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

flannelman808

California

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I found this double IPA to be lacking in a hoppy finish (which i would expect from such a beer). The Rye character of this beer overwhelmed me. However it pours very nicely with a dark caramel color and a rich white head. At first taste the hops are present, however they are quickly outweighed by rye and alcohol. Not quite my kind of brew, but probably would be great for someone who likes Sweet complex highly alcoholic beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2006 22:02:59 | More by flannelman808

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Brushed bronze body is crystal clear. An inital huge bone china head eventually settles into a finger's worth. Some nice lacing.

Heavy aroma of bread, yeast, and sweet licorice-y liquor. It's inviting and frightening like Halloween. Does seem a bit more barleywine-like than DIPA-ish.

Taste begins with a battering ram of sweet caramely malt that assaults the tongue. Sweet dominates for a couple swallows until the hops can retaliate. Some sweet fruit jumps on stage before a big hop bite at the climax. A mild hop aftertaste vies with a big dash of booze during the encore. Not getting the rye though.

Thick, heavy, syrupy mouthfeel. Struggling a bit with drinkability.

Not bad, but not really what I was looking for in a self-proclaimed DIPA.. I'd prefer less booze, less sweet, more hops, more rye. Really more barleywine than DIPA to me. Worth a try, but not multiple gigs.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2006 21:06:33 | More by RonfromJersey

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sample at Barley's Smokehouse. The beer is a dark amber-brown color with a medium and frothy light beige head that has good retention. Sheets of lacing on the glass. The aroma is an odd mishmash of pungent malt, whiskey, and piney hops. Rich, syrupy body with flavors of tart fruit, liqueur, toasted malt and dry hops. The finish is dry with fruity a cough medicine and rye aftertaste. Maybe I am not appreciating what they tried to do here but the beer seems to be lacking cohesiveness.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2008 22:47:31 | More by Dogbrick

ralree

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A: Pretty clear, but dark like half-brewed coffee. Head is enormous and really nicely laces. Retention is amazing.

S: Sugary caramel malt, really toasty smell. Alcohol undetectable, a little hop background.

T: Alcohol definitely makes it into the flavor, balanced out by the caramel malt and a little bit of dark fruit. The alcohol pretty much ruins the taste for me - it's just too much for this one. There are some minor hops in the background, but just not enough. Some definite coffee flavor in here as well.

M: Pretty dry, but creamy, medium-bodied. Carbonation good. Non-astringent.

D: I'd love to drink this, but it's just too much alcohol flavor, which turns me off. If they toned down the alcohol and put in a bunch more hops, this would get my vote.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2008 02:44:03 | More by ralree

jujubeast6000

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed 1/13/2009 (bottle):

Pours an amber orange colored body, with a small white head. Has a strong citrusy bitter aroma. Also, a rye grainy aroma. An alcoholy taste, bitter citrus, grainy. Spicy taste. Has a creamy mouthfeel. Nice IPA taste. Carbonated. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2009 06:01:00 | More by jujubeast6000

Drinkerofales

California

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with cinnamon red highlights, with a bubbly head that leaves awesome lacing. Too dark for a DIPA.

Smells is malt, sweet and cloying, hops are in there, but let's be honest, it's almost an afterthought. Hrm, it doesn't smell like a DIPA.

Taste is the same, very roasted malt, bold, hint of hops? The rye comes out in the after taste, but, it doesn't taste like a DIPA.

Feel is thick and smooth with just the right amount of boozy warmth. Viscous with a hops bite on the end, all the while very sticky.

Overall, this doesn't have the DIPA look, smell, and taste I am looking for. Great texture makes this a great beer, but a DIPA? Heck no, and this should not be labeled as a DIPA. Doesn't make it bad, but it is not what it claims to be.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 05:43:35 | More by Drinkerofales

negroobserver

New York

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Described as a Double IPA with Rye Malt
12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams glass.

The appearance is a light coffee color. Very much like a traditional Brown Ale. Pours with a short cream colored head, which lingers on the top for a bit. Filtered. Light to moderate lacing on the glass.

The body is dense and full. Very heavy. Thick as an imperial stout or a cream ale.

