He'Brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Halcyondays

California

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours black with a medium brown head, good head retention, lots of thick dark lace.

S: Booze centered with some soy and dark chocolate.

T: Definitely better than the nose. Delicious sweet malt flavour, dark chocolate for sure, brown sugar, Rapadura. Some ethanol but well contained. Big flavours for sure.

M: Full-bodied, rich, creamy and decadent.

O: A fun beer, but not something I could really have a ton of. The price is still really good for a beer of this size. Worth a buy.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 20:24:39 | More by Halcyondays

leedorham

Washington

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-19-2013 15:00:15 | More by leedorham

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a dark brown, thin tan head on top. The retention is decent with a very subtle lacing. The smell is a bit strange. Very different and not sure how to place it. The taste is of roast, molasses, pine and a plethora of things. Very interesting to say the least. The mouthfeel is smooth lightly carbonated and oily. Overall this beer is unique, it's not something I would die for but it was really nice to try. It's worth trying for sure an it'll hit ya like a ton of bricks too.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:51:10 | More by Knapp85

michaeljstraub

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +9%

05-16-2013 20:01:45 | More by michaeljstraub

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

05-15-2013 18:39:05 | More by twenty5

lucasj82

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%

05-15-2013 00:57:18 | More by lucasj82

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -23.1%

05-13-2013 22:58:10 | More by AmandaSchaefer

JamLand

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-13-2013 02:05:34 | More by JamLand

Beerdudenumberone

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-11-2013 21:18:59 | More by Beerdudenumberone

bluntedboywonder

New York

4.25/5  rDev +9%

05-11-2013 02:53:13 | More by bluntedboywonder

Bighead6365

New York

3.56/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Was looking over a ton of beers, saw that this was 16% abv and for 8.99. Figured what the heck.

A: Very dark and unable to see through. When pouring the beer into the sniffer, it had little to no head. Could tell it was very thick. Light amount of lacing on the glass that doesn't actually stick. Could tell it had a lot too it.

S: Plum, Dark Fruit, Prunes. Couldn't really smell much hops. Almost similar to a Belgian Dark Ale.

T: It has a spice to it from the heavy alcohol, heavy malt, grape juice, prune, fig, a tiny bit of bitterness on the tongue after swallowing.

M: To be honest after drinking lots of beers and lots of 11%'s, this one is just too much at 16%. It is so thick and heavy that it isn't the easiest to drink. It's actually a little rough. I did struggle a tiny bit to finish it.

O: I get the impression that they made this beer 16% abv just because they could, not with an actual thought process behind it. There are some good things going on, but it sadly is a case where too much makes something less. I know it's the sweet 16, but why make the quality suffer? I don't think I'd ever buy this again as I'd rather have the ability to drink a imperial without struggling. It's just very syrupy, and too rough to be up there with the best.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:15:42 | More by Bighead6365

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.64/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I've always been more of a quincinera kind o' guy, but I can indulge otherwise every now and then... (And, in retrospect, that sounded a lot creepier than in my head...) Anyway, this stuff pours a very dark black-brown topped by over a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises mild chocolate powder, light dark fruits, mild roasted malts, a vague vein of breadiness, and a hint of even vaguer wood. It's experientially a stranger mixture than it sounds. The taste brings in more of the same, with a stronger emphasis on the chocolate, but there is a strong blast of straight-up booze shooting up from the very start, drowning out all else, rather than working with the other flavors (as would happen in a fine Scotch or other liquor). Things end with a flurry of slightly-fruity coffee, though this doesn't hang around too long. Let's just call this section...unpleasant. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly chewy feel. Overall, this is just too much to really be enjoyable. Maybe if they were to cut back on the unnecessary booze, this might've actually been pretty nice. Shame, really....

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 05:59:17 | More by TMoney2591

Duff27

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%

05-07-2013 15:38:21 | More by Duff27

tubeyes

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-06-2013 04:21:56 | More by tubeyes

egrace84

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

05-06-2013 02:30:50 | More by egrace84

kingmaker

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-05-2013 02:18:22 | More by kingmaker

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-04-2013 19:06:01 | More by leftstagebrew

BrewStew58

New York

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%

04-29-2013 17:30:12 | More by BrewStew58

JohnBender

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%

04-28-2013 20:56:10 | More by JohnBender

mookihouse

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

04-25-2013 03:25:49 | More by mookihouse

Soundgyrl

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.6%

04-24-2013 16:07:17 | More by Soundgyrl

johnsonni

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.6%

04-24-2013 13:45:03 | More by johnsonni

Etan

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

22oz bottle.

A: Looks like a stout, with a glassy black body and a large chocolate-colored head.

S: Roasted malt, chocolate, heavy, somewhat grapey sweetness, moderate alcohol note.

T: Spicy alcohol, roasted grain, leafy hops, dark chocolate, leather, grape juice, fusel, char, sugary, astringent hop bitterness in the finish.

M: Thick-bodied with surprisingly active carbonation.

O: What's the point of this beer? Fusel, charry, syrupy, brutish, and boring. Not undrinkable, but not exactly something that deserves drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:36:17 | More by Etan

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%

04-21-2013 19:55:15 | More by drgonzo2k2

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Portion of a 22 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color - one would think it was an imperial stout given the look. The head is a one finger mocha shade. I'm really impressed how well it retains itself for 16%, too. Not much lacing, as expected.

S: There is a lot of chocolate, licorice, and plum qualities exhibited on the nose. In general it's a fruity aroma, perhaps a bit weak (due to the fact I served it relatively cold) yet not remotely boozy.

T: The initial flavor is very plummy. Strong dark fruits and chocolate go into the midtaste, and it finishes with a bit of spicy hoppiness and booze. I'm amazed how boozy this isn't - blindfold me and I'd swear it was around the 9-10% range. Rather, it's the sweetness that becomes a problem. After 10 oz. this one got too cloying for me.

M: It isn't as thick as one would expect, but it certainly lingers on the palate in sweet, syrupy fashion. While I can complain about all the sweetness, I can NOT complain about the prevalence of alcohol; the person I was drinking it with claimed he could honest-to-god chug it.

O: Sure, it gets too cloying after half a bottle. Sure, it's devoid of sophistication, refinement, and elegance. But when you consider that this is an extreme beer that's drinkable, non-boozy, AND inexpensive (for what it is), all those problems kind of fly out the window. I wouldn't have regretted buying a second bottle of this to age for a year of two, either. This one is best shared with 2-3 people.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 02:32:29 | More by ThisWangsChung