HeBrew Jewbelation 5766 Ninth Anniversary Ale

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

Bomber poured a clear dark ruby brown with a creamy long lasting tan head. Aromas of chocolate, coffee w/cream, and a hint of smoke and spices. Palate was medium bodied smoooth, and creamy. Flavors of cocoa, plums, mocha, and a bit of smoke and spice with a smooth lingering finish. No sign of them hops though.

More of a Baltic porter in style, it pours a deep brown body with a hefty, creamy light brown head. The aroma is a deep, sweet malt with dark dried fruits, a hint of chocolate, and perhaps some old coffee. Thick in the mouth, it delivers a flavor of alcohol, caramel, raisins, toffee, and milk chocolate. I’m not catching the nine hops anywhere here except for a mild bitterness in the finish. Interesting, but not very exciting.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Beverage Depot, Orland Park, IL<font size=-1>

Deep burgundy color with a yellowish brown head, which shows great retention. Moderate aroma, which hints of chocolate, coffee and dark fruit. Medium bodied, with a slightly creamy texture and a warming, alcoholic feel. Cocoa powder and plum flavors abound, which a moderate cookie-like finish. Clearly malt and yeast led and definately not a lot of hop character considering nine were used.

2005 bomber shared with Muzzlehatch on 11/4/05. Ruby/magenta-tinged colors are woven amongst a dark mahogany brown body, supporting a beige head that sits one finger high. Smells of floral hops, toffee and caramel. Rather simplistic, if solidly built aroma with little to no alcohol apparency. The flavor is dry with toffee and burnt caramel. Creme brulee, currants, roasted malt ending bitter and with light toasted white bread. Some chewy licorice and rum raisin flavors. Bitter, rather astringent, dark baker’s chocolate. Lots of dark malts overall, but not TOO bitter. Mouthfeel is significantly less sharp and loose than I would expect for a filtered/force carbonated beer. I wouldnt call it creamy, but it is fairly fluid. Body is medium, with light alcohol warming dryness, but no fusels that I can detect. Graham cracker sweetness softens the roast and chocolate.

22 oz bottle. Dark color with a nice tan puffy head poured in a tall EKU Pils glass. Aroma is nutty chocolate. Taste is silky smooth with burnt malts that are dry and roasty tasting. A really well built beer.

Clear chestnut body with a frothy tan head. Aroma is hops, some spices, caramel, fruit, brown sugar, bread dough. Medium body, lively carbonation, smooth texture. The flavor is mildly sweet, hoppy, and alcoholic. Not at all what you’d expect from so much hops and malts. Odd beer.

A great looking beer: an almost-black mahogany with a huge, creamy head that took forever to drop, leaving thick chunks of lace on the way down. Malts definitely dominate aroma and flavor, well-roasted, with big gobs of caramel & chocolate syrup and light peaches, plum & apricot in the background. On the second pour, hops appear on top, dusty and light with grasses, herbs and flowers. Alcohol reveals itself late as spiced rum. Flavor is full and sweet, with chocolate and rum leading the way to a bitter, coffee & vodka finish. Creamy in the mouth and lingering spicy and bittersweet with alcohol. A slow sipper that I’d be inclined to classify as "Imperial Porter".

<font size=-4><a href= http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.as DiCarlo’s Armanetti, Willowbrook, IL<font size=-1>

22 oz bottle shared with ClarkVV. Deep, deep mahogany, translucent with a thickish creamy tan head that fades slowly...plenty of hops in variety along with loads of burnt caramel, a bit of wood and perhaps some rum in the nose...body is sweeter than I’d expect, with touches of prune, dark coffee-chocolate late, restrained alcohol...this to me tastes more like a very hoppy porter than anything else...I’m not complaining though. My 2000th American beer.