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

Dark gold body with a lightly off white head. The aroma was rich grapefruit and pine. A nice background of gingerbread backs up the hoppy character. The taste some grapefruit and notes of earthy root vegetables, parsnips, maybe. The finish is fairly spicy. One of the few very hoppy lagers that I really enjoyed.

Pours gold with a nice white head. Smells of citrus, grassy, wildflowers, spice, dry malt, earthy. Tastes spicy and of caremel with some dry malty hints and some nice bitter hints on the finish. I’ve enjoyed this entire series so far and look forward to Freaktoberfest.

Dense, off-white head. Quite hazy, almost like a hefeweizen. Light amber color. Leaves bountiful lace after each sip. Displays nice balance in the nose. The hop has a touch of grapefruit to it. Inviting neutral pale malts. The flavor starts with slightly sweet, pale grain. This quickly gives to a spicy and bitter hop flavor. This lasts through the swallow and the long aftertaste. Full-bodied with an average level of carbonation. Afterthought, I’m surprised at the lower ratings for this beer. I find this APA to be well above average...superior really.

pours a very light bubbly golden hue with a small white head. aroma is ligth but very bright floral hops and a good amount of toasted grains, honey malts , flowres and some sweet light malts, i enjoy it very much. flavour is a light bitter flower taste with good touches of hops in the middle finishes very smooth with hints of the bittering hops.a little honey sweetness comes through. very good light tasting beer for the summer.

Bottle, courtesy Tony at Oldsmar Tap House. Pours a hazy copper color, with a thick white head and decent lacing. Fruity malt esters, some caramel and vanilla, distant chocolate. Flavor is very malty, citrus, caramel, and a ton of bitter hops in the finish. Very balanced. Easy to drink, unique. A good summer beer.

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.

22oz bottle served in a shaker pint. Poured a slightly hazy, pale gold. Plenty of carbonation with a finger of fine bubbled white head. Nice noble hop aroma with malt. A hint of cardboard. Really solid malt base, almost bock like. Good dose of hop bitterness that is drying in the finish. Clean and flavorful. Another solid beer from Shmaltz.

Looks really nice in the sunlight. Dark straw with low head. Aroma of herbal hop, lots of rich pale malts (biscuit) and a little bit of peppery alcohol. Firm body - well balanced mix of herbal, earthy hops, biscuity/baguette malts and peppery alcohol. Very well crafted.