worthy beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 02:46:37 | More by Pahn

acevenom

Louisiana

3.1/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a large brandy snifter. Pours black with a tall, dark brown head. The head dissipates slowly. There is a little bit of lacing left on the side of the glass. As the namesake implies, this beer has a tart smell on the first sniff. The tartness is a bit fruity in nature. A little bit of alcohol comes through in the aroma as well. The malt also comes through in the smell. The taste follows the nose. It has the tart fruit taste mingled with roasted malts. It's mildly sweet, but not too sweet. The alcohol does come through in the taste as well, taking on a slightly boozy character. The flavors are definitely interesting. The body is medium to full with adequate carbonation. The beer sips very smoothly. This is an above average beer overall, which is disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 23:48:57 | More by acevenom