HeBrew Jewbelation Eleven

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

Rich smooth and silky pour into the glass. Coffee and raisin aroma. Rich flavors with alcohol coming through. Delicious but a little harsh. Man O’ man these guys are putting out some killer beers! Complex, brilliant. I have several 5 ratings and I’ll just have to add another. I can’t see not giving it a 5 because of some small thing. Many reviewers have given only one 5 for a thousand beers. That is ridiculous!

Bottle bought at Perry’s Liquors in Livermore, CA. I have been wanting to try this brew for a while now... The pour- very dark brown, when held up to the light, it is not quite opaque. Nice tan colored head that dissipates somewhat quickly due to its alcohol content. (This was served at cellar temp, 57 degrees F) Bouquet- buttery, extreme malt. Palate- nice dark chocolate, some rye with a creaminess that hits the top of the palate, very raisiny. The finish- good smokiness, balanced with malt sweetness. L’Chaim!

I found this to be a truly wonderful beer in all aspects. That said, I must admit that I did have as a sort of celebration ale, or jewbelation ale if you will, after the Giants defeated the Cheaters in the Super Bowl. Excellent stuff.

Pours a dark brown to settle black with only a low glow at the bottom when up to a strong light. Impressive for a brown as its body is semmingly more like a big Ol’ stout. Same as the head, big, lush, and foamy with the cast of tan that speaks of milk chocolate. Tons of cob webby sheeting lace coats the glass with immense sticking power. Firmly set aroma of rum soaked chocolate. Traces of prune, vanilla, and cardamom. Quite a warm and heated dominance for the most part. Big thick flavors eat into a warmth of cherry rum right off the bat. Calms down after a few more sips.Slight chocolate tone carries it through as it rides one very silky smooth warming of rummy dark fruits. Small portions of prune, raisin, cherry, and fig are buried under a blanket of warming chocolatey booze. Bold, heavy lasting chocolatey finish with a nip of hops and spice lingering of cardamom and anise. Borderline Imperial stout likeness here. Hard to fathom this is to be styled as a Brown. Its quite heavy. Yeah, what I just said. Heavy, huge, thick, lush, warm, creamy, soothingly smooth with a nice smattering of spice and hops in the finish. The warmth is evident but not overpowering. Get your belly and throat ready as this stuff sits like a stone quite quick. Be that as it may, this sucker drinks way too fuckin easy for 11%and is one wholesomely yummy treat for a Brown. If indeed this is suppose to be a Brown. I swear I’ve had some Imperial Stouts that are very close in comparison. Which is an impressive thought indeed. He’Brew Eleven is more like a Thirteen...what does that mean, I don’t know. Its damn good, how’s that!

22oz bottle -- Poured with the midnight red consistency of old blood. The gigantic head of rocky foam slowly gives way to an intricate lattice of sticky foam along the sides of my glass. The aroma is of dark fruit and warmed sugar. This drinks with a full palate of rich flavors including raisins, dates, molasses, and dark roast. The finish is distinctly American, with a hoppy kick. This is a big strapping beer ... (#3219, 11/25/2007)

This is an AMAZING Brew. Considered an " American strong ale" this beer is actually akin to some of the BEST Imperial stouts I have ever had including Bells Expedition stout and Stone’s Imerial Russian Stout or even Left Hand’s Imperial stout. All these are SUPERB thicker mouthfeel brews. But, This may be the best of them all. A completely flawless brew that Reeks of complex hops with massive roasted malts and dark fruit - a perfect balance. A super smooth brew with the right mixtures of hops and malts with an everso slight hint of sweetness that changes eventually into a slightly bitter finish --a VERY COMPLEX brew that one should definitely try if given the chance. BEWARE THIS BREW WILL BRING A LESSER MAN TO HIS KNEES. In other words, this beer is a beer that will only be understood by someone who is ...well....a BEER SNOB !! :) like me! Unless you have been expanding your beer tasting into porters and stouts, this will blow your taste buds away !

The Jewbelation series continues with 11, and despite the claims on being less monumental this year, the ABV is up a percent as expected. The beer came in a 22 oz. bomber, but I was not expecting the dark body after pouring. Looks a lot more like a porter than a strong brown ale. The head was two fingers thick and looked quite creamy. The smell was that of raisins, figs, and allspice. The high alcohol content was not apparent in the smell at all. The taste was dripping with all sorts of malts. Sweet, fruity, woody, toasty, and nutty are some adjectives that readily come to mind. The hops were also present in high enough levels to provide a dry and bitter counter punch. I think this was not hoppy enough to approach American Barleywine levels, but it was damn close. Superlative poise and richness wrapped in each sip, which meant the taste was about as perfect as they come. Tongue caressingly soft mouthfeel, and a warm aftertaste finished this complex but approachable little package. I’d love to see how this will age.

Very large head (3+ inches) due to an over vigorous pour. Very dense , tan head that is oh so creamy. Last for a long time also. An extreamly impressive looking beer. Roasted malt aroma with a bunch of pine needles, sweet malts and a some dark fruit (prunes). Color is a very dark brown. Almost looks like a porter. Creamy smooth in the mouth and oh so seductive. Lots of roasted grains again, loads of malts, some caramel, raisins and a nice balanced bitterness that shows up late swallow and lingers for a while. Pretty thick and chewy palate. Nice alcohol presence and warming. You notice it’s there but it does not dominate which is pretty amazing since this is an 11% brew. Finishes roasty and warm and silky smooth. A damn fine brew. I need to get my hands on some more of this and lay it down for a while. Regardless, it is ready to drink know and well worth it.