Reunion Ale '14
Shmaltz Brewing Company

Reunion Ale '14Reunion Ale '14
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From:
Shmaltz Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
8%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 13.28%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
125
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 09, 2018
Added:
Aug 21, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  19
No description / notes.
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Ratings by MSandahl23:
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Rated by MSandahl23 from Indiana

4/5  rDev +8.4%

Nov 18, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by BcOneSeven from Michigan

Jan 25, 2016
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.52/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
"This year's beer is a dark ale brewed with toasted coconut, cocoa nibs, vanilla, connamon, coffee and chocolate. It was originally inspired by a fantastic dessert that we used to share with Virginia at our favorite restaurant." Brewed in the style of an American Brown Ale. Available in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft. Annual release with rotating ingredients, fourth annual collaboration.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a snifter glass.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of a caramel brown color over a deep maple brown body with abundant lively carbonation and high clarity. Retention is good and lacing is light and patchy. 3.75

(Smell) Aromas of cinnamon and vanilla, nutty up front, particularly dessert-like. Undertones of chocolate and faint raw coffee beans. Potency is moderate. 3.5

(Taste) Coffee and cocoa powder forward, drying shaved coconut and cinnamon beyond. Malt characters of toasted caramel grains. Very dry, and the flavor is a bit more unfocused than in previous installments. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, silky, lightly chewy, chalky dry. Carbonation is medium, generating a moderate frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is slightly sweet over roasty and earthy bitter. Alcohol presence is mild and there are no off characters. 3.5

(Overall) 2014's Reunion Ale release touts toasted coconut in addition to the already incredibly busy flavor profile of coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and cocoa nibs for an ale that really does deliver in adjunct flavor for an approachable dessert beer. Most notable is the toasted coconut which generates a distinctive flavor change from previous iterations of Reunion Ale. For me, it doesn't work quite as well, either as too busy a combination of flavors to track or a body that seems a bit too light to support the flavors. Despite not being a winner for me, I'm always willing to try a bottle of this ale in hope that continued revenue will go to a good cause. 3.5

Shmaltz Brewing Company's
Reunion Ale '14 (With Terrapin Beer Co.)
/5.00
Dec 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.01 by xtonytx from Connecticut

Nov 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.68 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 07, 2015
Photo of Extol
Reviewed by Extol from Georgia

3.92/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - light brown in color. Smell - light chocohlate, coconut, cinnamon mostly. Taste - follows the nose mostly. I like it. Overall - this is pretty solid. Would get again.
Oct 09, 2015
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Reviewed by cmq103 from New Jersey

3.81/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Flight Sampler at the Blend Bar & Bistro poured into a 4-ounce sample glass. A moderate dark brown pour with a decent head. Multi-layers of flavors with each and every sip. I definitely get the cinnamon and coconut and sweet honey-like finish. This one sure was different. I can't say I ever had a brown ale taste like this before. I'm glad I tried it and would have it again if they decided to brew it again.
Oct 09, 2015
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Rated by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

3.06/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Notes to self: this 2014 beer was smooth & easy drinking, but I didn't get any of the flavors listed. More evidence I just don't care for brown ales.
Sep 28, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.3/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
BOTTLE: 650.6ml. Brown glass. Colourful branded pry-off crown cap. Flashy juvenile label design.

Served cold into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass and allowed to come to temperature over the course of consumption. Expectations are average; I don't put much faith in Schmaltz, but Terrapin gets my attention.

8% ABV.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: ~5cm wide. Khaki colour. Decent creaminess/frothiness. It has a soft look to it, but it's also airy and somewhat thin. Retention is good for the high ABV - ~6-7 minutes. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Opaque amber-brown. No yeast is visible within.

Appears well-carbonated. It's generally appealing, but has no stand-out characteristics. Not unique or special.

AROMA: Artificial. Fake extracty notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla, and chocolate - all notes promised by the label. The coffee does seem genuine, albeit shallow and inexpressive. I find no suggestions of hops, yeast, or booze.

Aromatic intensity is moderate. Suggests a saccharine mess of a brew.

TASTE: Yup...it's a saccharine mess, replete with artificial notes only. Whilst the coffee does taste authentic, the rest of the beer tastes like extract or flavour syrup. Shallow chocolate, malted milk balls/Whoppers, a hint of coconut flavouring, vanillin...ugh. Too sweet, too fake, too forced. Lacks balance. Has a very "thrown together" feel, lacking cohesion of build. Not a gestalt brew, nor a deliberate one. What are they going for with this?

TEXTURE: Full-bodied, sugary, medium-bodied, and somewhat syrupy. Smooth and wet enough that you can get it down, but the sweetness and artificiality coupled with the syrupy mouthfeel makes it medicine-redolent. Ugh.

