He'Brew Jewbelation Fourteen - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Not Rated.
He'Brew Jewbelation FourteenHe'Brew Jewbelation Fourteen

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266 Ratings
no score

(send 'em beer!)
Ratings: 266
Reviews: 173
rAvg: 4.08
pDev: 11.52%
Wants: 17
Gots: 50 | FT: 1
Brewed by:
Shmaltz Brewing Company visit their website
New York, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale |  14.00% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once)

Notes/Commercial Description:
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.

No notes at this time.

(Beer added by: crusian on 10-21-2010)
View: Beers (26) | Events
Beer: Ratings & Reviews
Ratings: 266 | Reviews: 173 | Display Reviews Only:
Photo of EgadBananas
3.9/5  rDev -4.4%

Black, with a slight bit of ruby on the edges. Big 3 fingers of head, tan in color, with lots of lacing.

Noticeable booze on the smell, with equal notes of dark fruits, roasted, smoky malts and some chocolate and candied sugar. It's rather pleasant, and none evasive with the booze.

Taste is very candied in flavor at the startl very sweet. Not too sweet or cloying though. There is a smokiness about it as well, along with very roasted malt notes. Some chocolate bitterness works it's way in as well. Those '14' ingredients definitely give it a bit of complexity...

The feel is good, and thick. Solid full body, with a sticky, creamy feel.

This thing is is pretty good. And though the booze does not punch you in the face, this is a total sipper. It's just more enjoyable that way. I cant wait to see how the rest of the bottles I picked up do over the years!!!

Photo of Fieldzy27
4.45/5  rDev +9.1%

Poured from 22oz bomber into a Hofbrau hefe glass. I like doing this with barleywines because it displays them oh so well.

A-Pours almost black with flecks of redish-brown. When held to the light a few slivers of amber shine through but not much. I have seen lighter imperial stouts. The head is cappuccino colored and is think and rocky. Looks like a mocha-mountain range. who says you cant have good head with a lot of alcohol. No lace though.... only minor disappointment in an otherwise perfect beauty.

S-Very sweet and malty. Bit of bready-ness. Some dark fruit character...this thing is pretty nuts. Its really hard to pick out a large amount of any specific character and this makes sense when 14 types of malt are in the house. Not sure what hops were used but I can pick some Amarillo as its one of my favorites but really there is no citrus or floral hoppy anything. Lots of sweet goodness though. A small amount of alcohol is apparent but it adds more than it detracts.

T- Ok this is pretty hard but i would suppose a beer this complex should be? There is initial dark fruit sweetness like blackberries and then is immediately overtaken by rum soaked dark fruits. Alcohol is there and it lets you know. But it doesn't really distract from the beer. I feel a year of age on this bad boy would put it in the perfect range. Chocolate malt really stands out at about mid palate along with some more sweetness. There is hops in here but I cant even close to pick them out specifically. For the most part they are non-existent though. As it warms alcohol becomes more distracting and is there in the aftertaste as well. Still dark bitter chocolate rounds out the end of this guy. I kinda of feel like I could write about this beer for much longer but I need to get back to drinking it.

M- This sticky monster stays with you. Every sip coats your mouth with waves of flavor that hang around for minutes after. The feeling of it is lush,smooth,full and very attractive. Leaves you wanting more. No funky feeling after drinking and carbonation is a little low for a fresh beer I like a "smidge" more zing on a barley wine but I cant even begin to complain about this guy. Lucius and smooth should be reiterated.

D- This is a sleeper. It has some heat to it but no where near enough to even dream of 14%. It goes down smooth and its many layers of complexity distract you from the fact that you're killing a bomber. Yet another beer from an amazing brewery. There prices are perfect and they are slowly finding a way into my heart as one of my favorites. Keep em comin guys


(just noticed this was my 14th beer review on the 14th of November...random)

Photo of brewcrew76
4.22/5  rDev +3.4%

A - Black with ruby highlights and a thin mocha head.

S - Bittersweet chocolate, plums, figs and tobacco.

T - Molasses, tobacco, dark fruits, boozy, slightly nutty, brown sugar.

M - Full body, thick and chewy. Warming alcohol.

D - Not a standard barleywine and pretty drinkable for 14%.

Photo of MetalHopHead6
3.68/5  rDev -9.8%

He'Brew Jewbelation Fourteen is sweet, thick, and boozy.

It poured black, similar to a stout, with a short milk chocolate-colored head. It left a fair amount of lace behind. The flavor was sweet, with a hint of licorice, and very boozy. The feel was silky, thick, and smooth, with a warming finish.

Jewbelation Fourteen is a very nice cold-weather, late-evening sipper that is pleasurable in small doses. One glass is enough, so if served from a bomber, it begs to be shared.

