[Cellar Review] He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn (17th Anniversary Ale - 2013)

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 17.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is a beer I first had back in November of 2013. And as I said back then: "this beer is a bit of a hot mess." But that was back then. This is now. Five years later. About He'Brew:

that was then, this is now

He'Brew is part of the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company previously contract brewed most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, while operating a small brewery in Brooklyn, New York. After 16 years of having their beer contract brewed, the Shmaltz Brewing Company opened its own New York State microbrewery in Clifton Park, NY. The new location features a 50-barrel brewhouse, with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity, and began production April/May 2013, officially opening July 2013. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a schmuck!

The Jewbelation Reborn is part of the He'Brew Anniversary Ale series. The malt list is: 2-Row, Spelt, Vienna, Munich, Rye, Wheat  Einkorn, Emmer, Chocolate, Crystal Rye, Dark Crystal, Roasted Barley, Roasted Wheat, Flaked Oats, Caramunich 40, Carapilsner, and Kiln Amber. The hops include: Warrior, Columbus, Apollo, Palisade, Golding, Tettnang, Ahtanum, Cascade, Czech Saaz, Centennial, Chinook, Santiam, Simcoe, Summit, Amarillo, Citra, and Crystal.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn 2018 Cellared

So you're probably wondering, does this look dramatically different than its fresh counterpart? And the answer is surprisingly: YES! Look at the struggling head on the five year vintage. The cellar vintage pours out like coca-cola. Contrast that to the tight and thick head on the fresh 2013 vintage. But looks are deceiving, like that experienced senior in sweatpants who doesn't do their hair or give two looks about their apperance compared to the perfectly manicured freshy who would be lost in an eggplant factory. 

Gone on the aroma are the hops, along with the fruity berry puree notes. No, this does not smell anything like how I described the fresh vintage. The aroma is rich, and aged, with hints of soy, molasses, lovely sherry wine notes, dark fruits in the form of prunes, raisins, and plums, and oxidation for sure with some stale wet leaves and pine nuts.  

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn 2013 Fresh

And wowza. Not only does this taste amazing...it is quite layered and complex. This has barleywine qualities with complex layers of burnt maple, caramel sugars, brown sugar, and toffee. There's a light fudgy aspect to the mix, which reminds me of the pre-2015 Bourbon County glory days when the beer seemed a bit hotter and less sweet. There is quite a bit of alcohol, which I would expect (and honestly) want in a 17% beer. The idea that a 17% beer would be without alcohol seems absurd, right? I'm not getting as much of the oxidation notes in the taste, which is GREAT. In fact, the faint oxidized hops in the aroma don't really show up on the palate. What I do get is a kiss of dark fruits and soy. It is a nice counterpoint to the beer itself.

This has some bitterness to it, which may be from the remaining hop oils or the dark shades of malt. This is wonderfully complex. This is also CONSIDERABLY better aged than fresh. It's too bad He'Brew dropped the anniversary year corresponding hops/malts/abv shtick. These are always fun to age, and sometimes you end up with a really nice sipping beer like tonight. Speaking of: up front you get dark fruits, raisins, light raspberry puree, alcohol, and complex caramel sugars; the mids touch of fudge, umami/soy/dark fruits, some light light oxy; the back end drops more fruits and fudge, with alcohol. This is sticky and deep like the adult side of the swimming pool. Palate duration is off the chain.

Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.25/5.0 Untappd)

Wow, so when you compare this beer fresh to the beer we are drinking today....it is really one of those night and day examples. I gave this beer a generous 3/5 back in the day and called it a "hot mess." The beer we have today is complex, layered, and delicious. My only regret is this was my last bottle. Wah wah. If someone from Shmaltz is reading this....please, bring this back. 

Random Thought: So what did we learn today? Well, we learned that this beer sucked fresh and needed at least a few years in the ol' cellar. Honestly though, this beer could have probably aged for another year or two. I just got antsy after five years. I really did have a debate in my mind about whether or not to open this beer. I'm glad I did.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn (17th Anniversary Ale - 2013)

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 17.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is pretty much the definition of extreme brewing. Clocking in at 17.0%, this gentle beer is brewed with 17 malts, 17 hops, and was even born again. About He'Brew:

He'Brew is part of the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company previously contract brewed most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, while operating a small brewery in Brooklyn, New York. After 16 years of having their beer contract brewed, the Shmaltz Brewing Company opened its own New York State microbrewery in Clifton Park, NY. The new location features a 50-barrel brewhouse, with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity, and began production April/May 2013, officially opening July 2013. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a schmuck!

