He'Brew Funky Jewbelation - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

A dark cola like pour, good head formation, not the greatest in terms of retention or lacing though. The aroma was interesting, reminiscient of Firestone XV, but with some cinnamon and more dark fruit going for it.

Taste, similar again to Firestone XV, had a nice sweetness going for it, a body and consistency that was more barleywine or old ale than it was imperial stout, despite the color. I thought more pomegranite and cinammon (I keep mentioning cinnamon, its not like it was oppressive, or even large, just the right amount). The barrel addition to the flavor profile is mild, but enjoyable. Definitely not getting any charre barrel remnants on this one, leans more towards the sweeter non charred whiskey barrels I would think. Alcohol relatively well disguised. More often than not, dark fruit notes don't sit well with me in a beer like this, they make it all 'quad' like, but thankfully, there's no yeast like quad notes, nor does the beer come off as dark fruit bitter, it just truly lends a small pomegranite like sweetness to the beer. Brown, black, even a little chocolate malt in short order. Some mild citrus notes, similar to the inclusion of double jack or wookie jack in a FFW blend, probably from the Rye IPA they use, here, blended in just the right amount.

I was pretty impressed with this. Sampled with greenkrusty101, who bought this for me about 6 months ago, finally put it down after a growler of Ephraim while watching Season 1 of Trailer Park Boys at the new house.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 16:14:24 | More by Beerandraiderfan

sprucetip

Alaska

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
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

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.

Pours dark brown with a beige head of an inch that quickly fades to a placid surface and zero lacing.

Ripe malt, raisins, bourbon, port, and plums start the nose. Booze-laced figs and dark fruit follow through.

Medium to full bodied with a slick, sticky mouthfeel. A bit syrupy.

Sweet malt, ripe fruit, and plump raisins lead off the palate along with boozy, vineous notes. A faint tartness with cherries and dark rum run under.

Finishes with warming bourbon, port, cherries, and leathery malt.

Big, boozy beer and certainly cellar worthy.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:28:57 | More by brewandbbq

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a dark brown-black color with a finger of frothy khaki-chocolate colored head. The head fades away fairly slowly leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is full of oak, vanilla, and Bourbon, with some rye, molasses, dark fruits, cherries, chocolate, and a bit of black licorice, hops, and booze.

T - Starts off with sweet dark fruits with some raisin and sour cherries, with some chocolate, vanilla, and some black licorice. Through the middle, the Bourbon and oak comes through with some rye, molasses, and some more sour cherries. The finish is a mix of sour cherries and dark fruits, vanilla, oak, Bourbon, rye, with some molasses, chocolate, and a bit of booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and syrupy with a warming, sweet, and lightly sour finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really interesting blend. Good bold and complex flavors with just the right amount of sourness.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 02:17:07 | More by ngeunit1

KajII

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
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

SHODriver

California

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

A: pours black into a snifter with a finger of light tan head and minimal retention
S: smells sweet and fruity with notes of caramel and vanilla as well
T: slight cherry/grape flavor, a bit of caramel sweetness, slight hop kick, a bit of chocolate, residual sugar. aftertaste is more bourbon flavor and fruit flavor
M: light and soft carbonation with a heavy and slick mouthfeel
O: I'm really not sure what happened with this beer but it seems to be a bit of a mess in my opinion. It tastes nothing like any Jewbelation and you can taste a lot of the constituent beers in this. Not a lot of rye character going on and some spicy rye would have been nice and would have done a lot to cut through the sweetness. the sweetness really overdid it for me and made the beer lack serious balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 03:17:01 | More by SHODriver

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - near black and impenetrable, two fingers of mocha head retained nicely
S - a milky sweet & sour aroma, rye, toffee, and mild hops, definitely funky
T - this thing is all over the place, the milky sweetness is prominent, rye and woody notes, mild molasses, a hint of herbal hops
M - big and somewhat chewy, low carbonation, sticky sweet, with just a little dryness from the alcohol
O - I think this is a case of too much of a good thing, big respect for the forward thinking, but it seems unfocussed and that comes through in the flavours, but still worth a try for any curious beer advocate

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:47:13 | More by joemcgrath27

Etan

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
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

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

Bottle I shared at Tulune's Southside Saloon in Johnstown, PA

Batch # 001. Bottled 3/6/12.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasted malt, sour and tart fruit, and some punishing bourbon/whiskey aromas. Taste is powered by sweetness mixed with burbon and whisky....pretty much the same with a fruity and funky finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that has an interesting blend of He’Brew beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 03:06:24 | More by WoodBrew

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a jet black color with a small, tan head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of some black cherry and toffee, caramel and sweet malt.

