Written by Lucas P. Jones
The 50th anniversary is considered the “Golden Anniversary,” in that couples who achieve this milestone are supposed to give golden gifts to each other.
But for the Star Trek franchise’s 50th anniversary, they got us all something special, a pair of golden ales with a special Star Trek spin. The first, “The Trouble with Tribbles” was released at San Diego Comic Con on July 21st , and Shmaltz was kind enough to send Pop-Break.com and News Over Brews a bottle to review! Comprised of four “intergalactic” hops, Comet, Polaris, Aurora, and Admiral (Kirk) hops, and brewed with Carastan, Munich, and wheat malts, this beer is not just Trek named, but Trek inspired. You see, the three malts in this beer comprise “Triticale”, and in the episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Kirk and his crew are tasked with protecting a shipment of Quadritriticale, so it’s like a past version of a future grain. Then tribbles and Klingons get involved and …you know what, let’s just skip to the beer.
“The Trouble with Tribbles” has an incredible pear/green grape nose, which was a bit difficult to pick up on at first. Has a golden straw color and thin to medium head. I was surprised at how hoppy this blonde was, with some medium resin notes. It has a strong bready finish with a hint of lemon, giving it a somewhat pilsner quality that I really enjoyed. Left a decent amount of lacing on the glass. This beer deviates slightly from what you expect a blonde to be with its fruity and hoppy character, but it’s a great beer.
News Over Brews score: 8/10
Stay on the lookout for Shmaltz’s second Star Trek beer, “Voyage to the Northeast Quadrant”, which will make its debut at “Mission New York” at the Javits Center from September 2 – 4, 2016.
