I've always wanted to try a beer from the pun masters at Shmaltz Brewing Company, but I have also feared that the beers would not be as enjoyable as the clever titles of their He'Brew line—R.I.P.A. Rye, Messiah Bold (which sounds like a font name), Genesis Ale and this week's pick, the Rejewvenator.
Well, I should have known that this line is called ""the Chosen Beer"" for a reason—the owners named it. Get it?! Okay, okay, I joke.
The beer is good. The Rejewvenator is He'Brew's take on a Belgian Dubbel and a Doppelbock, only blended with a lot of concord grape juice.
The chosen brewers deliver honest results. The beer tastes like what it says it is supposed to taste like—double-doubling your pleasure with its crazy complexities and surprising balance. And the grape juice makes it seem like a happy childhood memory, only an alcoholic one. Nothing really takes over and overpowers the other flavors, and it reminds me of that Willy Wonka candy that tastes like each distinct part of a four-course meal: First came the sour Belgian flavors, then a sip of malty doppelbock and finally a refreshing wash of grape juice.
After the dessert course of the first glass though, I wasn't entirely wowed. Shmaltz crafted an intriguing and flavorful brew, but in the end it boils down to my inability to really enjoy Belgian beer. So it depends whether you are a fan of Belgians to begin with. This could be someone's seasonal favorite; the beer is certainly good enough to try the other He'Brews—especially the R.I.P.A. Rye. Oh how I love rye. And like rye whiskey, the Rejewvenator will give you a kick in the pants with its 8.2 percent alcohol by volume.
L'Chaim!