T - Malty and sweet with toffee and caramel flavors. Some sour cherry is present and very mild.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is pretty good. I think letting it sit for a few months helped.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 13:13:01 | More by zeff80

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

3.2/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I really wanted to like this beer.

I thought Vertical Jewbelation was fantastic and thought Genesis 15:15 was World Class. When I saw this was another Barrel product from HeBrew it was a no-brainer pulling the trigger for $12.99.

Funky I found to be a bit too sweet. The dark fruits were past vinous...into straight Welch's Grape juice territory, and I'm not a big fan of grapejuice. The stickiness from the barrel was apparent but slim to no barrel made itself known in the taste. Where's the Rye Whiskey and Bourbon the bottle promises?

Not sure what else to say other than I'm glad I only picked up one of these.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:34:10 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a: This was all but black. It poured with a medium sized head that faded to a thin film.

s: Odd, but mostly in an appealing way. I find vinous soy sauce, some fruity chocolate, cheries, tobacco, vanilla, and sweet, sugary booze.

t: Sweet brown sugar up front and then mildly funky, vaguely chocolatey, vinous dark fruit. Plenty of booze and hints of tobacco and soy sauce at the end.

m: Big and chewy.

o: Well, its different. It just doesn't quite come together for me. Glad I tried it but I don't want another.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 22:49:19 | More by DIM

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +19.1%
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

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
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

acevenom

Louisiana

3.1/5  rDev -16.7%
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

maximum12

Minnesota

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

Picked this up recently since the big Shmaltz beers have been very good to us. 22 oz. bomber split with my wife after realizing, for the 935th time, that people are generally assholes. I'm not sure why this is, but it's true. Yeesh.

Pour is...well, mine's a lot shorter than my wife's, if I ever committed that sin I'd get an earful! Dark brown enough to kiss up to light black. Surprisingly frothy for a big strong ale. Bourbon is hearty on the nose, buttressed with a sigh of underlying funk. Simple but nice.

Funky Jewbelation is one odd character. Up front there's bourbon, but it short-circuits in a hurry. Big, tart fruits, slight souring cherry, offset strangely by a big helping of sweetness that strays into cloying. The barrel vanishes & those fruits have serious staying power in the aftertaste. Kind of like herpes. Heavy beer.

Well, this is uncomfortable. Not a bad effort, but the tart makes the barrel almost disappear, yet at the same time manages to balance the jazz with sweetness that goes a bit over the top. This might balance out more with age. As is, pretty good beer that feeds into the Shmaltz shtick & is, at least, unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 02:28:14 | More by maximum12

mactrail

California

3.13/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark brown in the big chalice with a modest head. Reasonable carbonation but the slick mouthfeel and sugar load make it more syrupy. Interesting nose of nuts and caramel with that whiff of acidity.

There is definitely something a little funky about this stuff. There is a buttery but some kind of slight sour along with it. Tangy flavors, but the sweetness is unrelenting. Not as boozy as you might expect. More of a fruit and candy flavor. Fig preserves, but some bitterness as in thick cut orange marmalade. Makes me think of Malta with cheap whiskey added.

Not what you'd hope for in a barrel-aged beer, but more of a sweet liqueur beer. Truly weird. Bought the 22 oz bottle at Liticker's in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:38:32 | More by mactrail

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark brown, pretty much black. Head was a finger, medium brown in color. The aroma had some slightly sour, almost cherry like quality. Some barrel notes, but they're not hugely predominant. Some dark fruitiness, and some sweetness. The taste didn't really have that sourness, just a bit of a tingle on the tongue. Mostly a thick sweetness, dark fruits and some oakiness. Really hard to pick out any of the individual components that make this up, it's just kind of a clusterfuck, albeit not a bad one. The feel is decent, upper medium in body.

Interesting, and not bad, but one of my least favorite of the Jewbelations...

