Most of the Shmaltz Brewing beers that I’ve had in the past have been through their He’brew line of products. This is my first into the Coney Island line of brews. The first thing that got me when I saw this one on the shelf was the label art — more specifically the typography used. It’s catchy, fun and memorable.
Getting beyond the label art, Sword Swallower is an American Lager that is so much more than your standard mass produced macro brew. There’s a good deal of malt depth in it that is nicely complimented with an upfront hop presence. The beer’s characteristics definitely make for a refreshing summer delight.
Appearance
The beer pours a clear golden in color with decent carbonation activity. The head was healthy and a bright white, but didn’t last too long. It did leave a nice bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma
This one smells good with a nice balance between deep malts and a decent level of hops. I’m not sure if it was really there, but I did get inconsistent wafts of light citrus.
Taste
Along with a bottle of Sierre Nevada’s Sumerfest, this one is a great brew to have after a long day in the sun. Chilled nicely this one has great hop presence, but doesn’t come any where near hurting the rich malt flavors that dominate the palette. This is a well balanced, crisp lager.
Overall
I’m glad I got a couple bottles of this one. I can’t wait to enjoy the second one after working outside this weekend. Will definitely keep this in mind in future beer runs.
Rating: 3.5/5
August 13th, 2008
Zak said:
Hey there. This is Zak from Shmaltz Brewing Company, the makers of HE’BREW and Coney Island Lager. Thanks so much for the shoutout on the Sword Swallower. I think of it as a great BBQ beer. Have you tried Albino Python yet?