Shmaltz Brewing Company – Freaktoberfest
October 30, 2009
I like to think that I’m somewhat immune to gimmicks and labeling, but I’ll give credit right up front to the folks at Shmaltz Brewing Company. When I saw Freaktoberfest lager on the shelf at my local shop, I HAD to buy it for The Brew Club. I really didn’t have a choice after seeing the over-the-top Freaktoberfest packaging.
This is Halloween, right? So lets read the label a bit. First, the Freaktoberfest comes in at an evil 6.66% ABV. In addition its got 6 malts, 6 types of hops and on top of that it says its a ‘blood red lager’. How can you not buy this beer?
As a matter of fact, for the first time ever, I’m giving this beer an additional 1/2 star rating even before I try it just for the packaging and the concept of Freaktoberfest!
Let’s get on to the beer shall we? Let’s see if my response to the unique packaging was correct!
I’m not sure the pictures I took do justice to the color of this beer. It really is red. I wouldn’t say that its blood red, but its good enough to keep with the creepy Freaktoberfest theme. Its a little hazy, not clear like red wine – more like fruit juice from a can.
Not much of a head forms with the pour, I guess that can be expected considering its a lager. The head itself is something of a pinkish color, again in line with the Freaktoberfest concept. As the head fizzes out, I find that if I swirl the beer in my glass the pinkish foam reconstitutes – I thought it was a neat effect (but I’m amused quite easily).
Freaktoberfest doesn’t smell like blood or anything like that – actually it kind of smells like a regular ‘ol lager. I picked up mild malty aromas (not sure which of the 6 malts) and not too much else. The smell so far doesn’t live up to the look or the labeling.
Getting on to the taste. Well, its a little weird drinking a red beer. It throws off your brain a bit because as I’m looking at it I’m expecting ‘wine’ or ‘wild blue‘, but in fact the taste is remarkably average. Again, a bit of a letdown considering the packaging. The best I can describe it is its a weird kind of mildly fruity sweet, and then it gets a touch bitter with some mild hop bite. I’m also noticing that the alcohol comes through a little more in the flavor than I would like, and it seems to linger in the aftertaste as well. I also find the beer leaves a bit of a sticky feeling that isn’t too pleasing. Eh.
Let’s wrap it up.
I already promised the Freaktoberfest 1/2 star for the packaging or novelty factor which I think it deserves. Still, I think this beer is more gimmicky than good and will not be seeking it out in the future. Personally, this is my first beer from Shmaltz, but I won’t let Freaktoberfest’s underwhelming performance taint my opinion of the brewer.
I’ve read many good things about their brews, and our pal Liz seemed to like their Cony Island Lager when she tried it last year. Maybe this is something to draw eyeballs to the brand (It got me!) but I’m not sure it really delivers otherwise. This might be fun for Halloween, but not so much fun if you’re just looking to enjoy a beer.
So, I’m going to give this beer unfortunately 1.5 stars. Sorry Shmaltz, better luck next time. I think the concept is excellent, and the packaging sucked me in, but the beer just doesn’t impress.
Rating: 
What do you think? Have you tried the Freaktoberfest lager?
Posted in 1 Star Reviews, American Beers, Lager, Seasonal Beers
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October 30th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I wasn’t a big fan of this either. I think it was reddened using beet juice. I think I read that somewhere. there was a funky flavor I couldn’t get past. It wasn’t horrible, just not a buy again for me.
nate´s last blog ..Who loves other beer sites? We do… (Part One)
October 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Beet juice, huh? Well, I think its a very cool beer conceptually, but to be honest I had a hard time finishing the whole thing. The novelty wore off rather quickly.
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Bud Light Golden Wheat Beer Review
October 30th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I concur will all thoughts on this beer. It was a little gimmicky and the glass was not finished.
