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

Pencible

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +20.8%
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 -2.6%
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 +4.1%
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 +13.4%
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 -22.1%
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 +10.5%
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 -6.7%
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 +1.5%
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%
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 +6.4%
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 -2.3%
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 +6.9%
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 -3.9%
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 -7.5%
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 +5.7%
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

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - pours opaque, maybe the darkest strong ale I've seen. Mocha head has a creamy look to it. Some lace, but I think the high abv makes it slide back into the glass, so not very much stickage.

Aroma - roasty grains, some initial citrusy sweetness that fades quickly. Some alcohol esters appear after it sets up. Smells like a strong stout.

Taste - big sweet malts, huge and boozy. Caramel and syrupy, quite cloying, yet the hops do make an impact. It starts to wind down with an immense alcohol heat taking over, but then the dry bitterness peeks out. As the alcohol bite fades, the hop bitterness strengthens, leaving a dry and unmistakeable hoppy finish. The alcohol is a bit too brash, and while the hops don't have a terrific amount of depth, they are really vital to balance out the high maltiness of the brew.

Mouthfeel - a light syrupy feel. They do well to ramp up the carbonation as high as it is, this beer is big and needs some bubbles. The body is full, as about any beer with 16 malts in it would be.

Drinkability - I'm torn. I tend to really dig all Schmaltz beer, but this one I don't know. I wouldn't call it a hot mess, but there is some mild chaos afoot. Cellarable? I don't know - if the hops disappear, this is one malt monster, which might be really cool if I thought the hot alcohol bite would taper over time.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:48:03 | More by brewdlyhooked13

katan

Colorado

3.94/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz into a pint

A - Pours very thick, dark, black, a bit of an amber highlight. Strong mocha colored head, well retained. Frothy.

S - Chocolately - malty with a few hints of roast. The hops are there but its hard to dig them out.

T - Starts off strong and sweet. Bittersweet chocolate by the boatload. Mid-stream gets just a hint of some citrus hops. Not even close to bitter, this thing has a huge malt bill to drive 16%. Finishes with a boatload of alcohol burn, and then follows up with currants and dark cherries. Very complex.

M - Full bodied, thick and creamy. Sticky, sugary, clingy. Alcohol warmth all over the place.

O/D - A long slow sipper - heavy on the palette and a big beer ABV wise. As a "sweet 16" beer, I guess you can't argue about "go big or go home". Thinking about buying another and putting it in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 20:43:53 | More by katan

smbslt

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Into the Sweet 16 glass that came in the Hanukkah pack which I will say was the best sampler pack concept to date

A - Very, very dark brown with a thin mocha head that dissipated quickly, very little if any carbonation.

S - Licorice, caramelized sugar and some faint grape

T - the liqueur of all things dark and or roasted - cocoa, Grade C maple syrup, etc.

M - Syrupy with alcohol warming at the end

O - Very good but not quite as good as 15 (which almost had me converting). Yes beer can be made with 16 hops and 16 malts with a 16% ABV and be very good with an entertaining shtick but where to next?

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:33:18 | More by smbslt

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.94/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bottle, deemed a paltry 15.2% ABV by the guv'ment operators in our particular provincial bailiwick. Happy age of consent birthday, Shmaltz!

This beer pours an admittedly hard to discern clear, very, very, very, (did I say very?) dark brown hue, with slight basal reddish cola highlights, and three fingers of tight, silkily foamy, robustly beige head, which leaves little beyond a low ebbing ring of lace around the glass as it readily recedes.

It smells of sweet black fruit esters - figs, plum, and soused cherries come most readily to mind - with some musty baker's chocolate, earthy anise, leafy, somewhat bitter earthy hops, and a well bridled sugary booziness. The taste is more sweet, concentrated dark fruit - plum pudding and dried prunes (different enough, I would put forth) - quickly eclipsed by a bitter citrus rind and earthy, leafy hoppiness, all surprising detectable before the latent, yet still rather hefty caramel/toffee malt bomb that you just knew had to come about, comes about.

The bubbles are quite restrained, but with a wisp of edgy frothiness here and there, the body a muscular, dues all paid up, full weight, and with a pretty straight-up smoothness, one which seems to have no fear of interlopers. It finishes still on the veritably sweet side, the deep fruit somehow sublimated by a lingering sassy citric and earthy hoppiness, and a now burgeoning booze warming.

Well, this does indeed push the boundaries of what any sane soul might proclaim as one individual 'beer', but hey, ho, what the hell. Any milestone anniversary celebration should be a heady affair, and this fits the bill quite accordingly. The sugar, hop, and booze notes are all so well integrated as to make one oblivious to the effort put forth to get to this point, to get more and more and more out of things. A tasty, way over the top strong ale, which should be consumed like a red wine. Or not.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:37:12 | More by biboergosum

prototypic

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Jewbelation Sweet 16 pours a very dark chocolate fudge color. It’s almost opaque, but not quite there. When held to light, there are a few burgundy highlights at the edges. Good looking color though. It’s topped with a dark mocha colored head that stands about a finger and a half tall. It’s extremely slow to recede. Lacing was sticky and relatively thick. Pretty impressive.

