13 malts, 13 hops, 13 percent ABV…100% great deal. I paid $5.99 for this 22-ounce bottle of beer at Whole Foods (actually, I got a 20% discount off that). When I thought about it, I really got about 5-6 beers for the $5.99 that I paid. Twenty-two ounces is almost 2 beers, and 13% is really about 3 beers for every 12-ounce amount. Who wouldn’t pay $5.99 for a really good six-pack? I really don’t need to talk up the merits before I get into the review, so why I don’t I go ahead and review the beer?
The Pour: With 13 malts, this beer defies some aspects of typical categorization. American strong, stout, or porter might work well. For myself, I call this offering a porter, at least as far as colors go. There was a dark black/brown body to this anniversary ale. A minimal amount of head was retained upon the pour and was light brown.
The Nose: Touches of perfume hops made their way to the nose. Malt sweetness was, perhaps, the largest aspect of the nose to Jewbilation Ale. Caramel, a little chocolate, and vinous tones were the primary aspects to the malt. To me, the aroma also smacked heavily of Belgian qualities, namely, the yeast. Part of the yeast was a distinct breadiness. The syrupy nose on the beer showed that some residual sweetness would show up. Overall, Jewbilation evoked images of port or sherry.
The Taste: Caramel and port wine qualities were a big part of the taste. The bread and raison qualities definitely added to this perception. Additionally, the 13% alcohol made for a warming effect, although the booziness was not overbearing at all. I think this must be due to the residual sweetness that balances the beer out. Although the hops were not huge on the nose, they were perfumey in the body of the beer. That aspect of the beer was particularly delicious. Jewibilation 13 ended with a nice touch of bitterness.
Overall, I have to say that this beer is simply delicious. Even though it is a a really big beer, it’s balanced in its extremities. The price is more than right. In fact, I would still have felt good about the purchase at twice the price. What a deal!
Mike’s Rating:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Price to quality ratio: 
Mike: The HeBrew owners have been known to look at the blogs, so ixne on the ricepe or they might just raise it for the rest of us! Sounds great, If I can find it I’ll pick one up.
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We’ve had them stop by here a few times. Maybe you ought to stock up if you are afraid of a price hike. Seriously, I think it’s certainly worth trying.
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I really enjoyed this one when I had it. I agree it’s hard to categorize. But one thing I really love about Shmaltz is their stuff doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. A 22 oz bottle of Lenny’s Bittersweet RIPA is only $4.99 at my local store.
http://www.mikelovesbeer.com/archives/2009/10/12/hebrew-jewbelation-bar-mitzvah-13/
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I thought it was good, but still seemed really green to me. I’d love to see how it tastes after a year or two, but I don’t have that kind of patience.
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It will certainly get better with age. It’s good enough to drink now but maybe some patience is in order.
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I had this a few weeks ago. I actually found it for a decent price around my house. Very, very full beer. I liked it, but would like to age it to see how much better it would get.
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I’m picking up some more bottles for the same purpose.
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