Coney Island Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager

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

Bottle. Aroma sweet, grainy (wheat, hint of rye), fruity (citrus (orange), cherry, maybe some strawberry), always returning to a pleasant toasted grain aspect. Flavor sweetly fruity, robust fruit, caramelly toasted aspects, maybe something like raisin bread, except without the actual raisins. Light bitterness, but enough bitterness, mingling with the wheat and other grains. Definitely a rich caramel aspect at the finish, perhaps more of a toffee syrup type of feel, no, marmalade, well done Glouglouburp, that’s exactly it, luscious marmalade. Very tasty, another lager that I feel is underappreciated.

Eh. Golden color, not clear. Straight forward hoppy lager with an unpleasant spicy earthy bitterness. Nothing to write home about and nothing I’d seek out.

Aroma is a very faint citrus scent. Color is a bright gold with good carbonation and a thin white head. Taste is rich, hoppy and bitter. Starting with a medium body it goes down smooth with a rich feel. Finish comes in malty then a mellow hop flavor with some citrus and a bold bitterness. After taste is more bitterness and sharp feel. This is a pretty good brew although it would be better if there was more hop flavor and a little less bitterness.

Hazy gold appearance with a medium size, off white head and good lacing. Spicy, herbal hop aroma with a whiff of soap on the backside. Slightly tinny taste, with resinous hops and sweet, earthy malts. Bitter, lasting finish. Small shortcomings keep getting in the way of full enjoyment.

Draft at Brouwers. Very lagery aroma, dry. Bright gold. Dry throughout, astringent finish.

Clear gold body thin white head. Not much in the aroma here. Nice sweet malt notes although there was some corn notes. A good hop profile that had some pine notes to it. A crisp overall presence Smooth finish. An okay beer that need a little more to it.

Wow. Not a lager. Let’s call this an IPA. In fact, when I blind tasted it, I thought it was Lenny R.I.P.A. but off a bit. If all lagers were like this , I’d drink them every day.

Draft. Dark golden/light amber pour. Interesting beer that doesn’t quite seem to know what it’s going for. Tasted more like an American pale ale to me. Did not seem abundantly hoppy. Somewhat grassy and sweet. Some flowery notes. Just okay overall.