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

A good IPA. I should say RIPA. This would be my first RIPA. Had on tap. Pours a dark amber with a moderate lasting head. Taste is very bitter, definately get the rye with an insane blend of hops. Clean bitter finish.

It’s like they took a DIPA and mixed it with some Imperial Stout. Regardless, drinking this brew is quite enjoyable. It’s red-brown with a frothy tan head. Good strong aroma, hoppy and roasted. Flavor and palate indicative of a good, solid DIPA, with that roasted compliment.

Beer pours a garnet color with a modestely retained off white colored head. Aroma is caramelly with rye and grapefruit hops. Flavor is bitter with some nice caramel maltiness and rye. My bar for Double IPAs has been really altered lately by beer like Green Flash which are overwhelmingly hoppy and those are the one which I prefer.

this was amber/dark copper with some thick rocky light beige head. lots of rye with some lemon and some citrus flavors.

Bomber. Pours a dark amber, nice white head, lasts quite a while. Very hoppy. Nice citrus flavor, with some noticable alcohol content, but for 10% it is pretty well masked. Finish is slightly sweet, with a bit of bitter hops.

Bottle: Coppery orange, huge off-white rocky head, lattice like lacing, soft carbonation.   Sweet citrusy aroma, big malts, noticeable alcohol, some sharp floral notes.   Big malt profile, citrus rind bitterness, seems to have a hot floral aspect to it as well.   Slightly phenolic, but the finish is surprisingly clean.   Big body, thick mouthfeel.   I believe this to be the best He’Brew I have had.   No graininess like others.   Only downside is the noticeable alcohol.   Otherwise pretty damn good!

Presentation: Mine was a 22 oz Bomber that had a theme that looks kind of like an old theatre exteriors The name He’Brew Presents BITTERSWEET LENNY’S R.I.P.A. is made to look like a theater sign. The label says this is a “A Double India Pale Ale with Rye Malt” and “Brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops”. Listed at 10% ABV. There is a silhouette of the late great Lenny Bruce on the neck label. Finally it is Kosher Certified. Really cool label we have here. Appearance: Poured a nice thick and oily stream from the bottle and settled into my Duvel glass with minimal splash and raised a nice fat off-white head that left lots of fat chunks of lacing on the sides of the glass. Overall this is a feast for the eyes and as the head slowly settles down you are so taken by its overall beauty you almost hate to disturb it. Nose: This one comes at you with alcohol and piney hops. The aromas just leap out at you and you don’t need to take a deep sniff to get this one. Beside the hops, there are also some distinct but not overwhelming rich malts, toffee, nuts, caramel, and berries. Overall it is hard to imagine a beer smelling any better than this. Taste: The taste is similar to the nose, and the alcohol, malts and the hops dominate, and there is a serious bitter finish worthy of a DIPA. Mouthfeel: What can you say about this except is feels rich and creamy and simply hangs on the teeth and tongue. You hate to swallow, but then it tastes just as good going down the back of your throat. Drinkability: Simply sublime is all I can say. At 10% you would want to be careful, but downing all 22 oz is easy. It is just great from first drop to last. Overall: This is an unusual Double IPA because of the Rye Malt, but no matter how you measure it this is an impressive brew. I only got one bottle of this, but assuming it is still there will be picking up a case to share with my friends.

Bottle 3/22/07 This poured a dark red body with a vanilla pudding like head. Taste was very bitter to me and the aroma not too much of anything, must get the old beaker fixed. Almost a dry finish, just not my pick, but do like the abv.