Coney Island Sword Swallower - Schmaltz Brewing Company, Saratoga Springs

I haven't had many of Schmatlz's beers. I remember liking the Messiah Bold even if it wasn't spectacular, so I was excited to try this Coney Island Sword Swallower. The name isn't very descriptive so I wasn't real sure what to expect from this beer. In the smaller print it says this is a "Steel Hop Lager" which still isn't a great description. Looking a little harder I notice the line "Dry Hopped IPA" ...great. Maybe it won't taste like a mouthful of hops... the label also plays up the malts used in this beer so it's probably more balanced than you'd thing.

Well, after drinking two thirds of this beer I'd decided that I pretty much hate it. I'm not going to wax poetic about this beer... it's honestly not worth my time. This beer smells decent, you get a little hops but a good deal of malt. It's deceptively malty on the nose because once this beer hits your palate all you notice is dry leafy hops and a bitterness that makes me never want to drink another dry hopped beer in my life. I tasted the malt in this beer for a split second, right before the bitterness killed my taste buds. I know I'm probably not part of the norm, not being able to appreciate these stupidly hoppy beers but I don't care. I don't like the flavor of 100% bitter hops and I don't like this beer.

The end.