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

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of light hops, pale malts, biscuit, toasting, and a hint of grains. Poured amber/yellow in color with a small, white head that lasted throughout. Slightly hazy. Slightly sparkling. Flavor is lightly sweet and lightly bitter. Tastes of toasted malts, hops, herbs, vegetables, and grains. Medium body. Average texture. Average carbonation. Herbal, hop, and malt finish.

Glistens golden in the afternoon sunlight, crowned by a slim but sturdy white head. Uber-fresh grain aroma signals a sturdy malt backbone. Cereal is brightened by lively, leafy hop. Very nice crisp dry finish. Alcohol is noticeable--a punchy brew. Long-lasting hoppiness at end. We really need more hopped up lagers like this!

I’ve really enjoyed these coney island lager products...until now - this one just doesn’t come together very well - fizzy clear golden beer - minimal head - the aroma is promising, with complex, hearty grains and sweet malts that give the impression of bread drizzled with honey - some bright fruity character underneath - fairly smooth mouthfeel - a little syrupy, though - there is a lot of honey sweetness up front, and fairly strong grain flavors, which are followed by somewhat potent bitterness - they used far too many different hops in this one, and it results in a hop flavor that is neither well-balanced, nor well integrated - this, coupled with the high sweetness, results in a beer that pulls off the astounding feat of being both too sweet and too bitter at the same time - I suppose I should give them props for that - thanks, schmaltz!

The aroma is like a hoppy lager with the dominant smell being malt. The appearance is gold with a large head. The flavor is like the aroma and somewhat bitter. The palate is average. Overall it’s good for a lager.

Sunny, sweet-lemondrop hop aroma, with some whiffs of cereal right as you’re about to swig. Clear medium gold with white head. A label that I wouldn’t want for my daughter to have posed for. Flavor gives me a strong citrus peel impression - zest and the bitter white pith. Sweet, hoppy. Viscous, heavyish body. Lasting orange pith bitterness in the finish, with a few grassy notes. MSL, Bradfordville.

Bottle from Once Upon a Vine on 07/03/2008. Very clear golden body with a medium frothy off-white head. Grassy aroma with light malty hints. Light maltiness, some grassy and spicy hops, with a fairly sweet finish. Medium body with moderate carbonation and a sweet sticky finish.

Bottle: Pours golden, with lots of clarity and a thin white head. Aroma has a touch of mildly sweet cookie-like malt, sweet bread, and lots of spicy European hops (Hallertau). Fairly creamy body feel. The flavor has a bready malt base, somewhat sweet doughyness, which is smothered with peppery hop character. Lots of spicy and zesty European hops take over (Hallertau/Saaz). Becomes a bit homogeneous.

Bottle shared with Blankboy after everyone left after the tasting. Medium yellow, small white head. Nice aroma - sharp hops, light malt, toasty. Good taste - hops are quite nice over the light body. A good hoppy lager with a nice fresh malt taste.