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

timjr2500

Texas

4.16/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber.

Darker than dark. Reddish tint to the head that fades quickly. Slides down the glass slowly as it returns to the deep richness.

Smells of strong dark malts, slight roastiness, warm alcohol in the nose. Very slight bits of chocolate.

Tastes rich and sweet with a warming alcohol flavor. Fades into a sweet chocolate and slight roast flavor.

Syrupy, bold, dense. Matches the look perfectly.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. Some say its gimmicky but I love a good gimmick. And I love Jewish brewers with a sense of humor. This beer, in my opinion, goes far beyond the gimmick though and delivers a fantastic flavor and drinking experience. Very warm, very strong. I would defnitely buy another if I was sharing it. Wouldn't be able to finish a bottle by myself, but for a 16% beer, it is quite drinkable and enjoyable. I would reccomend it on a cold day. Or a warm day. Or any day that you want to have a good roasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 14:36:34 | More by timjr2500

Gavage

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: pours a dark down almost black color with a short 1/2" head.

Smell: big malt sweetness and a big boozy nose.

Taste: very malt centric beer. Brown sugar, molasses, prunes, dark bread, a moderate bitterness, and a large alcohol presence makes this a very warming beer.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and velvety at the finish. Some dryness arrives late. Long lasting aftertaste as the booziness lingers in the mouth.

Overall: a big bold beer that is a very slow sipper. I cracked this open while watching some March Madness hoops, and this would go better as a nightcap in front of a fireplace.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 17:37:29 | More by Gavage

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle to tulip at cellar temp.

Deep, dark brown color with mahogany edges, and very little head. Zero lacing, which was to be expected. Looks serious. Because it is.

Aromas contain an s-load of molasses... seriously, it's almost like opening a jar of it. Beyond that, we have dark chocolate, heavy alcohol burn, and kiss of caramel.

Thick, cloying mouthfeel is what grips the palate first... but frankly, it's no worse than 12% Older Viscosity - in fact, it might be easier to drink. Flavor is full of the aforementioned molasses, along with lots of toffee, bittersweet chocolate, and saccharine. Malt-forward? Um, YES!

Have had the last 3 from Shmaltz, all when fresh... always impressed with the epic ABV. This one is approaching Jump the Shark status, but not quite there. Maybe #17 or 18?

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 04:09:50 | More by BeerImmediately

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.19/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - black with just a hint of light getting through the bottom, thumb of head retaining very well with consistent lacing given the high alcohol
s - big molasses, raisins, coffee, earthy, and well blended alcohol
T - much like the nose I find the dominant flavour to be molasses maltiness with notes of coffee, raisins, cocoa, and relatively subtle alcohol
M - heavy with appropriate carbonation, thick and smooth through the middle with the alcohol making its presence know through the finish as it warms the innards, but you would never suspect it being as high octane as it is
O - much like the 15 this brew is big but extremely tasty and drinkable given its high octane nature, i have one put away to age at the moment but will definitely be picking up at least one more to drink now and likey another to age longer

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:51:08 | More by joemcgrath27

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

According to the LCBO sticker on the bottle, this is 14.5%

Pours black with edges of amber. A frothy dark brown head lasts a while then dissipates to a ring on the glass. Enormous fresh malt nose. Molasses, stewed fruit and chocolate mix with some tobacco and spiciness. The taste is intensely malty, with a sweet, chocolate syrup character at first then prunes, tofee, sherry and cocoa with alcohol heat is prominent throughout. The mouthfeel is oily and thick, with a light, subtle carbonation. The finish is lightly booziness with a soft eucalyptus hop flavor.

