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

I have no interest in the late Lenny Bruce, may God rest his soul, but a double IPA with rye malt grabs my attention. The beer is a clear deep copper red, topped by almost two inches of soft and creamy off-white foam. Good head retention and okay lacing. Sweet malt and mild pine hops in the aroma. Tasty caramel malt gives way to a drier rye malt. Nice blend and transition. A solid but not overwhelming pine hoppiness is prevalent throughout. Nearly full body, gentle but ample carbonation. Nothing profane here.

22 oz Bomber in nYC... Beautiful color, light brown/tan/orange laced head with wondeful persistence. Nice citrus flavors with a solid hop backbone that permeates everyting from the aroma to the thick resiny mouth feel. Unbelivalble. Love it

650ml brown bottle. Amber colour, head is beige, short lasting. Big juicy hoppy nose (grapefruit and pine), notes of fruit (peach, candied apple?), backed by malt. There is a touch of spiciness and trace alcohol. Flavour starts with malt, rye, and caramel, fairly sweet. Noticable piney hop flavours. Finishes with a good dose of bitterness and lingering hop flavour though not overly aggressive. Body is full, viscous, medium carbonation. Very drinkable for it’s strength.

What a great double IPA!!! A massive hop aroma, with a nice off white head. Nose of pine, grass, and some peach as well.

Bottle. Pours a deep brownish amber with hardly any head. Nose is hop laden. Flavor is fraught with hops and the bittering aspect remains prominent from the beginning to the end of the taste. This is sticky from the carmelized sweetness that tries to work with the hops. Initially, this was quite overbearingly bitter but as the beer warmed, it woke up the malts and made for a much more balanced 2IPA.

Outstanding label--one of my all-time favorites. Sluggish pour, shiny, brassy-orange body with noticeable viscosity, and an ample white head. Deep crystal-rye aroma with peach and apple hop notes, plus ethyl fumes. Flavor has lots of malt character and is somewhat underattenuated, but also intensely bitter with a coarse finish. Thick, viscous body, which is a little off-putting within this style. Very promising qualities, but some tweaking (less crystal and more attenuation) could make this truly special.

Beautiful red color with beautiful foamy thick head that lasts longer than a minute like some beers. Very clean aroma with pronounced scent of rye malt. First tastes are of rye, which quickly segues into the hops you’d expect for an IPA. I’m glad they used the Cascades only for bittering, and not for dry hopping. The citrus tones would’ve colided with the rye too much. Long lasting aftertaste on the pallate, mostly of hops with slight undertone of malt. Overall a pretty nice beer. Too bad it was a limited edition from Hebrew! Guess I’m just gonna have to make a trip to Bevmo and stock up on a case!!

Pours cloudy brown with a billowy off-white head. Rich aroma of rye, crystal malt, and hops. Big flavor up front, mostly rye and malt. The hops are next, with more pine and resin than citrus. Finish is caramel malt with a hop bite. Love IIPAs and Ryes, this combines the best features of both.