Jewbelation Fourteen
Shmaltz Brewing Company in Troy, New York, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.42
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At age 14, is Shmaltz Brewing still in the throes of adolescence? After publishing Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah, a new small business saga, I’ll leave it up to you, Dear Reader. As with many 14 year olds, this years Jewbelation is all about Hands, Hearts and Farts. 14 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word for “hand.” The human hand contains 14 digital bones and 14 joints. 14 items to fill the Passover seder plate, narrating the Exodus of the Hebrews – “and with a mighty hand did the Revolution bring us out of Egypt.” Jacob labored 14 years to earn marriage to Leah and Rachel. Over a lifetime, the average American spends 14 days kissing. Valentine’s day, Feb. 14, dates to a pagan festival for the she-wolf who suckled mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. 14 lines structure a sonnet. Romeo and Juliet unfolds 14 days before Juliet’s 14th birthday. Carbon 14 dating proves the age of organic materials. Woody Allen, now married to his once not-daughter and not a spokesman for American Apparel, received 14 Oscar nominations for best screenplay and directed 14 other actors in nominated performances. 14 Jews serve in the senate. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th leader of the Tibetan people. A hummingbird’s heart flutters about 1400 beats per minute. Dr. Oz reported on Oprah that humans fart on average of 14 times a day. At age 41 and in our 14th year of brewing, the numerical synchronicity will happen only once in my lifetime. Here’s to being here now… L’Chaim!
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6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Poured from a 22 oz bottle. Aroma is malt forward with lots of dark caramel, toffee and chocolate notes. Some burnt sugar, molasses, rye and light roast notes. Moderate dark fruit notes of raisins, plums, prunes and berry. A light meaty, soy sauce note of oxidation. Light alcohol notes. Pours black with dark brown hues on the edges and a medium sized, thick, mocha head that recedes quickly to a small, thin film that lingers in the center and on the edges. No lacing and medium small legs. Flavor is moderately sweet with some dark caramel and toffee notes. A medium light chocolate and rye character. Some toasted bread and a bit of a light roast note. Some light tobacco and leather. Medium bitterness. Moderate dark fruit notes of raisin, prune, plum and fig. Medium light oxidation with some soy sauce and wet cardboard. Some light alcohol notes. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied and somewhat slick with medium carbonation. Low astringency and medium low alcohol warmth. Overall, an alright beer, but it is definitely showing oxidation. Lots of malt character with balanced sweetness. The mouthfeel was a bit on the slick side.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2016
at 00:02
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
3rd May 2011
Opaque black - brown beer, residual tan head. Light malt, chocolate and minerals on the nose. Smooth silky palate with moderate carbonation. Smooth dark malt, whisper of chocolate and coffee. Much more dominant are sweetish red berry fruits - cherry particularly and aniseed. Finishes with more light and airy coffee malt. Some hops kicking in and providing a bitter aftertaste. Nicely joined up and drinks well below it’s 14.0%
Opaque black - brown beer, residual tan head. Light malt, chocolate and minerals on the nose. Smooth silky palate with moderate carbonation. Smooth dark malt, whisper of chocolate and coffee. Much more dominant are sweetish red berry fruits - cherry particularly and aniseed. Finishes with more light and airy coffee malt. Some hops kicking in and providing a bitter aftertaste. Nicely joined up and drinks well below it’s 14.0%
Tried
on 29 Dec 2012
at 08:42
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
bottle at Ft Wayne tasting - Pours dark amber-brown with a tan head. It has a rich malty aroma with dark fruit. The flavor is of very sweet malt, dark fruit, and some alcohol in the background that’s pretty unavoidable at 14% abv. It works though. Somehow a blend of so many malts and hops with a huge abv has produced a tasty, full bodied brew though IMO not as good as some of their previous anniversary ales.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Jun 2012
at 12:58
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
A deep dark brown ale with a thin brown head. In aroma, a smooth dark fruit malt with resinous floral hops, licorice, soy sauce, very nice. In mouth, a smooth licorice and treacle, fruity esters, soy sauce, musky floral hops, rich and smooth.Tasted with the Bartowel crew at Pushkinwow’s, March 23, 2012.
Tried
on 31 Mar 2012
at 21:47
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Shared a 22oz bottle with some friends. Poured extremely dark, with a touch of ruby tones to it when held up to the light. Head was medium-tan, compact. Aroma was dark caramel, dried grains (raisins) and a touch of brown sugar with a noted hop bitterness to it. The flavor is quite similar, with notes of brown sugars, caramel, dried fruits coming through especially. Alcohol is extremely warm, but no where near as hot as I imagined it could be - this one would have aged quite well if I hadn’t cracked into it so soon.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Aug 2011
at 03:31
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
bottle thanks to Kyle, pours dark brown, thin tan head. Aroma is sweet toffee and a little booze. Flavor is sweet caramel and then a big medicinal herbal note comes in and kills off the sweetness and ends with an alcohol burn. Kind of unpleasant.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jul 2011
at 00:02
7.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle on 12/27/2010. Dark black body with a large frothy tan head. Big caramel, floral hops and molasses aroma. Sweet molasses flavor with some caramel, floral hops and light roast. Full body with moderate carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jul 2011
at 05:14
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle at Max’s tasting. Pours black. Tan head. Nose of raisin, plum, brown sugar and toffee. Taste is thick sweet raisin puree, brown sugar and toffee. Almost sickeningly sweet at times. Good sipper.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Mar 2011
at 13:16
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours a near black with a light brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a combination of roasted malts and bitter dark chocolate with a bit of backing hop bitterness. Flavor starts with roasted malts but quickly becomes bitter with dark chocolate and hops.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Mar 2011
at 19:55
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
22oz bomber. Pours a viscous brown-black, opaque. Big soapy beige-brown head. 14 malts and 14 hops, I can dig it. Wow. This beer is awesome. Big and rich, but smoother and easier to drink than a lot of beers that are in the 8-9% range. Big complex malt tones..brown sugar, caramel, toffee. Becomes a little more rugged as you sip on it, big sticky mouthfeel. Refined and complex.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Feb 2011
at 23:44