This is an interesting super strong American Ale. Visually like a stout but a malt flavor profile much more like an English Barleywine. Huge malt flavors and a good alcohol kick, a great sipper.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:18:05 | More by CAMRAhardliner

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours very dark brown/black with no light showing through the beer. Light brown colored head that billows decently at pour and disappates to a solid rim around the glass. No lacing present. Aroma is a dark malt bomb yet sweet - dark molasses. Taste confirms lots of malts with a band of bitter through the middle and dominating the finish. Alcohol presence hard to avoid at this strength, but lingers nicely with dark chocalate malt flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 23:37:06 | More by Oakenator

hackmann

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: coffee black body with a two finger dark tan head; leaves some sticky lacing on the glass with each sip

Aroma: rich sweet malts, roasted malts, just a touch of alcohol, not as boozy as I thought it would be, let’s see what happens as it warms up, fig, chocolate syrup, coffee; the nose has that boozy tone as it warms.

Flavors: this has a very rich style, the kind that can become too much for me, rich sweet malts followed by some toasted grains, burnt sugars, dark chocolate covered caramel, a squirt of Hershey mild chocolate syrup, hoppy spice or is it the alcohol,

Mouthfeel: a bit syrupy, thick and chewy is a good way to look at it, rich toasted and slightly burnt notes cover the palate, sweet on the front and mid palate, hoppy spice and alcohol peppery feel on the finish with the sweet note swirling around, low carbonation feel,

To the Point: as they say on the bottle, ‘this is about cupcakes and unicorns’ and I feel like I just ate three too many cupcakes and I am only halfway through this bottle. This is a sipper. Would I buy another one? … No. If you like bold and rich malts … this is for you.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:25:05 | More by hackmann

flayedandskinned

California

3.3/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

No bottled on date.
Poured or should I say decanted?) into a standard tulip.

Appearance: Pours an intimidating, menacing and impenetrable black with a thick, 2 finger dark khaki head which sticks around for a surprisingly long time for a 16% ABV beer. As it recedes, it even leaves plenty of lacing. Nice and big alcohol legs stream down the glass as you drink the ale.

Aroma: Rich, dark chocolate, herbal hops, a nice vanilla foundation from the presumed oak aging. Surprisingly little alcohol in the nose. It's there but it really just further accentuates the spicy hop component. It does become more apparent as the beer acclimates towards room temperature.

Taste: Notes of dark chocolate immediately which give way to a big alcohol soaked cherries, some nice vanilla highlights. Dark Russian rye bread intermingled with toasted nuts and earthy hops towards the end of the taste. Finishes dry, with bitter hops and a bit too harsh of a spicy alcohol note.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, with tons of viscosity. Medium carbonation.

Overall: A somewhat complex beer that just has a bit too strong of an alcohol presence. While it's hard to hide 16% ABV in a beer, it is possible. Also for being brewed with 16 different hops and 16 different malts, it definitely doesn't showcase them much. I've had beers made with 2 varieties of both malt and hops that offered more depth and complexity than this brew. Overall, I'd only recommend this if you're in the mood for a crazy high ABV beer and this is the only one on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:40:22 | More by flayedandskinned

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown colour nearing black, one finger of tan head, little lace as well. Big malt bill, lightly roasty, liquorice, big dank pine hops, sweet sugary notes, dark fruits, a bit of citrusy fruit as well, a little bit of warm alcohol is also there. Taste is upfront with dark malts and some roast, massive hop bitterness, pine and lots of dank flavours, some leafy cigar like flavours, finishes a bit boozey with a bit of a chocolate and coffee aftertaste. Light-med carb, full chewy body. Solid stuff here and a nice slow sipper, nice to knock this off over the course of 2 hours while watching a movie.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 12:57:58 | More by peensteen

BuzzLitebier

Maryland

3.11/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Had this stuff in a pint glass from a bomber.
A: It poured black with a finger-wide tan head. It dissipated quickly and minimal lacing remained. I didn't see too much carbonation at all.
S: Dark fruit and treacle all the way
T: WHOA! It was heavy-duty hard core Belgian dark +10 and cloyingly sweet. It was like syrup and very boozy.
M: It was beyond heavy (think thick) with a bit of carbonation, which was OK, but man...

