HeBrew Messiah Bold

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

Bottle. What on earth makes this bold? I think they erred and meant to say "boring", both start with "bo". Not much of a nose to this one, very watered down, on one hand a huge disappointment, on the other hand I did not expect much. Hand me an an Avery Ellies Brown or a Downtown Brown please. Both are head and shoulder above this one, sorry.

Bottle. Pours dark black, looks more porter than brown. Nice white head and good lacing. Aroma is a little roasted malt. Taste is a bit nutty with a little chocolate. A little touch of hops at the end. Nice.

Claims to be a brown ale, but poured almost black. Slightly nutty taste. Went down smooth, but I wasn’t impressed.

Pours a deep, clear brown with garnet highlights and a thin cap of beige head. Roasty malt and light chocolate are on the fairly muted nose. The palate is on the light side of medium-bodied and slick, with a clean, dry, roasty finish. Roasty/toasty malt with light notes of nuts and chocolate malt with some fruity hops blended into the finish. A fairly tasty and quaffable brown, but not anything extraordinary.

This beer didn’t have a ton of taste. Any taste would come from limited bitter hops. Otherwise, it was a drinkable beer, but I wouldn’t get it again.

27-May-07 (12 oz bottle) A quick review of an aged bottle of this beer, probably around 18 months. Medium-roasted malts, brown sugar, chocolate, molasses, nutmeg-like spiciness with a delicate floral overtone. It’s still seems a bit too sugary sweet for my tastes, but it certainly has developed a nice spice/malt intensity without becoming earthy or oxidized. Medium-bodied, but not stimulating on the palate. Medium-dark, ruddy brown color, fairly clear, capped by a short-lived, light-tan head that fully dissipates. A decent beer that improves slightly with some aging.

29-Nov-05 (12 oz bottle) This Chosen Beer would be a good choice to represent the typical brown ale. Moderately flavorful, lightly caramely and roasty, sweet and somewhat brown sugary, only mildly bitter. Caramel and light roast in the nose. Medium body is pretty typical for the style. Medium-dark color and reasonably clear when held to a light. The fairly tall tan head is bubbly and on the fizzy side, so it settles to a thin layer quickly. It’s fine, nothing too exciting here, but certainly not offensive either.

12oz bottle. Deep brown red color. Smooth and mellow, with a solid malt backbone. Toffee,chocolate,and nut flavors. Faint hop in the finish helps keep it crisp. Very rich and full bodied. Definitely recommended for those who like American brown ales.

Bottle: Deep brown pour/amber highlights, topped by a fizzy tan head. Some nutty caramel malt in the aroma, along with a mild roasted hint and an underlying spicy hop touch. A bit fizzy in texture, but the overall profile isn’t bad. Flavor has a papery malt hint upfront, which develops a roasted caramel touch and a surprising American hop presence., however, there was more hop character in the nose. Some bitterness present in the finish. Better stuff than the ratings suggest.