Photo of Viciousknishs
4.38/5  rDev +7.4%

Being a M.O.T. Shmaltz has a special place in my neurotic gilt ridden heart. That being said these brews have enough chutzpah to shine through the shtick. I loved Jewbelation Thirteen and was very excited to give Fourteen a whirl. Split a bomber with my good friend theformula.

A- Poured into a pint glass (All the snifters were dirty. Need to buy another bottle because that is definitely the right venue). Menacingly opaque and black with some mahogany haloing around the edges of the glass. Large 1 inch tightly bubbled espresso head with great retention. As it dissipates it leaves some terrific lacing all the way down the glass.

S- The first thing I noticed in the aroma was a potpourri of floral and grassy herbal hops. Esters of dark fruit, mostly figs, dates, and plums, shine through with incredible enticement. Malt gains presence as it warms up and is a toasty sweet caramel with a slight mineral like characteristic. Very much like the burnt sugar topping of creme brulee. As it warms up the aroma grows in complexity and nuances, so keep that schnoz at work.

T- Toasty malt flavor is incredibly prevalent right up front. Huge amounts of sticky toffee and caramelized sugar tantalize the taste buds. Thankfully the fig and date esters carry over from the aroma. beautiful warming alcohol bolsters the flavor and gives it a certain je ne sais quoi that high abv tend to lend when done right. Becomes a bit more boozy as things warm up. A dry grassy hop finish rounds things out nicely. The aftertaste sticks on the tongue and fades like a beautiful sunset.

MF- Thick, chewy and warming, Jewbelation Fourteen coats the palate like molten goodness.

D- At 14% abv the alcohol is surprisingly subdued but has a definite presence making it a great sipper candidate. Take your time and explore this great beer.


Photo of Pahn
4.1/5  rDev +0.5%

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Free pour yields a two inch, frothy tan head that dissipates slowly leaving a thick ring of lacing. Pours solid black and leaves thick swatches and walls of lacing that are slowly carried away by the beer's giant legs.

Smell: From the bottle: all raisin and fig. In the glass: the same, but breadier. Some herbal hops with a hint of citrus show through early on. Gets even maltier with warmth, with some chocolate, cookie dough, and cake aromas. Eventually the smell gets powerfully boozy, but rather than masking the other aromas it somehow uplifts them, making them more potent and interesting. This "final form" of the aroma bumped the score up from 4.0 to 4.5, because it's very unique and enticing (it was already quite good at first).

Taste: Sweet and malty, like the nose, but immediately hotter with alcohol. The burning finish has a sweet grape and raisin character to it that caught me off guard. There's some chocolate and roasted flavors up front along with the sweet dark fruits. It kind of tastes like a so-called "Belgian Stout" minus the characteristic Belgian yeast (though plus even more fruity esters).

There's a decent amount going on here, and the fruity/roasted interplay is very nice. Not unexpectedly, I have a sneaking suspicion that this flavor is going to move into 5.0 territory after being aged for a couple years. It's a good thing this beer is so cheap, so buying a few extra bottles to age is no real hit to the wallet.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, fuller side of medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Finishes slightly dry.

Drinkability: Tasty sipper. I have a weakness for beers like this, so no complaints here.

My closing paragraphs for He'brew (and Stone and Lagunitas) beers are a little predictable: they start with "Once again", and include phrases like, "another winner" and "amazing price". Jewbelation 14 is no exception. Fresh, it's not blowing me away the way Jewbelation 13 did, but at the same time I think this beer will age better (it will probably age the best of the Jewbelation series so far, actually). The flavors can only get better as the alcohol mellows and the balance and complexity of the myriad malty notes grow.

As a side note, I bought the Vertical Jewbelation Gift Pack containing this 12oz bottle of 14, the 6 other Jewbelations rebrewed and put in 12oz bottles, and a 12oz bottle of "Vertical Jewbelation" which is a blend of all 7 recipes aged in whiskey barrels (and is spectacular), for $15 (i've heard of it varying between $15~$30). For beer like this, that is an amazing deal. You simply won't find other beers of this quality and size (the ABV/amount of ingredients used) as cheap as the Jewbelation series. Only Stone Arrogant Bastard even really comes close in my mind, and it's not as big a beer (and costs a bit more usually).

Photo of Mora2000
4.22/5  rDev +3.4%


The beer pours a black color with a tan head.



Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.


Photo of Buebie
4.18/5  rDev +2.5%

Appears as though I need to shop around, picked up this bomber for $6.99, actually grabbed two of them. Building my now 4 bottles deep vertical.