Would I have it again? Normally this profile is in my wheelhouse, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:26:32 | More by BuzzLitebier

Pencible

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: This poured a nearly opaque light black with a moderate amount of thick tan head.
S: It smelled like juicy plumb and sweet raisin and milk chocolate, with some pumpernickel and citrus and toffee and...every other delicious scent imaginable.
T: It tasted like rich chocolate and dark fruits and sweet caramel, with some citrus and tropical fruits and bready yeast. It had a clean and sugary sweet aftertaste with alcohol warming.
M: It was thick and chewy with a little carbonation. Huge body.
D: I love these beers every year, and this is no exception. The scent and taste were vastly complex and super delicious. The body was nearly perfect, and the finish was pretty smooth. So it was pretty easy to drink, despite some heat, but I preferred sipping it. I'm sure this would age forever, it was also great fresh. Excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 21:26:17 | More by Pencible

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

LCBO labs peg this beer at 14.5%, rather than the advertised 16%.

Beer is black with a smallish tan head. Head fades quite quickly. Looks like a stout.

Smell is very malt-heavy. Caramel, chocolate, anise, a bit of a wood scent. Some hop scents are present, but drowned out- a bit of pine and grass.

Taste is similar to the nose. Malt heavy, lots of caramel and toffee, with licorice and some chocolate. Booze is, not surprisingly, pretty heavy. I don't pick the hops in any meaningful way. While generally quite sweet, there is a notable bitterness to the finish.

Full bodied for sure. Moderately carbonated. Tons of alcohol heat. Sitcky.

Overall, pretty good but too much alcohol heat. Perhaps it would get more drinkable with time, but for now I would say it is a somewhat enjoyable but not very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 19:39:20 | More by jrenihan

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A pleasant surprise to see hitting the shelves in Northern Ontario at the local LCBO... Not to mention in solid volumes as well.

A - Pours pitch black with a brown hue on the edges, thumb of dark mocha head, decent retention and no real lacing.

S - Chalky cocoa, molasses and toffee, hints of black licorice, leather and a touch of smoke.

T - The chalky cocoa, molasses and toffee dominate, the black licorice comes through on the finish alongside some ABV heat and sweetness. The black licorice lingers alongside hints of dark fruit and alcohol.

M - Lighter bodied, syrupy and sticky with a touch of dryness on the finish.

O - This brew isn't for the faint of heart, but it boasts a lot of flavour and given the high ABV it's surprisingly drinkable. I wish I had the 15th Anniversary to do a side by side to see how different the flavour profile was. I'll hang on to an extra bottle in the off chance that the LCBO manages to bring in the 17th edition.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:39:36 | More by andrenaline

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.41/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to snifter.

A - Poured deep black with one finger of mocha brown head.

S - Sweet caramel, roast, piney hop presence and some noticeable alcohol.

T - A huge piney hop presence accompanies a big bitterness up front. Tobacco, roast, licorice and a big warming alcohol presence. Very robust overall.

M - Full body; thick and chewy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:03:47 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured chilled in ale glasses chez White.

A: thin head, solid black, thin carbonation; no lacing
S: figs, raisin; quite like a stout
T: the flavor is so intense, it tastes much better when mixed with something else; it's like a stout concentrate; very spicy and complex; dark fruit, figs, brown sugar; much like a milk stout; if diluted with seltzer water, about 1:1 I find the flavor improves to a 3.5
M: syrupy

Hey guys, stop the gimmick already.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 13:15:46 | More by Arithmeticus

pcguitarwzrd

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to snifter. My favorite words.

A: Midnight black with chocolate quick-fading head. Beautiful.

S: Honestly, mostly booze. Some nice chocolate and coffee notes though.

T: Like a symphony, multiple movements...massive caramel-toffee, giving way to booze and hops, finishing with intense espresso. Sweet, boozy, hoppy, everything. Amazing.

M: Thick and rich like hot chocolate. Even the monstrous ABV can't quite dry this one out, but this is an aftertaste I don't mind tasting for a while.