Tonight's beer is a part of the He'Brew Anniversary Ale series. Last year I had the dynamite Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale. It was just a complex, boozy, malt bomb. Delicious stuff, and I have a few bottles creepin' in my cellar. The Jewbelation Reborn is as much of a celebration as it is a beer. Brewed to commemorate 17 years of brewing AND the transition from contract brewing to owning a brew house  this ridiculous beer features all sorts of malts and hops. The malt list is: 2-Row, Spelt, Vienna, Munich, Rye, Wheat  Einkorn, Emmer, Chocolate, Crystal Rye, Dark Crystal, Roasted Barley, Roasted Wheat, Flaked Oats, Caramunich 40, Carapilsner, and Kiln Amber. The hops include: Warrior, Columbus, Apollo, Palisade, Golding, Tettnang, Ahtanum, Cascade, Czech Saaz, Centennial, Chinook, Santiam, Simcoe, Summit, Amarillo, Citra, and Crystal. 

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn

The beer pours into a surprisingly dark, cola-black/brown body, kicking up a finger or two of foamy/soapy dark brown head. The head retention is actually decent, with a finger of sticky, soapy head hanging around...and there's lots of lacing. I wonder if that is courtesy of all the hops. There's some legs on this as well.

When I was pouring the beer, I was getting a surprising amount of hops on the aroma. Keep in mind that I'm drinking this beer at near room temperature...at this ABV, and with this much going on, the aroma is kind of muddled. I'm getting some brown/turbinado sugar, beef jerky, some umami/soy sauce, and lots of hints of fruity berries and berry puree. There's some dark grain and rye bread on the aroma as well, with nondescript resinous hops. Chocolate, sugars. The aroma is as complex as it is muddled.

The taste instantly reminds me of Avery's The Beast Grand Cru. There's a lot of soy/beef jerky/berries, followed by berry puree and raspberry puree. Lots of alcohol, brown sugar, and turbinado sugar. Dark grains also follow. The whole mix has a plastic-rubber astringency, similar to the Goose Island Nightstalker. I imagine the 17 hops have a lot to do with that. There are hints of dark fruits like raisins, plums, and cherries, all courtesy of the brown/turbinado sugar. The alcohol almost has a smokey heat to it; leather...and I'm not getting a ton of the dark chocolate malts like I was in the Sweet Sixteen. 

I know this beer is young, but I'm not seeing the potential I saw in the Sweet Sixteen. This beer is both boozy and hot, but you expect that at 17%. It's a sipping beer, and a beer to be enjoyed damn near room temperature (imo). Palate depth is okay, and complexity is okay. The mouthfeel is medium-full, with nice carbonation, but drinks harder thanks to the booze and sticky sugar that aggressively coats your mouth. You get a rush of turbinado/brown sugar and astringent grain up front; that roles into sticky sweet raspberry puree, hop astringency, berries/jerky/soy/umami; the finish is bitter, features dark grain, more berry/raspberry/beef jerky puree, and boozy complexity. Sticky sweet finish...it feels like an extreme beer.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. I really like the Sweet 16, but this beer is a bit of a hot mess. I understand that this is a gimmick AND that it's probably intended to be aged, but yeah. The turbinado sugar veers into the direction of complex caramel/toffee and maybe even coconut, but it's not quite there yet. Maybe with some time in the cellar? Otherwise, there is lots of raspberry/berry puree, hints of beef jerky, and umami richness. It's like Avery's The Beast or Dogfish Head's Fort. I did grab a second bottle to age, and I will do that. At 13 dollars a bomber, this beer is priced fairly, but I'm guessing you'll find it on shelves for cheaper if you shop around. I would pair this with nothing. This is a sipper. Or pair it with a cigar. Maybe pecan pie.

Random Thought: 17% is what? Like 3 beers in 12oz. So this beer is almost a 6-pack in a bomber. Nice. To be honest, when I first started writing this review last night (we are going on two days here), I almost rated this as below-average. But now that I'm drinking the second half of the bottle at colder temps, I'm getting a little less of the astringent hop/sugar punch. I've pretty much covered the spectrum: fridge cold to room temperature. It's also hard to review these extreme beers. 17% is what...practically a spirit, right? I get shades of the 120 Minute IPA and Dogfish Head Fort in this beer, so I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I think this beer needs at least a few months to settle in the bottle. I look forward to cracking this open in a year or two, along with Avery's The Beast Grand Cru. Right now, I'm either (a) a big pussy, or (b) aversive to the extremes in these beers. 

All that said...this beer is still incredibly complex, and kind of fun to drink. It does unravel itself and reveal interesting flavors, with a lot going on both in terms of the malts and the hops. The huge ABV provides boozy complexity with notes of leather, berry puree, and a strange umami flavor I haven't quite figured out. This is a great beer to buy if you want to start doing some verticals. My only question is: what the hell is He'Brew going to do for the 18% anniversary? And at what point do they need to call up Jim Koch and ask him for his Utopia yeast. 

