216. Shmaltz Brewing – Coney Island Freaktoberfest

I had two days left for my Oktoberfest Challenge and only one beer left, so I decided to hold onto this one and enjoy it on Halloween.  It’s been a fun Halloween evening – my son is dressed as Indiana Jones and my daughter dressed as a princess.  I took them out trick-or-treating while my wife stayed home handing out candy.  I enjoyed one of my Russian Imperial Pumpkin beers in a coffee mug while taking the kids around, but after getting home and checking their candy, it was time for daddy to enjoy this one.  The label says, “Arise & take possession of this bewitching offering of the season. Crafted to lure your spirit’s deepest rapture.  Conjured to exorcise the grim horrors of the armies of soulless drafts everywhere. 6.66% ABV.”

It’s a hazy brown color with a thin creamy head.  The aroma is very sweet and caramelly, almost like a big barleywine.

It is medium to full bodied with plenty of carbonation in it.   The carbonation made it hard to pick up flavors up front and middle of each drink.  However, after the carbonation bite, there were big caramel and toffee like malty flavors.  The flavors reminded me a lot of  a barleywine.

I’d pair this with BBQ, and maybe with a pulled pork sandwich, as the caramel and toffee flavors would go well with a sweet BBQ sauce.  However, in the spirit of Halloween, I would also recommend pairing this beer with Snickers or Kit Kat (as I did), and even the Mary Jane peanut butter bites.

While it reminded me of a barleywine with a bit too much carbonation, it didn’t deliver the same kind of alcohol kick – a warmth I was looking for after walking the kids around in the cold weather.  However, I did enjoy the flavors of this one, and it did go well with the Halloween candy I confiscated from the kids.

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]