O: An absolutely amazing and intense experience, not for the faint of heart or the casual beer drinker. Great as a dessert or to celebrate a special occasion. If you're looking for refreshment or a casual drink with a meal this is NOT it.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 02:06:56 | More by pcguitarwzrd

Brandywine

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Two and a half fingers of a gorgeous mocha brown head. Black as pitch. Epic alcohol legs don't even slide down the glass.

Smell: Molasses, dark sweet chocolate, bourbon, burnt sugar, booze.

Taste: Bitter dark chocolate, booze, roasted notes, sweet malt, maybe some dark fruit like a fig or raisin.

Mouthfeel: Full and syrupy without being cloying. Carbonation isn't super noticeable but that's not surprising.

Overall: The nose and the mouth get partially over run by the booze in this brew. The other flavors are great but its hard to appreciate them. With a year of age on this, I believe it'll be freaking fantastic but it needs time to mellow.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:34:51 | More by Brandywine

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a finger of tan head on a black body.
The aroma is a strong licorice, molasses, and more licorice.
The taste is bold: licorice, molasses and smooth roasted malt. The alcohol is there in the background.
The texture is heavy with low carbonation.
Pretty tasty and hides the 16% pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 06:23:38 | More by Fatehunter

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I think the only beer in the Winter release I was actually excited to get. I'll have to pick up another bottle or 2 next pay.

Bottle into snifter.

Well it's a big, thick pouring dark brown/black beer with a finger and a bit creamy tan head. Lacing is minimal considering the abv. This is listed as 16% on the bottle is a LCBO sticker saying 14.5%. Regardless this is sure to be a monster.

Right off the bat is super sweet malts, and than a punch of alcohol in the nostrils. Dark stone fruits, bread pudding, vanilla, brown sugar, rum soaked dates, coffee, chocolate and the list goes on. There really is a lot going on in here. It also has the signature He'Brew aroma that I've come to know from their other big bottle releases in the last while.

Leather, tobacco, than transforming to alcohol, dates and figs, burnt toast and coffee. There is a warmness from the alcohol that is good for the cold snap we've been getting lately. This is a big bold beer but there is a lot more going on in the nose than the taste. Perhaps it isn't warm enough...

Medium body, decent carbonation and a wallop of booze on the middle of the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 23:50:35 | More by korguy123

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.14/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Well, it's the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, so I guess I'll have a beer! For some crazy reason, this comes in a bomber. I may regret drinking this alone.

A moderate pour into a goblet produces a big, frothy cocoa head. It looks like a chocolate milk shake. After 3-4 minutes, it recedes to something much more delicate, like the crema on espresso. It even coats the glass like crema. The beer itself is surprisingly dark, but unsurprisingly viscous-looking.

This smells boozy, which comes as no shock. I'm picking up leather, coffee, toffee, and chocolate. There is a definite hop presence that emerges as it warms. How does it taste?

Whoa! There is nothing subtle about this beer. Hot, sweet, resinous, and bitter, with lots of roasty notes. It's not out of balance, but everything is just a little too intense. As it warms, it gets a little fruity and a little chocolatey.

Carbonation is good, which is a relief for a beer with this much body and stickiness.

This is a sipper, for sure. But unlike some high-alcohol beers, it is not a challenge to drink. I think it's going to be a nice evening.

2 MONTHS LATER: Almost immediately after reviewing this, I started wanting it again. So I bought a bottle, and sat on it until tonight. Maybe it was the changes to the site that allowed 1/4-point increments, and maybe it was the effect of a couple of months in the bottle, but the second time around, I felt like this beer needed slightly higher values on every metric. It's good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:44:39 | More by DaveAnderson

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

-16 malts, 16 hops, 16%abv.

A: Dark plum exit, is midnight black in the vessel with a rush of golden micro-bead carbonation bubbles. Dark desert khaki head is solid in form, with a smooth fine whispy sand appearence. Head strong retention with a nice film lacing of decent coverage.

S: Caramel cocoa and fine roast, very smooth, polished with some dark fruit.