OVERALL: A mess of a brew that isn't worth buying. I expect this from Schmaltz, but not from Terrapin. Ironic, perhaps, that sales of this beer benefit bone cancer research - while the beer itself is so sweet that those who bought it will find themselves in need of dental work soon after finishing the bottle (if they're able to). I'll try, but this is anything but drinkable. I wish I had 7 people to share it with - an eighth of a bottle is more than enough.

D+ (Avoid) /
Sep 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by bigleague from Michigan

Sep 20, 2015
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Reviewed by L0ne from Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
From backlog. 22oz bottle, April 2015.

Label advertises toasted coconut, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and cocoa nibs. Saw this on the shelf and was super excited to try it, as these are all flavors that I love. Well, I was terribly disappointed, as this ended up tasting like a fairly generic, "beer-y" brown ale or bock.

Dark brown with almost no head. Generic dark malts and some nuttiness, a little sweet. Relatively watery.
Sep 11, 2015
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Toasted coconut, cocoa, vanilla, coffee, cinnamon... sounds great, and yet this beer is weird, bland and unremarkable. The mouthfeel is terribly watery, and the taste reminds me of poorly blanched vegetables. There is also a sour note that is out of place.
Sep 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by bluehende from Delaware

Aug 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.58 by sporklift87 from Colorado

Aug 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.82 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Jul 14, 2015
Photo of TBonez477
Reviewed by TBonez477 from Vermont

3.54/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Some odd vegetal notes through the nose as well as flavor. This brew really comes off as a mash-up of flavors into a weak porter base. Not terrible, but not great either.
Jul 02, 2015
Photo of CHickman
Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.33/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours very dark brown color, almost black looking except around the edge of the glass where the light hits the brew; 1-2 finger foamy beige to light tan head that was full of tiny bubbles and faded very slowly, leaving excellent foamy lacing and rings as it went down. The head was fluffy and whipped looking like the top of a Starbucks specialty drink that faded into a nice foamy layer on top, making for a great looking pour.

Smells of nuts, toasted coconut, vanilla, toasted grains, burnt wood, cocoa powder, milk chocolate bar, metallic yeast, leafy floral hops, coffee grinds and some mild spices that includes pepper, brown sugar and cinnamon. Secondary whiff is more coffee, vanilla, toffee and burnt grains, but I must admit that this is one of the best smelling brown ales I’ve ever indulged. I like hoppy brown ales like the Dogfish Head and Brooklyn versions, but this was really different with all of the ingredients listed on the bottle coming through in a very pleasant way. It’s a tad bit unbalanced, but the aroma is wonderful.

Tastes like it smells, but with more grainy notes and metal or penny taste which takes away from the real stars of the show, the coffee, vanilla, nuts, toasted coconut, cinnamon and chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, this does not taste bad, in fact I really like it; however, my point is the yeast or grains somehow manage to inject too much heavy metal into the flavor and for me it took away from those ingredients. The cocoa powder, milk chocolate, mild leafy floral hops and coffee grinds are joined by caramel, peat moss, light earthy notes and spices that include pepper, brown sugar and cinnamon. Tastes like they snuck in a hot chili pepper too, but there is no heat and just the chili pepper flavor which is odd but mixes well with the other flavors, creating a very complex brown ale. Maybe the cinnamon is tricking me into the chili pepper flavor, but no big deal it’s still a very tasty brew.

Mouthfeel is very creamy and smooth, with little to no carbonation, a medium body and an aftertaste that is a little spicy, sweet and full of malt varieties. Finish is on the clean side, and this brew hides the 8% ABV masterfully. Overall a great beer that was much better than I expected. Looking forward to the next collaboration by these brewers and the Reunion ’15.
Jul 01, 2015
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Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

3.61/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Pours chestnut/brown with a sliver of and cream colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Coconut, faint leafy hops, some coffee & pepper are also there on warm

T: Follows the nose, cocoa, dryness as well up front. Stays dry, coconut & cocoa nibs as this warms, a little booze edge as well. Finishes with cocoa, a little vanilla & coconut, plus coffee

MF: Medium body, fairly assertive carbonation

I'm glad I'm helping out a charity here, but this was nothing special; but still better than past iterations
Jun 25, 2015
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Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Enjoyed from the 22 oz bottle in a snifter. This unique brew pours a medium dark brown with a decent light tan head of foam that dissipates to a thin layer and medium ring with spotty lacing. Nose of vanilla, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and light vanilla. Of note I did not detect any coffee.....until the taste. Moderate bitter coffee notes dance lightly with vanilla and bitter cocoa on all sides. Coconut comes through on the back with a light cinnamon spiciness. Very unique. Finishes lightly dry with medium carbonation. Very nice ale for a good cause, much like the Belgian monks who give to charity, thus does the good hearts at Shmaltz.

Cheers
May 24, 2015
Reunion Ale '14 from Shmaltz Brewing Company
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 125 ratings