Chanukah Hanukkah Pass the Beer 2017
Shmaltz Brewing Company

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 10/26/2017. Pours lightly hazy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, citrus peel/zest, peppercorn, clove, pine, cocoa, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, cocoa, and bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, citrus peel/zest, peppercorn, clove, pine, cocoa, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, melon, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, clove, pine, cocoa, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, cocoa, and bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is a very good hoppy Belgian blonde ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, cocoa, and bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Not overly bitter/spicy. Malts have a slight stale character going on. Very well balanced between hops, yeast, malts, and cocoa nib character. Minimal residual sweetness from lingering dryness. A very enjoyable, unique, and well made style example.

Impressed with this beer.

12oz 2017 bottle.
Hazy copper body with a good beige head.
Malty aroma with some fruit notes but a hop forward flavor. Moderately bitter. Faint cocoa in the nose with more obvious cocoa in the flavor and, especially, the aftertaste.

 

 

The aroma really stood out to me. The taste was slightly sweet and festive; just right for me as I do not like sweet or fruity tasting beer. It was smooth drinking and enjoyable.

The 2017 Chanukah Hanukkah pours a clear copper color, with not much head, and a little lacing. The aroma is quite subdued. The taste is an interesting mix. Think of this as a strong pale ale, with some distinct hoppiness, and then with cocoa and vanilla tossed in! That cocoa and vanilla are not dominant, they're understated but definitely there. Interesting combo. Props to Shmaltz for a bit of originality.