Drinking this beer is making me want to pull a Sweet 16 from my cellar, and maybe I'll do that as we get closer to the holidays. In the meantime, I'll throw another bottle of this into my cellar...and good things could, and should happen. So yeah. I don't love it, I don't hate it, I'm intrigued, but right now this stuff is middling. I love ya He'Brew, but shit is getting real.

He'Brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York 

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 16.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Nothing says Christmas like Hanukkah. Today I'm looking at a beer made by the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company contract brews most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, and they operate a brewery in Brooklyn New York. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a shmuck, and drink good beer!

Tonight's beer is a part of the He'Brew Anniversary Ale series. The Jewbelation series began with Jewbelation 8, and since then, the brewery has released a new beer annually to celebrate the occasion. The beer uses the same number of malts, hops, and alcohol as the anniversary they are celebrating. Today's beer uses 16 malts, 16 hops, and clocks in at a mean 16% ABV. If you roll over to the Sweet 16 page, you can see all the ingredients used in this beer. The list of malts include: specialty 2-row, vienna, munich, wheat, chocolate, crystal rye, dark crystal, rye, roasted barley, spelt, flaked quinoa, roasted wheat, flaked oats, caramunich 40, carapilsner, and kiln amber. The list of hops include: Fuggle, Willamette, Golding, Palisade, Tetnang, Crystal, Athanum, Columbus, Zythos, Cascade, Centennial, Apollo, Simcoe, Summit, Citra, and Amarillo. If that wasn't crazy enough, you can actually see the instructions for brewing this. It looks like this beer has 16 hop additions, and gets boiled for over 2 hours. Crazy...

Initial reports suggest this beer is a bit hot...but I am reviewing this fresh. I did grab 3 bottles of this, with the intention of aging this. And it should age nicely. With that said, let's glass this up and see what we got.

Jewbelation Sweet 16

This beer pours surprisingly dark, with a black/molasses/brown body, and one to two fingers of brown head made up of struggling carbonation. Getting head on this is harder than drowning your girlfriend (after getting head?..har). This is so boozy, the whole beer slides on the glass, with fast streaking legs. And BROWN TONES. Really though, this is some dark stuff. Sticky lacing is hanging to the sides, and you get a brown ring with a streaky cauldron effect. (I just realized, the pink elephants on my glass totes match the bottle).

The aroma on this is insane waves of fruity molasses, malt wallop, and hops. There's definitely an underlying boozy aroma present, but it doesn't smell like vodka (so quit bitching that your 16% ABV beer is boozy). I'm getting molasses, raisins, plums, prunes; hints of chocolate and chocolate fudge (ala BCBS); hints of woody esters and some vanilla. You don't really get hop aromas, but there's a sticky, elusive hint of hops on the nose.

The taste follows through with the nose nicely...the only difference is you pick up on some of the hops, and you get some rocky booziness. Up front is really nice cocoa, chocolate fudge. There's a big punch of Sherry or hot red wine. I'm picking up plums, cherries, dark fruits, hints of vanilla/wood, plenty of molasses, and touches of piney/citrus hop on the finish. There's definitely booze in the taste, with an almost Bourbon-like heat...it's hot, but it's not too bad...

But still, at 16% ABV, this is a sipping beer. It has to be. If you can't swirl this in your snifter, and enjoy the nuances, then why bother dialing this up to 16%? Fortunately, this is quite complex, and fairly drinkable now. This is medium-full to full-bodied, but is supported by nice carbonation and has some slight thinness mid-palate. The finish is dry and sticky, but the beer itself is not syrupy. Palate depth is good. Up front is chocolate, cocoa, brownie, some wood and vanilla; this rolls into dark fruits, cherries; the back end is hop bitterness, lingering fruit, molasses...fade to dryness. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...at this point in time. This is surprisingly good, despite the booziness. If you like Bourbon, or spirits, and you also enjoy beer...check this out. There is nice alcohol complexity with this beer, novelty aside. And I think this should age nicely with time. I plan to pull a bottle of this out in 3 years, and then 5. By then...I think we will have something really nice on our hands. This beer is also a huge steal at 7-10 dollars per bottle. Food pairings? Does a cigar count? This is a straight up dessert beer...either drink this beer for dessert, or pair it with some cheesecake or dry chocolate cake. L'Chayim!

Random Thought: I can't wait for the 17th Anniversary Ale...but this beer must be getting expensive for the brewery, and I would imagine somewhat difficult to brew.