He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. - Shmaltz Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

A whole lot of head, it nearly jumps over the side on the glass. Crystal clear tawny color. Smells of ripe tropical fruit, pine sap, blood oranges, a little hint of hemp seed oil and cake batter. Smooth and ultra creamy with a hop oil slickness deep inside the full-ish body. Lush malt foundation ranges from heavy caramel to spicy rye, donuts to toasted bread ... pretty damn complex IMO. Hops jump on all of this with a cutting bitterness and a long linger of spicy, citric, thick herbal and tobacco flavor. The bitterness pairs up with the rye to compliment the coming of the alcohol. Oh yes, there is alcohol here and a drops a good amount of warmth and tropical fruit. Finish bittersweet and spicy with more bitterness in the end of it all.

Big and bold, a serious beer ... it would be simple to say that it kicks ass, which it does. By far one of the most enjoyable beers I have had this year.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 02:06:27 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"I don't know about you but I enjoy the way our tax money is being spent to arrest, indict, convict, imprison, parole, and re-imprison (marijuana smokers). I'd just piss it away on beer, anyway."

– Lenny Bruce

Out of the bottle (22oz bomber) and into the glass, the beer pours a very rich, vibrant, copper-colored brew with a seemingly thick consistency, shown by the sluggish carbonation bubbles rising to the top. Topped with a very healthy, thick, slightly off-white foam head, the beer’s lacing is tight, creamy, sticking to the glass, and retaining very well. Complex piney and resiny hop nose with gentle floral notes and bit of a peppery and spicy rye edge tucked within. Aroma suggests something sweet, with malty caramel upfront, loads of enticing ripe fruits, then alcohol. Oh, sweet alcohol.

The first sip introduces something smooth and creamy to the palate, but beneath lies something very powerful. Mouthfeel is dense, chewy, syrupy, and slick with candied-fruits and a massive malty backbone with caramel, toffee, and toasted bread. The heat (perceived alcohol) on this one is quite high, with a big 10 percent alcohol spice that melds well with rye bread crust flavors, rounded with berry-like fruity esters that make your heart skip a beat. The palate is then subjected to a salty, sticky hop resin with a sharp citric edge that smacks of half a pink grapefruit with ten sugar packets on it—prepared like your grandma would have. Hops character is actually quite complex, continuing with some dry aspirin. Rye and bready flavors become more pronounced in the linger, as the beer dries and sheds a near carob character across the palate. Alcohol gets a bit fumy and warming. Finish is oily, resinous, herbal, raw, and wanting of more.

This is an "Extreme Beer" and a Double IPA that dances on American-style Barleywine borders, with its aggressive hops and strength. It might be a bit too much for many to handle, and the fact that it’s packaged in a 22oz bomber bottle means that you’ll want to share it with friends. Keep chilled, serve cool in snifters, sip, and enjoy as the beer unfolds in your warm hands. Available for around $6 a bottle, which makes it affordable enough to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2006 04:06:24 | More by Todd

alaimoa

Connecticut

4.01/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark golden brown with limited head but leaves white lacing all down the glass. Has a sweet malty smell. I wasn't expecting as much sweetness as I got in the initial taste that had caramel maltiness with a hop backbone. Definitely not a hop-bomb and a nice scotchy after-taste. It has more of a scotch ale taste to it with a medium body.
Overall delicious.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 21:38:41 | More by alaimoa

stella77artois

New York

4.01/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap. This beer is advertised with the phrase "an insane amount of malt and hops." Uh yeah, that's certainly true. This is a very, very strong tasting beer. And the first Rye IPA I've ever tried.

A - Pours straight brown. Not a lot of orange or red, a fairly unique looking beer. Medium sized white head, which dissipated slowly. Very little residual noted.

S - As advertised, lot's of malt and hops. Malt more noticeable. Some grapefruity hop aromas, and a slight hint of alcohol.

T - This is one of the strongest tasting beers I've ever had. The huge amount of malt and hops are noticeable, as is a very slight rye flavor. Not much else. Tastes very, very good. Problem is, it's so strong (not the alcohol, either) that it can be very slightly unpleasant if drank too fast. Very good tasting though, not taking anything away from that.

F - A very dry, tart finish. As with the taste itself, it's strong!

O - A very powerful and tasty beer. NOT for the faint of heart! Can be tough to drink to some I'd imagine, but I'd certainly recommend this beer for any DIPA fans, rye beer fans, or extreme beer fans.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2013 19:48:22 | More by stella77artois

headyhopzhead

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-18-2013 12:49:25 | More by headyhopzhead

jep2606

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-18-2013 04:51:09 | More by jep2606

jaybags

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-15-2013 17:25:36 | More by jaybags

b1515152004

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-15-2013 00:15:38 | More by b1515152004

brokentee

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-13-2013 23:40:36 | More by brokentee

rderedin

Maine

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-13-2013 23:12:17 | More by rderedin

csniezek

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +17%

06-07-2013 05:22:41 | More by csniezek

jkball01

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-04-2013 15:27:54 | More by jkball01

Rihup

Illinois

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-04-2013 01:40:18 | More by Rihup

Nolen12

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-03-2013 12:04:13 | More by Nolen12

szmnnl99

Michigan

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-03-2013 01:21:57 | More by szmnnl99

JohnnieNepal

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-02-2013 17:27:55 | More by JohnnieNepal

hockeyfighter19

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-02-2013 16:29:52 | More by hockeyfighter19

Rau71

California

3.25/5  rDev -20%

06-01-2013 02:20:43 | More by Rau71

NickSMpls

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-31-2013 23:38:58 | More by NickSMpls

DenverBigRed

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +17%

05-31-2013 23:08:47 | More by DenverBigRed

Swift989

District of Columbia

5/5  rDev +23.2%

05-31-2013 02:50:44 | More by Swift989

woodchip

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-30-2013 01:10:20 | More by woodchip

Mcvs1507

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

05-28-2013 01:24:20 | More by Mcvs1507

BRLockwood

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-27-2013 11:29:02 | More by BRLockwood

dcloeren

Texas

4/5  rDev -1.5%

05-25-2013 17:07:55 | More by dcloeren