The nose is a tad weak, but it does smell pretty good. A bit more strength would help. This one’s all about the malts. No doubt about it. It’s full of chocolate and roasted malts. The chocolate variety smells like cocoa and fudge. It smells a bit sweet and sugary. Dark fruit is noted and has a relatively strong presence. It complements the malts pretty well. I’m not getting much in the hops department. Alcohol is definitely noted. Comes through pretty strong. This is an 11.8% bottle. I can’t even imagine what the 16% ones would be like.

The flavor is pretty good. The malt base is definitely strong and flavorful. Roasted and chocolate malts combine to create a really nice flavor. Bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa, and sweet milk chocolate are all present. It’s a bit sweet, but not in a negative sense. Dark fruit has a rather strong presence. It’s a nice complement to the malts and adds a bit of a tangy twist. There are some light, citric hop notes. Maybe a little grapefruit and orange. They’re largely buried by the malts though. Alcohol is strong and has a slight warming effect. Finishes malty and tangy.

Sweet 16 has a full body. It’s viscous and very smooth. Carbonation is light, and the bubbles are very soft. It’s definitely big and is a sipper. For a big beer, its drinkability isn’t bad.

Shmaltz has a pretty solid beer in Sweet 16. It’s not without some faults. The nose is slightly weak and it is a bit boozy. Even though this is the 11.8% variety, that’s a fact. Pretty good stuff though. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 03:52:39 | More by prototypic

rangerred

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter out of a 22oz bottle.

Pours pitch black with no head at all which is to be expected. A thin ring is left around the side of the glass.

Aroma is immediately sweet dark fruits; figs and dates. A little bit of chocolate and licorice in there too. Some alcohol comes through.

Flavor is extremely rich. Tons of dark fruit, wood, and rye bread. A touch of wood and cocoa along with a healthy dose of ethanol. Extremely sweet throughout with very low drinkability. There is a coating in the mouth that really becomes cloying fast.

Overall, a bit of a novelty with the high abv but not that spectacular of a beer. Way too sweet. Not something I will pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:56:50 | More by rangerred

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I poured this beer into my tulip glass and I immediately smelled a strong dose of alcohol off the top.

This is a very dark beer. The black beer doesn't let any light through.

Off the top of this one is so much alcohol that my eyes water.

This is a challenging sipper. You get a decent amount of coffee and dark fruit. I can really feel the warmth at the back of my throat.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 20:20:35 | More by ummswimmin

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a He'brew small shaker pint. Pours a very dark, opaque brown with a one finger brown head that dissipates very slowly to a thick ring around the glass leaving light lacing. Aroma of dark malt with slight oxidation, oak, a hint of vanilla and cherry; strong ethanol. Flavor is wonderful, brown sugar, dark and toasted malt, chocolate, vanilla and hints of dark dried fruit. Very boozy, but full flavored like a heavy bodied apertif. Medium to heavy bodied with some creaminess. Very tasty and warming. A beer that is complex enough to make the necessary slow sipping worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:18:54 | More by LiquidAmber

retry4z

California

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bought at a liquor store that had a decent beer selection; amazing I was able to find this anniversary ale and for only $11. This is the California edition, so it has the intended 16% abv.

Served at room temperature in a delirium snifter.

Looks pitch-black. I can barely make out coffee hues in the light. A thin, espresso-colored head that dissipates quickly.

Smells of coffee beans, vanilla, caramel, licorice, and alcohol!

A nice initial hit of spices and alcohol, with a sweet and dry-coffee finish. The 16hops must be drowned by the 16 malts because I could barely detect any bitterness.

A full body with some tingling due to the medium carbonation. This is a very heavy beer that is meant to be savored slowly.

A well-balanced ale that is more reminiscent of a stout than an ale. Paradoxically, the more abv an American Strong Ale has, the less bitter it seems. A splendid, heartwarming brew that is pure delight to be shared with an old friend after dusk.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 04:33:51 | More by retry4z

ESPNman

California

3.74/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Stone IRS Snifter

A - Pours a thick, murky, opaque brown that is extremely close to black. You have to tilt the glass and hold it to the light to see the hint of brown emerge. This is one seriously thick beer. It leaves very little head and zero retention of said lack of head. It really sticks to the side of the glass almost like syrup.

S - Overwhelmingly boozy, even when served too cold. The nose is very reminiscent of port, but with candied sugar and barley instead of grapes. A bit of vanilla and oak in there as well, but overwhelmingly sweet and dessert-like. This is a cupcake of a beer.

T - Slightly better than the nose, but I feel like this beer was designed to be served atop ice cream. It is delicious, don't get me wrong, but wow... it is extreme. A lot of the flavors are drowned out by the mix of booze and sickly-sweetness. Under those flaws, there's a good bit of candied fruit, oak, cherries, and baking spices.

M - Thick, heavy, sticky, syrupy, and yet somehow it manages to maintain some semblance of carbonation. I'm really wishing I hadn't opened the bottle without anyone to share it with. This one's going to take a few hours to make it through. Mouth-coating.

O - Is this beer good? Absolutely. Is it a beer that I'd recommend to most people? Absolutely not. It is an extreme beer, and it's something that I'd like to share with a group of people. It's not something I plan on cracking open to drink a whole bottle of again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:53:46 | More by ESPNman