Beer Me! — Shmaltz Brewing Company — Clifton Park, New York, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Shmaltz Brewing Company

He'Brew

(Closed)

6 Fairchild Square
Clifton Park NY 12065-1254
[Update]

Notes

Opened: 1996

Closed: 2021

Annual Production: 26,000 bbl

Formerly a beer marketing company in San Francisco, Shmaltz built themselves a brewery in 2013, then sold it to Singlecut Beersmiths in 2018.

Updated: January 8, 2023

News

2022-12-15: Shmaltz Brewing Sells Brand After 25 Years – New Owner Plans Relaunch (ProBrewer)
2021-09-23: Shmaltz Brewing — ‘the only Jewish beer company in America’ — is closing after 25 years (Craft Brewing Business)
2018-05-21: After 5 Years, Shmaltz Sells New York Brewery to Singlecut Beersmiths (Brewbound)
2016-07-15: Official Star Trek Beer Launches This Month (Real Beer)
2012-08-20: A Craft Beer Brand's Winning Recipe? Outsourcing (Bloomberg Businessweek)
2010-02-18: Brewery To Commemorate New Coney Island Park With Beer (NY1)
2009-10-07: He'Brew the Chosen Beer, lives up to its shtick (Stamford Advocate)
2008-01-30: Shmaltz Brewing Company Reaches Over 550% Growth in Four Years (BeerAdvocate)

Beer List

Barrel Aged Human Blockhead

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

10.83% abv.
- Date: July 5, 2012 (#8881)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Hy-Vee Columbus, Columbus NE
  
  Score: 18 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Bright deep brown. Low head.
  
  Aroma (3½)
  Whiskey and oak and dark fruity esters.
  
  Mouthfeel (9)
  Big and chewy. Fiercely malty, with big vanilla up front and a nice whiskey note. Creamy, warming finish.
  
  Overall Impression (2½)

Coney Island Albino Python

Herb and Spice Beer

Date: May 3, 2012 (#8791)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Golden. Very high carbonation. Huge head.

Aroma (3)
Allspice. Toasty malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light and fizzy. Big allspice flavor on top of mild sweet malt. Floral. Low bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
"White lager brewed with spices."

Coney Island Human Blockhead

Other Strong Beer

10.00% abv.

Coney Island Lager

Bohemian-Style Pilsener

Date: August 17, 2007 (#6598)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Spicy, grassy, floral. Lots of malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body. Fairly fizzy. Really malty with a fruity, grassy, floral hop flavor. Fairly bitter. Nicely balanced.

Overall Impression (3)

Coney Island Luna Lager

Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner

American-Style Pilsener

5.50% abv.

Date: May 6, 2012 (#8794)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Massive head.

Aroma (3)
Big fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light and fizzy. Sweet and fruity. Very low bitterness. Fruity sweet finish.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: May 6, 2012 (#8795)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Golden. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Fairly fruity, resiny hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Big citrusy hop flavor. Biscuity malt. Low-medium bitterness. Fruity, hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Brewed with lager yeast.

Date: August 17, 2007 (#6596)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Very nice dense head.

Aroma (4)
Lots of rye malt underlying a huge earthy, piney hoppiness.

Mouthfeel (9)
Huge. Bitter. Malty. Huge resiny bitterness. Smooth, bitter, and pretty tasty.

Overall Impression (2½)
"Double IPA with rye malt"

Date: December 8, 2010 (#8384)

Package: draught

Place: Max & Joe's Belgian Beer Tavern, Omaha NE

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-brown. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Spicy-oaky. Good whiskey character. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and creamy. Loads of malt and loads of rye-soaked oak. Real nice balance, smooth and tasty.

Overall Impression (3)

Date: July 17, 2013 (#9238)

Package: draught

Place: Max & Joe's Belgian Beer Tavern, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Very dark brown-black. Dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Spicy, bready. Oak.

Mouthfeel (9)
Thick, chewy. Intense oak, coconut. Intense roast. Intense malt. Warming alcohol.

Overall Impression (2)
Tremendously complex, with great aging potential.

Date: October 22, 2011 (#8658)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Low beige head.

Aroma (3)
Port wine, licorice, oak.

Mouthfeel (9)
Huge, thick, smooth. Malty, roasty. Lots of dark fruit. Lots of alcohol.

Overall Impression (2½)
Big, big beer...needs some age. "15th Anniversary Barleywine brewed with pomegranate, fig, date & grape juice, aged for eight months in Sazerac 6-Year Rye Whiskey barrels."

