HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A

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

22 oz bottle, via EDA. Pours a clear dark copper body with a one inch creamy beige head. Big caramel and toffee malt on the nose with some resiny hops and a bit of earthy rye. The malt certainly dominates this one, heavy crystal malt and burnt toffee with some rye bread and harshly bitter resiny hops on the back end. A slightly harsh alcohol kick on the finish as well. Full bodied and beefy with a little too much crystal malt stickiness on the back end. The soft fizzy carbonation does cut it a bit though. Overall, decent enough, but I thought that the bitterness and heavy crystal malt didn’t work too well together.

Fantastic, full tilt hop aroma of herbs, grass, pine. Good head and lacing. There is a theater marquee style label that dedicates this brew to Lenny Bruce. This tastes like a very fine IPA. Caramel malt backing, piney hops, and a smooth texture. I dont really taste the rye. It might have been overwhelmed by all those hops and malts. The 10 percent ABV is not that noticeable. Mazeltov to this very worthy and well balanced ale. This joins my ever growing group of excellent IPAs.

Bomber. Poured a bronze-brown body with a frothy, off-white head. Citrusy, piney, and herbal hops dominate the aroma with a little caramel malt poking through. Hops come through strong in the flavor, but are quickly torched by hot alcohol. Palate is medium-full with a bitter finish and tons of alcohol. Needs refinement.

Pours a hazy purplish amber color with minimal offwhite film. Aroma is sweet malt base with lots of a mixture of pine, flowers, and grapefruit. Flavor viscousy and very sweet with boozy warm burbony undertone and a piney resiny hop bite. Overall, enjoyable.

Bomber. Aroma is all about American Strong Ales, hops on top of heavy caramel and light resin. Amber with a beige head. Burning booze dominating everything else, some spicy back-end prickling. Sweet and dry alternating. Full body. Extreme, intense taste, a real big boy, but no attempt at balance. I’ll take it’s little brother.

The hop character was more earthy than I would like. The aroma is resiny and earthy hoppy. The malt balance is way heavier than I would prefer. Overall, not a great DIPA.

from the tap at papago this pours a rusty copper color capped by a thin off white head and random spots of lacing. drop kick of hop aromas in the nose... grapefruit, grass, resinous pine, peaches, earth and warm spicy hops... all recognizable...weird, since that usually never happens so quickly (literally, first two sniffs!). unfortunately, there is also a big ’ol drop of caramel and malt in it as well. the flavor pretty much mirrors the aroma descriptor... it is definitely on the sweet side but the bitterness, spice, (noticeable) alcohol and dry leafy hops keep it drinkable. the medium body leans on full. the mouth feel is lux... slick, rich and oily yet dry... 7/4/7/4/16/3.8

Great red-orange color that is clear with a small off-white head, it looks delicious. Nice hoppy smell that also has a strong malt presence like a barleywine. The flavor is resinous, chewy hop flavors (more resin than citrus) with a bitter aftertaste. I can kind of taste the rye but it is nowhere near as pronounced as Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye. This is not what I usually look for in a DIPA but nonetheless it is a solid beer. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-14-2008 02:06:15