Poured from the bomber into a snifter. An inch of dark brown head, quick to settle. Leaving a thin collar. thought it would be dark brown in color, held it to light and nope, its black alright. This is a thick wide snifter.
Aroma is slightly booze filled, and by slightly I truly mean it, at 14% its surprising well hidden.
Smells of roasted candy pecans, pretty nutty. I dont get much of the figs everyone else has mentioned, a little, but not much. My sniffer must be broken. Sour milk, or some form of boozy lactose, plenty of malt, charred grains and roastyness.

Mouthfeel is insane! To call it full bodied is an understatement. Not like its milk fat or Vaseline either. Its slick though, chewy as hell and creamy deliciousness. Really nice feeling beer. Medium carbonation balance too, so its not like drinking heavy whipping cream.

Beginning sweet with large nutty flavors, pecans, roasted grains, plenty of sweetness, a bit of smoke through the middle and charred sugar. Cocoa nibs, more roasty grains and sweet decadent beer. Mild hop presence through the middle ending with some pine and earthy hop spice. Difficult to detect the hops at first with the largeness of this beer. But much more perceptible into the finish.

Another terrific year for this brew. To not try at for what you get at the price is offered could be perceived as a stupid decision.

Photo of russpowell
4.28/5  rDev +4.9%

Picked this up at macadoodles in Jane, MO


S: Plums, tobacco notes & figgyness, & boozey cherries




Photo of jsh420
4.93/5  rDev +20.8%

pours almost pitch black with a big 2+ finger pillowy mocha head that had great retention and left spotted lacing down the glass

smell - wow hop explosion big fruit citrus pine hops next to the chocolate roasted vanilla malts

taste is out of this world - reminds me of GI Nightstlaker but with more stout then ipa and now that i think about it more its closer to fresh bigfoot with lots of roast and chocolate

mouthfeel is heavy very smooth but not flat

drinkability - 14% abv holy cow - this 22oz bomber went down twice as fast as the 12 oz 13% GI BCS 2010 i had last night

every year they somehow make this beer better with 1 more malt and 1 more hop and of course 1% stronger - i cant wait to break into the 8 bottle box set and try them all (since i have only had the 11-14)

Photo of Brez07
4/5  rDev -2%

22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A: Pretty dark pour that leaves a 2 finger light mocha head. Almost looks like a stout in the glass, which I was not expecting

S: While it looks like a stout, it most definitely smells like an English barleywine. Bread, caramel, a hint of vanilla and dark fruit. Smells delicious

T: Fairly sweet, kinda like figs. Lots of dark fruit mixed with a touch of chocolate. Some toasted malt. Something very similar to coffee grounds lingering amongst everything else. Flavors do a good job concealing the alcohol, but it still comes out a bit

M: Full bodied. Smooth with some carbonation that attacks the palate

D: I'll admit it was a little hard to finish the whole bottle myself, but I'll chalk that up to the ABV. Good beer now, probably great later after it has some time to develop. And it's hard to beat the price (~$7).

Photo of superdedooperboy
4.13/5  rDev +1.2%

22-ounce brown glass bottle poured into a snifter glass. Served at cellar temperature, approximately 50 degrees F.

Pours a deep burgundy-mahogany hue with a thick yet short-lived deep tan head that leaves behind nary a trace of lacing on the walls of the glass. Swirling shows off some decent legs, so something viscous most certainly awaits.

Mostly rich burnt caramel and dark fruits in the nose, with hints of dried fig, raisin, prune, and a hint of alcohol.

Full-bodied and mildly carbonated; mouthfeel is actually rather light considering the hefty weight of the beer and its apparent viscosity upon swirling it around in the glass -- certainly not overly heavy. Flavors are really rather reminiscent of those in the nose, with a sweet malt character dominating: burnt caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and dried fig come to mind. Alcohol and hops show their character in the mid-rear, with a spicy-fruity character not unlike fruitcake (think German rum-raisin Stollen) and notes of ginger and cinnamon. The alcohol provides a bit of slickness to the mouthfeel, helping to slide things into a long, boozy, spicy-sweet finish.

Much more drinkable than the alcohol content suggests, and likely even more so when consumed at lower temperatures. When slowly sipped, the alcohol will eventually show itself immensely, rendering consumption of an entire bomber by oneself nearly impossible.

Overall, this is one brew that is certainly not perfect, but damn well-executed. 14 malts (malted quinoa is, technically, malt, after all), 14 hop varieties, and 14% alcohol by volume (though I would love to see lab analysis) is quite an impressive feat, and to be this drinkable with all that is an even greater feat. This is undoubtably suitable for cellaring at least two years, probably more, and at the low, low price for which it's available, cellaring is most definitely recommended.

Photo of morningthief
4.45/5  rDev +9.1%

Poured from bottle into a Pabst chalice.

Appearance is dark, opaque, brownish-black like a piece of modern furniture. One-finger tan head dissipates quickly leaving behind nice lacing.