Date: June 18, 2008 (#7117)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Big citrus hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Big citrus hop flavor, orange and grapefruit. Lots of sweet malt. Finishes hoppy and fruity.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: April 13, 1998 (#2733)

Package: bottled

Place: Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago IL

Score: 11 points

Overall Impression (2)
Amber, moderate carbonation, good head. A little roasty aroma, a lot of diacetyl. Malty, sweet, diacetyl, high carbonation. Big diacetyl finish. It's a butterscotch bomb.

Date: January 5, 2012 (#8694)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Very fruity, peppery, earthy.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium body, fizzy. Sweet biscuity malt, grassy hop flavor. Moderate bitterness.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: December 8, 2010 (#8383)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Big thick head.

Aroma (3½)
Fruity. Roasty and sweet. Plums.

Mouthfeel (9)
Rich and malty and chewy. Roasty and fruity. Low bitterness. Alcohol in the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Richer and more complex than Jewbelation 9.

Date: September 15, 2007 (#6629)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Very dark red. Thick brownish head.

Aroma (3)
Chocolate. Spice. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Huge body. Hugely warming. Hugely malty. Hugely hoppy. Hugely sweet. Hugely bitter.

Overall Impression (2)
There's a lot going on here, but it will be a year or two before it all starts working together. Brewed with 10 malts and 10 hops.

Date: December 14, 2010 (#8385)

Package: bottled

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Creamy beige head.

Aroma (4)
Chocolatey, roasty, hint of rye?

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy. Really roasty and chocolatey. Grassy, earthy bitterness. Alcohol in the background.

Overall Impression (3)
Big, rich, tasty beer.

Date: January 5, 2008 (#6793)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Very dark red-brown. Thick foamy head.

Aroma (3)
Big piney, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Huge. Creamy. Intensely malty. Roasty and sweet. Some resiny bitterness; it's probably intense, but it's buried under all the malts.

Overall Impression (2½)
Like most enormous complex beers, this one will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar. Brewed with 11 different malts and 11 different hops.

Date: December 17, 2010 (#8396)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Malty. Roasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and chewy. Lots of malt, lots of roast malt. Biscuity and dark. Licorice and alcohol. Finishes intensely black and alcoholic.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: February 15, 2009 (#7703)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Brown-black. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Toffee. Molasses. Alcohol. Intense dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel (8)
Huge, thick, and bitter. Sweet and roasty. Alcoholic and malty. Lots of toffee and dark chocolate.

Overall Impression (2½)
Big complex beer that needs some age. This "12th Anniversary Beer" has 12 malts, 12 hops, and 12% alcohol.

Date: December 17, 2010 (#8388)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Huge dense brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Biscuity, roasty. Anise.

Mouthfeel (9)
Huge. Rich. Roasty. Anise. Whiskey malt. Graham cracker. Earthy and bitter. Phenomenally complex and really well-balanced.

Overall Impression (3)
Definitely one for the cellar!

Date: December 1, 2010 (#8372)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense moderate head.

Aroma (4)
Richly malty. Fresh-baked dark bread.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy. Charred wood flavor on top of the malt. Hugely biscuity. Bitterness from roast malt, not from hops. Warming. Lingering roasty character.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: December 6, 2010 (#8373)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thin head.

Aroma (2½)
Sweet, black — but mild.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Sweet and roasty and malty. Hint of nutmeg and oak. Oaky, roasty, reasonably bitter finish, with some alcohol.

Overall Impression (2½)
Real good beer.

Date: July 8, 2007 (#6577)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Dark red-brown. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet and toasty. Big herbal hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium creamy body. Fizzy. Richly malty. Roasty and toasty and sweet. Mild grassy bitterness at the end.

Overall Impression (2½)
Good clean beer.

Date: January 7, 2008 (#6798)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Big spicy, grassy hops, caramel malt. Mildly fruity.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big body, moderate carbonation. Tons of caramel malt, with a big bitter, grassy hoppiness. Fruit flavor is really subdued, with just a hint of berries in the finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
"Imperial Amber Ale brewed with luscious pomegranate juice". Bottle-conditioned.

Date: January 9, 2012 (#8703)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Moderate head.

Aroma (3½)
Huge dark fruit. Alcohol. Dark malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Massively malty, smooth. Rich dark malt, rich alcohol. Raisins. Low hop character. Sweet, malty, dark, complex finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: January 5, 2012 (#8693)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Oak. Sweet dark malt. Raisins.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body. Fizzy. Big barrel-aged flavor. Chocolate. Mildly spicy and mildly alcoholic. Clean finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: July 14, 2012 (#8872)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Golden, high carbonation. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Bready. Fruity.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body, smooth. Sweet, grassy rye malt, mild fruity hop flavor, low-medium bitterness. Fruity, bready finish.

Overall Impression (2)