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

pours clear copper with moderate beige head. aroma is pine/citrus hop (somewhat resiny) with sweet dark crystal sweetness behind (rye will come in more later in the beer but is never prominent). taste is resin immediate followed by a more grapefruit presence right after. midway through the sweetness comes into play which is a dark crystal taste. as the sweetness fades and the bitterness builds the rye dryness really asserts its self the most and really comlpliments very bitter and dry finish. reminds of a rye version of bigfoot and is pretty tasty even if it isnt the freshest. great piney bitterness.

22oz bottle, no date. Pours a clear orange red with a 1/2 finger fading beige head. Aroma of spicy and perfumey hops, some caramel and toffee malts. Flavor is much the same with some hot alcohol. Medium body with low to moderate carbonation. I am assuming this was a one time batch, and the hops have definitely suffered in the (almost) year since its release. The hops just aren’t able to mask the alcohol.

(bottle - 22 oz) Dark and rich amber color with a thick off-white head. Aroma is loaded with hops and floral notes, as well as a very strong malt and rye backbone. Flavor is very rich and malty with a ton of caramel and sugar, Mild alcohol burn in the middle and a slightly lingering and bitter finish. Very thick and chewy.

beautiful slow rising head that tumbles and fades to 2 different shades. alcohol taste still comes through a powerful and genuine malt and hop profile. touch of broomstraw not offensive. nice mouthfeel and astringent with bitter notes on the middle of the palate. a 7.5% alcohol count could make this a 4.7 overall. touch slippery and creamy.

This beer pours a dark amber color, with a thick, creamy head. Less hop aroma than I would expect from a DIPA. This beer has a great hoppy flavor, backed by the uniqueness of the rye. A tasty beer to enjoy if you’re home for a night.

Bottle. 22 fl. oz. A clear, dark amber color. Aromas of malty caramel, grapefruity hops, alcohol, and even some apricot. Nice smooth, creamy texture. Impressive balance of sweet and bitter flavors with a long, dry finish.

22oz. Bomber $4.99 Binny’s Orland This beer looks really good. Poured a deep mahogany with perfect clarity when held to the light. 1+ finger off-white craggy eggshell head stays around for awhile but eventually fades to a solid coating. There’s some very slow rising carbonation bubbles rising from the sides of my glass. Webbed lacing is left after each sip. Very nice. The smell is a little different than I expected. It’s heavy in a slightly sweet malt. For some reason it’s reminding me of brandy soaked raisins. The rye really comes through toward the end of the smell with a husk/stalk quality that’s really nice. There is a very mild fruitiness to this that reminds me of honeydew. A touch of alcohol in the finish gives a little heat. I really can’t pick out much hop presence. Smells good but the lack of hops drop the score. The taste is different too but in a good way. Similiar to the smell there is a sweet maltiness up front. This fades to the background mid-palate as the rye malts take over coming back in the taste with the huskiness that was in the aroma. There is a nice solid bitterness. I couldn’t pick out the hops at first but it must’ve been too cold. When it warmed some soft floral hops came forward. There’s a touch of alcohol in the swallow that comes through with a mild heat. I like this quite a bit. Mouthfeel for a 10% abv is really nice. It’s a little on the heavier side of medium. Sticky but in no way cloying. There isn’t a lot of carbonation, which I think works really well with the body. The drinkability is good on this when you take into consideration the abv. The 1 bomber will be enough for now but it doesn’t take any effort to finish. Lenny’s R.I.P.A. is a quality beer. It doesn’t have the huge hop aroma and flavor I’d expect from a IIPA’s but bitterness is definately there. The rye malt really adds something nice. Good idea from the brewer that turned out really well.

Bottle. Pours clear orange, off white head. Aroma is caramel, tomato, pine, caramel, hops. Flavor is hops, caramel, pine, toffee, wheat, vanilla.