Taste is at best lacking. There is essentially nothing on the front end. First impact comes from the body of the beer, which transitions into a light malty flavor and then quickly to a ver intense bitterness which coats the tongue and lingers in the mouth for at least a minute.

Aroma is malty. Sweet. A hint of sourness. Little or no hoppy aroma which is disappointing.

The beer is a bit of a shock to the taste buds but it becomes less threatening as you continue to drink. Not a bad drink but an acquired taste. I love double IPAs but this one eludes me. It doesn't come together as a whole.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 05:26:45 | More by negroobserver

drabmuh

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On cask at a local beer bar. Beer is clear and reddish in color. Carbonation is moderate to low and head is soapy and nearly non-existent (it is on cask though). No lacing on the glass. I'm still interested.

Aroma is dominated by hops hops hops. Mostly citrus hop aroma and nothing much else.

Hops are present in the back of the mouth on this one. Correct me if I'm wrong but a RIPA is a RYE IPA correct? I don't taste the rye at all. The finish is a little piny. There isn't much of an aftertaste, is that woodsey flavor the rye trying to squeeze to the front? Eh, not my favorite, definitely not my favorite IPA or rye.

This may be one of those beers that has no business being on cask. I'll try it again in the bottle and see if its better and rereview at a later date.

Serving type: cask

12-18-2009 20:05:02 | More by drabmuh

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.35/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Looks impressive, rich, vibrant reddish brown. Aroma, some sweet candy kinda.

Taste, I completely agree with my predecessor, the lines are blurred between DIPA and barleywine here, moreso towards the barleywine end. Sweet, understated hops, hides the alcohol decently. Drinkable for its alcohol, but price is a little prohibitive.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 06:39:31 | More by Beerandraiderfan

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear dark copper appearance, compact head of about 1/2 an inch in height. Good thick dripping laces. Marmalade aroma, some suggestions of dark rye bread or rustic "black bread". Smooth full mouthfeel, not a lot of carbonation, works well. Hop bitterness early, earthy and musky. What's interesting is the malt detail, for a beer with this much girth and decent weight, its hard to pick out a sweet component (aside from that heavy dark bread that is featured in the smell), especially late as the beer passes a yellow mustard flavor and heads in an almost top-soil flavor direction with a bitter collard green close. The brew has some definite distinction, but not any that strike me -- different but I wouldn't pick this one up again. As a note, on the label there's a lot of that pretentious prose you find on some beer bottles that just makes you wish the brewer would stick to talking about the beer. For example, the malt bill would be a lot more interesting to read about than anyone's particular opinion about Lenny Bruce.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2006 00:11:34 | More by ADR

beckje01

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Dark amber good activity with a medium tan head.

S- Full fruity.

T- Good hops nice malt background.

M- Good thickness exactly what I would want from the style.

D- One a time for me but I'm sure there are those out there who can handle a few of these big beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 04:43:13 | More by beckje01

nafnikufesin

Alberta (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - Great wispy looks.

Smell - Sweet-hoppy aroma.

Mouthfeel - Light-medium body.

Taste - A sweet rye flavor at the front of the mouth giving way to an intense bitter hop flavor, with the 10% alcohol very apparent in the aftertaste.

Drinkability - Ultimately limited by the intense bitterness.

Overall - A good start, flavorful, but very intense to drink on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2007 18:21:46 | More by nafnikufesin

pwoods

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz. brown bomber, purchased from Dilly Deli, poured into a snifter. No dating.

Second Review:

Peanut talked me into trying this again.

...My first review is pretty damn accurate. I do like it a bit more this time but I think I'll be keeping the scores the same.

First Review:

A: Pours a blood red and appears a vibrant ruby in the light. Has some visibility even for such a deep colored beer. Almost 2 fingers in the snifter of off white head with a bit of staying power. Some patching lacing down the glass.

S: Maltiness is on par with an American Barleywine. Bread, butterscotch, rye, citrus hops, alcohol, all struggling for position in a vinous setting.

