It's been a couple of years but I have enjoyed every beer I have had by these guys. They are, in fact, probably the best contract brewer out there...or at least my favorite. Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. alone justifies that.
Origin Pomegranate Ale is likely not the first thing you are going to think of as a fine brew. Me, I pretty much hate fruit beer. I blame this one. I have an up on this one, though, as I am told that my granddad in Scotland - when younger and quite a tough man - was oddly mad for pomegranates, eating them like oranges, slicing them in half, mashing the rich red pulp into his gob and letting what happens with all that gushy juice happen.
Not quite the same experience with the beer. Far more control. It pours orange-amber with a fine rim and foam head. Lots of Boston brown bread malty sweetness on the nose. In the mouth, well, plenty of black tea hopping almost balancing rich figgy malty...and then that pomegranate just nosing out making itself know but not taking over anything. A nice fresh snap. Almost replicating the juicy citrus of big US hopping more than a juice injection. Not sweet either. It's not quote a Lenny but it is worthy and rightly earns BAer respect. Fine.
Comments
Jeffrey T. Meyer - November 11, 2008 10:19 AM
Jeremy Cowan is a hoot. He is fun to talk to and I get a kick of all the weird beers they have been doing with the Coney Island side of Shmaltz. A Hebrew number 9 is a beer to snatch up if you can still find it. Lenny is my favorite. I have had this Pomegranate before but I need to revisit.
JeffreyT
Zak Davis - November 11, 2008 4:32 PM
Hey guys. This is Zak from Shmaltz Brewing Company. First off, thanks so much for the love. I would have to agree with you on all fronts. Bittersweet Lenny's is one for the ages. I'm also glad you enjoyed the Origin. People are adding all kinds of different ingredients to beers to make them unique, but for some reason, as soon as fruit enters the equation, it feels like beer exits it. We wanted the pomegranate in Origin to complement the overall character of the beer. Imperial amber ales, being relatively hoppy, seemed to lend themselves to the tartness of the pomegranate.
Jeffrey, if you can find some Jewbelation 9, snatch them up and never let them go (unless you want to send some to me). We just released Jewbelation 12, which is this year's incarnation: 12 malts, 12 hops, 12%, and it's DELICIOUS. Definitely check it out.
L'Chaim boys.
TeacherPatti - November 11, 2008 9:17 PM
My husband bought me the He'Brew Jewbelation just because I am Jewish. I was afraid it was just a gimmick...to my delight, it was fantastic. We still have the empty bottle in our collection.
That's for making the tribe proud, Zak!