Shmaltz Death Hoppy Black Ale

"7 MALTS: Specialty 2-row, Munich, Crystal Rye, Wheat, Chocolate,Pale Chocolate, Kiln Coffee
7 HOPS: Cascade, Citra, Summit, Crystal, Amarillo, Ahtanum, Chinook
7% ABV"

"...behold DEATH of a contract brewer."

3.7

268 reviews

Clifton Park, United States

Community reviews

3.8 22oz. bomber: This one pours an opaque, very dark brown color. There was a small tan head that doesn’t linger long but does leave some lacing. Good nose. Roasted malts, citrus hops, lighter pine and faint coffee. The taste is very good. Just a bit of coffee and bitterness up front. Pine, roast, maybe some nuttiness. A good beer.

3.9 O M G ! ! ! This is awesome!!! Poured out near zero head. Scents processed in tiny walnut sized brain: pine, chocolate possibly containing cherries, apricot, caramel, slight roast strength, slighter coffee, tang crystals <--- yes!!! Does Tang even exist anymore? I used to go into the trailer while camping and eat entire powder packages. It’s probably the main reason I’m so strange - most certainly wasn’t all that acid. Pretty sure this is the main characteristic that has so enthralled me to this aroma. The taste is also super skookum. Sizeable citrus and pine, caramel, lemon, dry stout dryness, hints of coffee, ample permanent bitterness, mellow roast with a not so mellow bite, red licorice, ashy finish is great. Sticky, sweet and smooth. Wonderful.

3.7 Pours a deep dark browncolor. Aromas of big hop action, sweet malts, and more hops. Flavor has some bready maltsy tastes with nice grapefruit and floral hop taste.

3.5 It pours fairly dark brown with a light brown head. It has the aroma of roasted malts, pine, and a bit of chocolate. It has flavors of roasted malts with pine hops in the balance and a touch of chocolate.

3.1 APPEARANCE- looks like a funeral in a glass: black bottom, white lacey top... I hope I get the invite. NOSE- Moatly caramely malt scents. Not much hop comes through in the scent. FLAVOR- light body, feels thin on the tongue. Carmel and roastiness is present, and hop bitterness comes in at the end.

3.7 Aroma of pine/evergreen, roasted malt, char/ash; near black in color, large khaki head; black licorice, molasses/sulphur, resiny hops, dry, roasted malt, good amount of bitterness, ashy finish; medium body, quite smooth and silky despite the carbonation; this beer is like liquid ashes with more appeal, pairs really well with sponge candy from Western NY.

5.0 Smell is sweet yet hoppy: licorice, pine, hops, black rice, fresh dough, slight spice, and cookies. pour is a luminescent black brown with a retaining creamy head. taste is hoppy spice, citrus stabs, deep soy sauce and bitter brown sugar, and toasted bread. Long bitter, drying palate. Oh god, give me more

3.7 12oz bottle. Poured a pretty dark brown color, with a light tan head. Aroma was earthy hops, lots of roasted malts. Light chocolate. Flavor was light floral notes, lots of herbal, earthy notes. Touch boozy. Okay, actually liked it better than the Stone Enjoy By Black IPA, so there’s that at least.

4.1 Poured from bottle. Aroma of toasted malt, hops and chocolate ice cream. Appearance is jet black with persistent head and lacing. Tasting toasted malt, cocoa, a mix of pine, citrus and grassy hops, caramel, licorice, coffee. Palate is oddly smooth for something called IPA, but the malt and other flavors give this excellent balance. Overall, an outstanding beer.

3.6 Four pack from the brewery. Poured to a pilsner. Clear black rosy with a little amber. Surprising thick head sticks around. Nose was a little lacking...definitely roasted malt profiles coming off the top. And, the malts are all over the first taste. Little char in there. A little hop offset, but the grains take the day. Decent beer.

3.2 Bomber split six ways courtesy of Rob G., who received this from his father-in-law. Aroma: Moderate roasted/charred malts and light dark cacao with a touch of citrus personality. Appearance: Poured a solid black with soft carbonation supporting a light tan ring of head. Flavor: Dark malts up front with more citrus as this develops; citrus never comes out to an IPA level, and the beer finishes with a ashy, dry bitterness. Palate: Medium body, sticky texture, soft carbonation, bitter finish. Overall: Not sure of the age of the bottle (couldn’t find a date) but I can imagine that this is a pretty good Black IPA when fresh. Enjoyable enough as-is.

3.8 Orange peel, coriander, and dry hay on the nose. Dry palate, but long, with a finish of oats and cereal.

3.7 Pours a half finger of head on a black body. The aroma is rich roasted malt, dark candy and molasses. The taste has a strong coffee and pine bitterness throughout, a touch of cocoa for sweet, roasted malt. The texture is thicker. Enjoyable.