T: Flavor of dark sweet malt, dark fruit of sugar plums, figs and sugar roast. Burnt molasses, sweet fennel and chocolate sweetness along with some dough. Spicy dry rum alcohol, cinnamon with some warm honey and sweet licorice all tangling together. The alcohol is spicy but very managable. Finishes off with some dry rum and coffee notes.

M: Medium full body, cough syrup consistency, no carbonation with a warming alcohol sensation. Spicy dry alcohol mention.

O: Overall a bit sweet upfront when young, maybe some aging will settle things down. Warming alcohol nice complexity. Sweetness may hold this back in quantity and a bit in quality.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:08:45 | More by beerthulhu

kaseydad

California

4.16/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Note....let this warm to complete warm temperature. Almost more than that.

Beautiful looking brew. Nice dark chocolate color with a big-time beige foamy head that stays.

Aroma - Getting some nice roasted malts here. Sweet chocolate. Raw leather. Plums. Prunes. Decent alcohol whiffs.

The taste is huge chocolate. Like a chocolate whoppers shake. Cocoa powder also with a boozy malty finish. The booze is present but not overly assertive. Nice biting hops during and after the swallow. Very tiny alcohol burn on the swallow but amazingly light for a big 16% beer.

Slick mouthfeel. Nicely carbonated.

Overall I'm impressed yet again. To blend 16 malts and 16 hops and make something out of it takes a very talented group. Shmaltz continues to do it year after year after year. It may not be for everyone, but if you know what this is going in, enjoy it. An enjoyable sipping beer that I see really becoming even more after a year lay down.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 18:39:32 | More by kaseydad

kaufmaal

Alabama

3.74/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured a deep dark brown, almost black, with a full one-inch head that was the color of toasted marshmallows with some red highlights. The head was down to a whisper right quick. This beer has an intense smell: lots of malt, molasses, pine, alcohol, brown sugar, and anise. For me, the alcohol taste was up front and was too over-powering - I felt that it was ringing in my head. Initially, a very sweet taste, like booze-soaked prunes, syrupy; then, the sour, tartness and aromatic notes of pine and menthol take over. The lacing that was present early disappeared without a trace. A sipper of a beer, and as it warmed, the alcohol odor and taste, sadly, began to overpower the experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 05:16:11 | More by kaufmaal

Samuel906

California

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This beer is all over the place with flavor. Smell and up front flavor reminds me a lot of Scottish heavies that I've had. Very sweet and malty, lots of chocolate and spice. The best thing going for this is the absolutely mastadonic ABV, and how absolutely none of it comes through in the flavor. It is smooth, creamy and black as pitch. Not too expensive, and certainly unique. Make sure you have someone to share it with.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:22:04 | More by Samuel906

snatch210

North Carolina

4.11/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of a bottle.

A - At what point does dark brown become black? That's kinda the color this beer pours, with small sparkles of ruby and a few fingers of beige head.

S - It smells, first and foremost, like booze, all up in your nostrils. A touch of maltiness, a touch of fruitiness (cherries/dates/etc.), a twinge of chocolate, but mostly booze. Not unpleasant -- more or less what you'd expect from a beer like this, except even boozier.

T - It's a hot mess, but ... a good hot mess? If that makes sense. Sweet, almost a dried-fruit first pass with plenty of sugars and roasted notes, and then hops and toffee on the back end. But honestly, that's sort of inadequate by way of description. There's so much going in here that it's hard to pick out one or two dominant flavors. Your mileage may vary here -- I happen to like the melange.

M - Smooth on the front, with a hint of bubbles and a lot of coffee feel to it. But man, is it heavy on the back end. On the other hand, what did you expect from a 16% beer with this much stuff in it?

O - Turn your hats backward and do some arm-wrestlin', y'all, cause this beer is Over The Top. I guess that's created some ambivalence here at BA but I dunno -- it pushes boundaries, but not insanely so, and it does taste like the sum of a whole rather than like a bunch of disparate parts. Not the greatest beer in the world, but worth a bomber or two if you can find it, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:15:53 | More by snatch210