Smell is overwhelming with notes of roasted malt, caramel, and some chocolate. I can barely detect any hop character in the nose, but I'm not really looking for it here either. A faint alcohol scent is also present but masked well considering its high percentage.

Taste is... wow. Sweet up front with more notes of chocolate and burnt sugar. Toasty and pleasant with slight citrus hop flavor. The sweetness continues all the way down. This is a big, big beer, but you'd be surprised by its easy drinkability. Alcohol flavor is well masked but present.

Mouthfeel is smooth, but syrupy. Not this beer's best quality, but not at all bad considering. I'd certainly not classify this as a particularly hot beer. Again, let's consider its actual percentage here.

I split this beer with my wife as drinking an entire bomber by oneself is not recommended. This is a rich beer with tons of big flavors and a high alcohol content. As such, it's a sipper, but by virtue of its flavor and price, also a deceptively delicious brew. I could certainly imagine accidentally consuming the entire bottle alone.

Photo of vtfan77
4.15/5  rDev +1.7%

A- Very dark reddish brown, almost stout-like at first glance. Pours with a nice tan head that takes its time going down, leaving lots of lace as it does.

S- Huge malt aroma with lots of caramel, chocolate, coffee, raisins, dark bread... probably pretty much any malt aroma you can imagine. With 14 malts, I doubt it's missing much. The hops I'm having a tougher time picking up. Definitely some citrus, but that's about it. The malt seems to overwhelm the hops for the most part. There's a good dose of alcohol in there too.

T- Wow, lots going on here. Starts off sweet with intense, syrupy caramel and overripe fruit. The hops add a sharp dose of citrus to sort of balance it out. Alcohol is strong, but not out of place. The finish brings bittersweet chocolate and coffee with a moderate bitterness.

M- Quite thick and rather syrupy, but with a decent carbonation level that balances things out just enough.

D- Hmm... well, it would certainly be tough to down a whole bomber by oneself, given the richness and alcohol content of this beer, but that's not its purpose. As a sipper it's not too bad.

This is an extremely interesting beer. It's a nice concept, the whole "14 Malts, 14 Hops, 14% Alcohol" thing, and it's impressive that it actually produced a good beer. I'd drink this again for sure, especially at the price ($6.29 for the bomber). It should certainly age well and will be interesting to try with a year or two on it. Recommended.

Photo of adam42381
4.38/5  rDev +7.4%

Poured from a 22 ounce bomber into a nonic pint glass. Bottled on: Apr 16, 2010 printed on label.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, almost black color with a 3 finger foamy dark tan head. Nice lacing.

Smell: Chocolate, roasted malt, floral hops, toffee and just a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Sweet chocolate up front followed by a sweet mix of cinnamon and brown sugar in the middle and ending with a mix of sweet and bitter hops at the finish. The alcohol is obviously there (it is 14% ABV afterall) but it doesn't overpower. Very complex and robust flavor. Aftertaste is a mix of bittersweet chocolate and bitter hops.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with a low amount of carbonation. Very smooth and creamy.

Drinkability: High drinkability. The alcohol is well masked. This one has the potential to sneak up on you in a hurry. You definitely don't want to drink multiple bombers so drink slowly and savor this one.

Overall: Excellent beer overall. I would definitely recommend Jewbelation Fourteen to anyone.

Photo of crusian
4.18/5  rDev +2.5%

Bottle From Hop City in Atlanta.
Poured into my dogfish head tulip with a generous 3 fingers of head. The nose hits me right away despite my leaning back in my chair to avoid it to focus on the pour and look of it.
Pours a dark dank brown, almost black. Not sure if I would categorize Quinoa as a malt, but hey, whatever floats your boat, and whatever keeps them coming out with these.
Nose is sweet and malty. Smells like quinoa, kidding. Caramel malts, hints of apple, and tinge of cinnamon and booze. It does have the distinct barleywine aroma as well, thats good!
As I swirl, the head is bobbling around like the annoying relative at christmas that never seems to leave... though in this case, it isnt too bad, gives it a nice look.
taste, whoa, the abv is WELL hidden on this! especially for 14%. is it there, sure, but not as boozy as I thought. It is also much thicker than I expected. Really tough to single out flavors on this. Initially sweet on the front end, there is some caramel, and chocolate in there... ends with a mild bitter finish, thanks 14 hops! Brown sugar and a big molasses taste in it as it flows across the palate. This will cellar a long time! I really like the thick mouthfeel! I am glad I picked up a few of these.

I dont know how they do this abv with this much in it, this good for their price, FFF can learn a thing or two here on the pricing.

Edit... I am drinking this way too fast. this is waay too easy to drink.

He'Brew Jewbelation Fourteen from Shmaltz Brewing Company
91 out of 100 based on 266 ratings.