Ian´s last blog ..Driftwood Sartori Harvest IPA
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Hey guys. This is Zak Davis from Shmaltz Brewing Company. Thanks so much for picking up that bottle of Freaktoberfest. Sorry it didn’t do it for you. The response this year has actually been overwhelmingly positive, but we can’t expect everyone to love every beer. I appreciate you not basing your entire judgement of the brewery on this one beer. Aside from all of the Coney Island Lagers, we’ve also got some delicious brews in our other brand: HE’BREW: The Chosen Beer. Freaktoberfest is actually not brewed with beet juice. We’ve got a farm up in Northern California where we’re raising the most organic and grass-fed zombies in existence. We color the beer with their blood. Thanks again for checking out the beer and looking forward to future reviews. Cheers! ~Zak
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Hey Zak, thanks for stopping in. You’re right, if everyone all had the same taste and loved all the same stuff, this would be a rather boring world! Its cool to see brewers take some risks with their brews, like this one. Keeps it all fresh and interesting. Good to see your zombies are organic, I know a lot of other brewers pump them full of chemicals and growth hormones. Not good.
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Pumpkin Ale
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Haha, well it can’t be all that bad if the zombies are grown organically. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, haven’t seen it in any of my local stores/distributors but it’s a pretty neat concept.
Brian Welch´s last blog ..Gift Idea #1: The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
November 4th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I’ve avoided these guys primarily because of all the hype on the labels. Perhaps I’m allergic to fun, I dunno.
For some reason I think that a brewery that tries so hard to sell schtick on their labels might be overcompensating. But that’s just my totally uninformed opinion. I think I need to sample one of their selections. Anyone have a suggestion of what’s good?
And bonus points for Zak for wading into the mix here. The boy has chutzpah, that’s for sure.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Jim,
I’d look for their Jewbelation 12. I haven’t found the 13 yet, but the twelve was out of this world, and cheaply priced.
Their Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA is awesome too. I understand where you are coming from…I kind of had the same prejudice too for while, but found their beers to be pretty good, and few are exceptional.
nate´s last blog ..Sip with us Saturday: Review of Stone’s Pale Ale
November 4th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Hey guys. I’m all about wading. As you can imagine, a lot of people think there’s nothing more to the beer than the marketing. That’s one reason why a) we try so hard to make great beers and b) we try to reach out to those people that are willing to spend the money on a beer they’ve never tried.
I’ve noticed a funny trend in the industry. If the marketing on a beer is too good, people assume that it must be overcompensating for the quality of the actual product, as Jim so eloquently said. On the other hand, if the marketing on a beer sucks, then people assume that the quality of the product must match the quality of the marketing. Kind of a lose-lose situation. I’m not sure if middle-of-the-road marketing would be any better though…
Nate, I’m glad that you’ve had the chance to try some of our other offerings. Jewbelation 13 JUST came out, so you should start seeing it on shelves and on tap at your top beer bars soon. It’s ridiculous this year. 13 different malts, 13 hops (added 13 times, every 13 minutes, over the course of a 169 minutes boil), and punching in at 13% alcohol; all to celebrate our 13th anniversary.
Again, I appreciate you guys checking out the beer and I especially appreciate all of the conversation that this post has facilitated. If you have any other questions, feel free to holler at me at zak@shmaltzbrewing.com.
L’Chaim!! ~Zak
November 4th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Zak gets a lot of credit for doing what he does in my book. Its VERY seldom that a brewer rep will take the time to participate in lowly blogs such as this one, but I see Zak doing it everywhere. Kudos.
I think it makes them more accessible, and more likable, and it shows they care about what people think.
Regarding the marketing, I think Zak is right too. We definitely judge books by their covers and marketers know this. There’s a science behind it, and sometimes packaging can make or break a product.
Zak, thanks for stopping in, and I’ll keep an eye out for the Jewbelation 13! Most of your stuff is easy to find in my area.
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Jersey Beer Blogs – Ferment Nation
November 6th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Thanks very much for the compliment. I think that homebrewers and bloggers are some of our most supportive and vocal customers. It takes me just a few minutes to show my appreciation, but I’ve found that that goes a long way.
Thanks again, again. ~Zak