HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A (Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged)

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Francisco, California USA

Draft at HDG for Daze of the Devil II. Pours a hazy brown with a small fizzy head. Wow is this thing an alcohol bomb. Lots of alcohol in the aroma, lots in the flavor and lots felt as I drank this and got buzzed. So much alcohol going on that I wouldn’t have recognized this as an IPA nor did I make the rye or whiskey barrel connection either. If your looking to get drunk without all that pesky beer flavor then give this dradle a whirl.

Tap at HDG - hazy amber beer - boozy and doughy aroma, which becomes a bit more alcoholic as it warms, with some cherry and vanilla - tastes less boozy than the aroma, but again, as it warms, the alcohol becomes strong to the point of being solvent-like - tastes of dried fruits, dough (cookie) - rye comes to the fore late, along with vanilla, hazelnut and herbs - would be quite tasty if the alcohol weren’t so powerful.

Poured a hazy yellow amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, floral hops, vanilla, whiskey, citrus fruits, and alcohol. Taste of caramel malt, vanilla, whiskey, citrus, pine, and a bitter grapefruit, alcohol finish.

Tap at Hop Devil: Pours a deep glowing bronze with an off white head. Huge boozy nose, full of ethanol and band aid, and lots of acetone. Sticky body with tons of booze in the flavor as well. It’s full of acetone and nail polish remover. Maybe it was a defected keg... Or needs time...

Draft. Mahogony beer with a light tan head. Light citrus hop aroma with shiskey and caramel. Light citrus (orange, grapefruit) flavor with whiskey, caramel, and vanilla. Lingering malt, caramel, oak, and vanilla. Medium body. Hop bitterness lingers and almost clashes with whiskey barrel notes.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Dark, even for a rye IPA. Rye is pretty evident, so is the alcohol. Hops stayed intact though the aging, which is important. I don’t get any of the normal whiskey notes - vanilla, etc., but there’s a little bit a boozy quality in the background, though I’m not sure I’d have picked it up if I wasn’t looking for it. Understated, as far as many IIPAs go. Pretty solid.

Had this in Denver during the GABF at Falling Rock. Nice caramel flavors with some hops and whiskey flovors.

I was hesitant to try this beer because I dont see the point of barrel aging hoppy beers but they were able to pull this off. Its still very hoppy which makes me believe that it is a blend of aged barrel and fresh beer. However, plenty of fruit alcohol coming from the barrel and it does not come off boozy, nicely accents the hops. Has a medium-light body, low on bitterness despite the hops and rye whiskey.
Tap at Blind Tiger, tulip glass.