Coney Island Human Blockhead

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Doppelbock
San Francisco, California USA

At the World Beer Festival in Raleigh NC this beer poured a copperish color with a thin head. Aroma of hops, caramel malt and molasses. Taste of alcohol with faint fruitiness and a piney, hoppy finish. Average beer - not bad but not outstanding either.

22oz. bottle. Sweet, malty aroma, plenty of dark caramel and a milder degree of breadiness, faintly roasty as well. Medium copper-brown in color, head is fine and slight. Flavor is sugary and gently bitter, more caramel tones and malt sweetness, combined with a spicy, peppery character late, finishing with an alcoholic warmth and notes of licorice. Moderately effervescent and surprisingly thin on the palate for a beer of this strength, body is full, however. Somewhat unrefined, but seemingly designed as such.

FIne looking beer. Has a nice dark caramel brown appearance. Nice thin head that sits on top. Not a huge bock fan, but we will see if I like this or not. Fairly transparent in appearance also. Very sweet, and almost very pungent aroma. Easy to smell. Definitely some brown sugar in this. Almost reminds me of like a sweet apple cider smell. I am not saying it smells like cider, I am just saying it has a fruit sweet smell. Fairly nuanced and complex. Wow, that palate is INSANE. Nice warming alcohol feeling, both while drinking it and at the end. Almost a little too much burn on the alcohol, but still a VERY smooth dopplebock. Sweet brown sugar taste. Nice taste. I am not sure why this beer scored so low, but I think it is pretty good. Leaves some fine lacing. Nice brew.

Tasted at NY TAP festival, the only one I came back for another sip. Complex, thick, almost syrupy. Well balanced and a delight to sip!

Pours clear copper color with tan head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of toasty malts, brown sugar and alcohol. Sweet malt flavor with a good dose of hops and alcohol. Medium body with minimal carbonation and a syrupy mouthfeel.

Copper colored body was a bit hazy due to the yeast, and displayed a nice bit of steady and fine carbonation. Unfortunately all those bubbles only amounted to a small head. The smell was sweet and caramelized, and rather mild. The taste was a bit too sweet for me, as my tongue was coated with flavors of dates, honey, and brown sugar. There was a dose of metallic bitterness that followed, and the finish was like the start, sweet but fading. Quite sticky and filling in the mouth. Not much burn considering the strength. Reminded me of some of the other sweet beers from Schmaltz. A bit of chore to down the whole bomber for me.

On tap at Blind Tiger. Awesome doppleock. The aroma is malts, fruit, slight booziness, very nice, true to the Double Bock style. The appearance is gorgeous; a deep red/purple, almost brown, tan head. The flavor follows the aroma, but is slightly less pleasing. The flavor is malty, fruity, strong boozy flavor. The finish is piney hops, and warming from the booze. Very nicely crafted dopplebock.

A deep coppery brown body with a large yellowish khaki head. The aroma was sweet with caramel and cake donuts. There is also some pear sweetness and a little bit of dank cellar with hints of cinnamon. The taste is like sweet caramel mixed with cheap tobacco. There is A strong note of celery and spice. Overall, it is decent and not on the sweeter end of doppelbocks. A nice warming brew that hides it’s alcohol well.