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:57:09 | More by EgadBananas

Mora2000

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to jjfoodie for sharing this bottle. Drank alongside Jewbelation 15 and Genesis 15:15.

The beer pours a brownish color with a tan head. The aroma has a lot of dark fruit, with some toffee and rye whiskey notes mixed in as well. The flavor is quite a bit more complex. I get the same rye notes from the aroma, but there is also a lot of cherry and raisin notes, as well as a lot of character from the barrels. I get some oak, maple and vanilla. There is also a hint of alcohol, but it is more well hidden than in a lot of He'Brew beers. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Of the three beers drank in the flight, this one was my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 15:48:18 | More by Mora2000

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle date of 3/6/12 into New Belgium Globe.

A - About two fingers of nice tan head. Bubles are large and pop quickly, but because there are so many of them, they seem to stick a while. Body is dark. Maybe needs 3mm or less to see light through it. Some red to it.

S - Nice oud bruin style scent. Good dark fruit sour smells like cherries and prunes. Also a hint of chocolates.

T - This is prime time. One of those dark sours that is wonderful. The rye is very light. Mostly cherries, chocolate, and red wine. Very pleasant.

M - Moderate on the carb and body. Nothing special but where it needs to be.

O - I would compare this to the other great dark sours like Collage and Maroon Acidifie. The chocolate is a nice touch.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 01:51:56 | More by RuckusDu

champ103

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark black, nearly opaque with a large tan head the rises to over two fingers. The tightly packed head gently recedes to a ring that sticks throughout.
S: Dark fruits of tart cherries and plums. Very sweet in the nose with sweet milk chocolate.
T: Dark fruits again with that slightly tart cherries covered in chocolate. Which I enjoy, but then the over barring sweetness just takes over. Seems over attenuated.
M/D: A full and sticky body. Low on the carbonation. A slow sipper for sure. The alcohol packs a punch, and the sweetness is a bit much.

Like I said, just overly sweet. Other than that, very enjoyable. I am thinking some age will mellow this out.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 02:53:08 | More by champ103

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

22 from Brewforia for a damn pricey $14 ... Shmaltz is getting pretty damn proud of their brews ;-)

Poured into my thin tulip... dark tan head rises and drops pretty quickly but leaves behind very pretty lacing... the brew is dark.. looks like a porter.

Woody sour notes immediately make me think of Collage.. but sweeter, darker, and not quite as sour... plenty of wood and whiskey.. fruity like currants and/or sweet cherries.. a bit vinous and mildly acetic.

Flavor has Balsamic qualities that gel on the palate.. not really a bad thing.. just present. Vanilla and woody character is more than prevalent.. more sweet than sour, but I like it.. waves of malty complexities that are hard to harness... dark/chocolate.. hints of black malt..

Body is heavy... carbonation tries to make up for the deficiencies.... but ultimately fails.

I am sooo surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did.. It should be a bit drier... that would help the barrel character shine and take away the sorta cloying sweetness.. but overall, this is a winner.

Still too expensive ;-)

4/4/4/3/4.5

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 06:02:45 | More by JohnGalt1

trxxpaxxs

New York

2.75/5  rDev -26.1%
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

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Funky Jewbelation, bomber bought at Whole Foods Columbus Circle for circa $11.99.

Appearance: Poured into my new and massive Daan Duvel glass, the Funky pours dark and black and opaque like an Imperial Stout, with a perfect one-finger head that lasts long enough. Some lacing and good retention.

Smell: Sweet and sour, with lots of funkiness! A clear vinous aroma all around, with grape juice and Welch's fruit jelly. Barnyard, fresh horse shit/pee near Central Park and smashed cherries. Whiskey overtones all around. Between engaging and unpleasant...

Taste: Dark fruit, Concord-grape puree. Then some hops and liquid chocolate. Graininess, more whiskey flavor and some barrel. Sour all around. Outrageous sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Full body and flavor, medium-to-low carbonation. Sticky, chewy, sweet and heavy. A definite sipper, can easily overwhelm.

Overall: Drinkability is low here. So sweet and thick and massive... easily my lowest fav of all of Hebrew's barrel-aged releases. Would not seek again, but glad to have tried it twice.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 04:56:03 | More by DoubleSimcoe

rangerred

Tennessee

1.98/5  rDev -46.8%
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