December 16 - Shmaltz Brewing - Hanukkah, Chanukah

 Shmaltz Brewing Company - Hanukkah, Chanukah

I will be the first to plead ignorance.  I don't know a thing about this Jewish holiday other than it is celebrated for 8 days and 8 nights.  As for this beer, it's thematic alright.  There are 8 malts, 8 hop varieties, and it clocks in at 8% ABV.  I figured there was no time like the present to indulge in trying this beer for the first time.  The bottle says it all...Pass the Beer!  L'Chaim!

From Shmaltz Brewing Company out of New York, these guys have a lot of He'Brew themed beers.  The most recent for me was a 17% (also a 17 malt, 17 hop brew, which is just crazy!!!) ABV strong ale.  Strong would be an understatement!  That beer was definitely a sharing one and we definitely split it 3 ways a few months ago.  I don't believe that I finished mine either...

This particular beer is a dark ale that pours a deep, opaque brown color with a thin beige head at the top. 

The aroma is a sweet malty one, since there are 8 malt varieties used here!  As it warmed, there was a distinct alcohol smell along with an almost whole wheat bread note to it.  I also noted some raisin in the smell as well. 

As for the taste...well...it's pretty malty.  Actually, very malty.  If you like your malts and want to coat your tongue in them, you'll be pleased here!  The beer is very well balanced with a decent hop bite at the end.  As it warms up, the hops definitely linger on the tongue with the deep malt profile.

For me, I'd drink it again, but like others in this blog before it, I wouldn't seek out to find it.  Now that Jewbelation Reborn 17%...I would definitely look for that one again.

mmm...there it is...

For this brew, a 3 out of 5 dreidels!



Talk about a staged picture!  Mazel and shalom!