Ultra-hoppy black ale brings piney hop-charred citrus pleasantry of an IPA to the chunky mocha overload of a dry stout. Kiln coffee, chalky chocolate, dark cocoa and ashen walnut illusions gather against grapefruit-peeled orange sedation above earthen wood-burnt grain roast.
Basic easygoing pale ale designed for 30th Anniversary celebration in conjunction with Star Trek: Next Generation. Dry orange-spiced tang and honeyed lemon herbage struggle to the fore above biscuity caramel-Vienna malting, picking up a sour citric edge when warmed. Stylistically unresolved but quite quaffable.
CLIFTON PARK, NEW YORK
Residing at a fairly inconspicuous gray aluminum warehouse with a large grain silo in the rural Industrial town of Clifton Park (ten minutes north of Albany), SHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY has a long history that goes back to the Nineties – before the brewpub craze hit full stride. Led by adventurously nomadic gypsy brewer, Jeremy Cowan, an entrepreneurial San Francisco resident with bi-coastal interests, Shmaltz found a cool niche crafting unorthodox malt-dominant beers celebrating his Judaic heritage.
In 2013, marketing and sales braniac, Cowan, opened this spacious 50 barrel brewhouse. Though most of the site is taken up by gigantic backroom brew tanks, the quaint serving station area looks more like a no-nonsense beer store with its bottles and cans spread all across the smallish venue. A fire-pitted smokers lounge patio leads customers into the wood-furnished pub.
On this rainy Friday evening in early December 2018, I get to quaff a few tap-only delights while buying a few bottles of previously untried fare.
Part of Shmaltz’s Star Trek beer series, Profit Motive Hopped-Up Golden Ale utilized IPA-like yellow grapefruit and orange rind bittering as well as piney hop astringency to balance its grain-toasted pale malt sweetness.
Caramelized plum invigorates 838 Plump Monk, a nifty Belgian Dark Ale with candied prune-raisin-fig sentiments and lilting port-burgundy wining drifting into dried cocoa malts.
Fruitful double dry-hopped enticement, 838 DDHMAO New England-styled IPA brought juicy orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess to the fore as ancillary peach-mango-pineapple tropicalia gained luster over its creamy vanilla-sweet pale malt base.
Honeyed apple cider and spritzy lemon snips engaged light-bodied Apples & Honey Imperial Lager, though its lager base seems nebulous and its delicate setting seemed out of place amongst the maltier fare.
For chestnut-hued strong ale, Chanukah In Kentucky, Jim Beam bourbon whiskey subtly soaks seamlessly into vanilla-beaned chocolate, coffee, cola and hazelnut pleasantries as well as dark cherry niceties above its oats-sugared caramel malt base.
Finally, 2008’s Rejuvenator (aged 10 years) celebrated the year of the fig in easygoing fashion. Brown-sugared prune, raisin and cherry sweetness reached its chewy chocolate center while dewy chestnut tones and wispy molasses, pecan, toffee and grape reminders added further subtle complexities.
shmaltzbrewing.com
Nearly sublime winter warmer (circa 2018) stays closer to original dark ale version from a few years back. Resilient caramel-malted chocolate roast, wintry cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger spicing gain and ebullient dried fruiting gain nutty coffee bean reminder.
‘Jewdicious’ (11 malts, hops and ABV) 22nd anniversary ale spreads luxurious brown-sugared dried fruiting over oats-flaked honeyed rye base, gaining spiced mocha pleasantries in the midst. Sweet dubbel-like prune, raisin and plum conflux contrasts dank cellar dewiness throughout.
“Epic” high octane collaboration combines Wild Turkey bourbon-barreled Clown Shoes Billionaire Barleywine with Shmaltz Jewbelation 11. Eager bourbon-spiced dried fruiting contacts molasses-sugared vanilla sweetness in a sinewy mix. Loud fig, raisin and prune illusions pick up a light alcohol burn that dries out the cognac-licked dry whiskey finish. 
Luxurious golden strong ale brewed with oats-flaked cocoa nibs prevails as “robust winter warmer.” Creamy chocolate-honeyed cocoa nibs and nutty coffee residue rub up against lightly citric pale ale sweetness to its fudgy finish. Black grape, fig and raisin illusions deepen its sweetness. In the backdrop, acidulated malts and alcohol esters integrate for teensy metallic singe.
Spritzy celery-watered lemon peppering guards nifty horseradish pastrami pastiche above cracked black pepper breading for quirky Czech pils novelty. Kosher-salted rye-like caraway seed adjunct stays back.
On tap at The Oath, jubilant 21st anniversary celebrator loads ten malts and eleven hops on pervasive 13.7% ABV luster. Bittersweet dried fruiting crowds musky hop-dried cherrywood finish. Raspy sugarplum, raisin, fig, black grape and Bing cherry illusions gain redcurrant smidge above chewy caramelized mocha malting.
On tap at The Oath, silkily dry cabernet wining gains dainty cocoa nibs adjunct and tart citrus acidity above groaty barnyard acridity. Cabernet Sauvignon barrel aging leaves lightly vinous red grape tannins upon dry Scotch malting.
Utyilizing a big malt and hop bill, dark-roasted kilned coffee and dry Baker’s chocolate linger above ashen wood-smoked hop char. Thick mocha-smoked presence gains persistent tobacco-chawed bittering and sly rye malting over time.
