HeBrew Genesis 10:10

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Formerly brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: American Strong Ale
San Francisco, California USA

22 ounce bottle purchased at Bevmo! in Sacramento - Arden Way. Aroma is kind of odd, quite floral, herbal, with some buttery diacetyl maltiness. A little chalkboardy, a little sweet. Definitely different. Almost like a gruit or heather ale. Tranparent good ol copper body with an off-white head that dissipated pretty quickly. Very tart, mouthpuckering, astringent start. Turns ethanolic later on with a little bit of caramel and toffee-like maltiness. This is definitely different, but not in a good way. Seems overcarbonated, too sweet, with too many off-flavors. I love fruit beers, but this tastes like one of those flavored malt liquors.

So glad i finally tracked down a bottle of this. The aroma is very weak with no major profile of anything but a background of sweet malt. The drink has a mild alcohol presence with a dense texture and smooth palate. There are small hints of the pomengranite juice although i would of never pin pointed it to the exact juice without reading it on the bottle. More sweet malt is detected and sticky caramel. Sort of a boring 10th anniversary but its a nice ale over all with that allowed me to catch a buzz and call it a day. Color is a slightly brown with a reddish tint and foamy head that flattens out with some time.

22oz - Aroma is a muddy mix of hops and malt. Some bubblegum and alcohol. Pours transparent ruby red with medium head and great lacing. Flavor is also a muddy mixture of flavors that never seem to settle or blend together. Alcohol bite is too strong as well. Palate is hot and sticky. Not sure if it will ever mellow and bind with age, but as is, it is not very good.

(22oz bottle) Clear copper body topped by medium beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, earthy, herbal, pine, some pomegranate, alcohol, light alcohol astringency. Taste is moderately sweet, pine/grapefruit, herbal, caramel/bread, light pomegranate, alcohol. Finishes with some alcohol astringency. Soft, medium-full body.

Bottle. Ruby beer with a tan head. Fruity, malty aroma. Rich malt flavor with good fruitiness backing. Alcohol is present and adds some warming. Good complexity, but there’s a dry alcohol finish that detracts at the end. Fruitiness is indeterminant - just fruity without being defined.

This is more of a barley wine than a fruit beer, and I think it is what the brewer has intended. There is no fruity pomegrant juice as you would find in a smoothy, more the dry taste you would get from peeling and popping pomegrant seeds. Very well hopped and malted. Great meal accompaniment.

The pomegranate makes for an interesting brew, like a fruity IPA. Nice balance. Not as good as their Lenny’s 2IPA, but then again, nothing is.

Pours bronze with a rocky beige head. Aroma has lots of caramel malt and is fairly musty - this just hit the shelves, so it shouldn’t be from age. There are hints of the pomegranate, but not much. Medium / full body with a good amount of soft carbonation. Taste has lots of rich malt with some of the pomegranate - rather sweet and cloying. More of the fruit comes out on the finish. This is an okay beer, but not too exciting.