3.4 This was a very nice and smooth beer it was dark and had a great frothy foam head that held so tight! I really loved this beer and would recommend this to my friends and family!

2.0 355ml bottle. Dark brown pour. This is a crummy brew. MAlty and herbal aroma, flavor is dirt, malt, burnt ash, just utter crap.

3.8 With Z, sharing a bomber on Christmas night, pours a pitch black pour with a small Java head. Nose is deep citrus with pine and resin with a touch of chocolate . Taste is more malt and chocolate ....and sweet. Finishes sweetly with a malty and chocolate long ending . Quaff Score 7 / 10

3.6 Bomber. Pours black with a brown head and aroma of roasted malt and citrusy notes. Taste is of hops, citrus, pine, roasted malt, and chocolate notes coming through into the bitter finish.

3.0 bottle. pretty tame and underwhelming black ipa. wanted to like this but very bland

3.7 Big bottle from Chevy Chase Supermarket. Darkest brown body with tan head. Nose is yeasty, chocolate and malts. Taste is also nice and dark chocolate with malts and then gets vanilla and smoother in the finish. Really enjoyable!

4.1 12 oz bottle. Black with ruby edges, thick, sticky, tan head and lace. Aroma is roast coffee, chocolate, citrus. Flavor is dark roast coffee, bakers chocolate, citrus, pine.

3.6 Pours mahogany into a shaker. Mocha head with good retention recedes leaving spider lacing. Licorice and chocolate aromas. Soft with muted chocolate and bitter espresso upfront turning to soy and licorice in the lasting finish. Aged... but still enjoyable.

4.0 Bottle from Pacific Liquor: Nose is dominated by heaving malting that gives off a scent of caramel, dried fruit such as prune or plum, and a background of un-smoked cigar. No sign of hops anywhere in the aroma. Appeared a dark brown that was opaque while being topped by a gigantic fluffy foam head. The drink is tart and taste of stale hops and malt but because of the thick chewy base of malts the beer has held up rather nicely. Certainly wasn’t a fresh bottle of this black IPA recipe but the malts still save the day despite it having off flavors of a long shelf life.

3.6 Bomber from Hayduke that we had together via facebook chat. This looks like a porter or stout. A big tan head (40% of the pour) over a beer that is very dark but with some amber. Rich lacing. A big malty aroma, too. Hop notes are lesser and bring citrus. I wish the hops had more pop to them. Malts dominate them. Chocolate is tasted with grain. This could have been named Stout IPA. It seems to be one of those beers that just tries to do too much. It is tasty and pleasant, though.

4.0 This was shared with Slrykzone on Facebook Chat. Pours a very dark brown almost black with a creamy tan head and excellent lacing. Nose of roasted malts and some chocolate and citrus hops. Medium plus in boady with a thick sticky creamy mouth feel. Flavor is more malts than hops with chocolate malts and citrus and pine hops. Finis is bitter and shows anise and leather. Dave and I chatted a lot about this and we both agree the hops need more "pop" for an IPA. Not a bad beer by any means and drinks reasonably well.

3.7 65 cl bottle @ hotel room, San Diego. Pours dark red, almost black color with a small head. Salmiac and dark roasted malts on the nose, lots of hops, faint syrup and pine. Roasty flavor, licorice, salmiac, wood and hops. Very bitter licorice juice. 4515

3.7 65 cl bottle @ hotel room, San Diego. Aroma has licorice root and pine needles. Flavour has licorice root, leather shoes and some sugary tones. Also rye, syrupy notes, resin and pine needles. Oaty feeling here. Finishes with some grapefruity hops and nettles.

3.7 650 ml bottle. Enjoyed at San Diego, CA. Pours a black colour with a small beige head. Aroma of roastiness, piney hops and leather. Flavour of rich roastiness, piney bitterness, licorice root, leather and a bit of sweetness. Medium bodied. Long, lingering bitter finish. Quite heavy licorice root notes here. Nice.

3.8 650ml bottle Pours pitch black with a small head. Aroma of roasty malts, salty licorice, grassy hops, pine, resin and hay. Taste is smooth, slightly roasty and salty with loads of licorice, grassy hops, pine, resin and hay. Finish is hoppy, resinous and slightly roasty with some licorice and grassy notes. Pretty good.

3.7 22oz bottle. Poured a dark brown color with small sized off white head. Roast, floral, pine, chocolate, and citrus. A bit on the thin side.

4.1 Absolutely amazing beer! A bit malty, but it’s like it has a chocolate sensibility. Lacy head. The more you drink the more complex in flavors it becomes. At times I was wondering if this was a black ipa, typically when I’ve had them there was this need to brew them with a bitterness. But this beer seems more fresh, like the goal was to break that notion. For me IPA’s are always hit and miss for me but this one went beyond my expectations. If you’re searching for an IPA to get you out of that rut seek this one out. Absolutely delicious and brilliant!