T/M: Very potent. Hops are big but undefined. Crisp and citrus but I can't pick it apart. Plenty of spice. Bitterness starts medium and continues to build all the way through and beyond a super dry, alcoholic finish. Alcohol isn't afraid to show at all and can be a bit harsh at times. Malts are on part with any Barleywine. I'm actually surprised this isn't labeled a Barleywine.

D: So potent that I think it'll be hard to finish the rest of this bomber. Has a nice price tag but if I buy more of this it'll be to cellar for about a year.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 02:40:25 | More by pwoods

wagenvolks

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber into a Foothills pint glass.

An appealing, ruby-copper body fills my pint, pouring thick and leaving behind a 1/2 inch of head. The suds are dirty khaki in color, well-retained, and leave behind nice lacing. Aroma catches me off guard a bit, as candi-sweet malts fill the air, along with syrupy rye and hints of grapefruit hops. I could really go for a bit more hops, here, but the rye pairs nicely with the aroma overall.

I found the flavor to be very unbalanced. If IIPA's weren't my favorite style, I might've rated the taste even lower, as the hops took a backseat to candi-sweet malts and boozy, thick alcohol notes. Only in the aftertaste did the hoppiness come to the rescue, and by then the sugary malts had all but dominated the senses. Body is far too thick to be drinkable, and the alcohol note detracts from, instead of complimenting the experience. I will not be buying this again, sadly, as I had high expectations going into this brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2008 04:05:50 | More by wagenvolks

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a clear, deep amber; sits a borderline mahogany tone with orange highlights. yields a finger beige head that doesn't stick around too long but leaves decent lacing. nose fairly robust, offering a big dose of rye malt to accompany some muted citric hoppy notes... a bit bready... was expecting more hops, questioning the freshness here.

taste follows suit. very malty for a DIPA, now i'm *really* questioning the freshness. rye is most evident with the hoppy characters being almost secondary notes. reading the reviews of others, it appears this quality is not the norm. medium-full and creamy in the mouth with adequate carbonation

altogether, not a bad beer even with an apparently past its prime bottle. will re-review if i can get my hands on a guaranteed fresh bottle, but as it stands it's an average-DIPA.

(originally reviewed: 08-22-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 00:53:37 | More by BostonHops

Offa

California

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I found this to be pretty good, but overall was not impressed.

Dark copper, it has a big pale tan head slowly shrinking to thin foamy top and some lace.

Aroma is sweet port/fortified wine, caramelised and candied grapefruit, caramelised toast.

Taste is raisiny bittersweet jamminess up front, sweet-spicy up front with lingering spicy bitterness behind. Otherwise, it's a bit vague and muddled, overall very sweet and spicy-bitter alcohol with little else. It tastes like a lot of other one-dimensional, run-of-the-mill DIPA types and had no real hop or malt character beyond what I've mentioned.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:31:42 | More by Offa

Sephiroth

Indiana

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours with average foam, body is red in color. Smells piny and resiny, with some sweetness from the rye.

Taste is sweet initially. The hops follow; they are piney, grapefruit-laden, and blend in well with the rest of the flavor profile. The rye is quite noticeable on the finish. Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy and not particularly to my liking. Drinkability is okay.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2006 02:19:19 | More by Sephiroth

Boppar

New Hampshire

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into an over-sized wine glass.

A: Beautiful ruby color. I thought at first that it was transparent, but it turned out to be translucent. Two fingers of fluffy, off-white head. Good head retention and great lacing. A few big soap bubbles.

S: Smells like alcohol and dank, piney hops.

T: Tastes like a pine cone. Alcohol is in evidence. Strong malt backbone, but definitely some intense bittering hops to balance it out. Leahery taste mid-to-late palate. Finishes with a pronounced oak-y dryness. Aftertaste of a faint caramel and vanilla.

M: This has pretty solid mouthfeel. It is fluffy and smooth. Medium to full-bodied. Very nice. Good weight to it.

D: About average for a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 06:37:13 | More by Boppar

david131

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Absolutely stunning. A deep orange with hints of brown. Not many streams of carbonation, but the head is very slow to form, but is large and has great retention. Leaves some pretty good lacing to boot.

S- Lots of caramel, pine, and citrus. Kind of sweet with hints of cotton candy and vegetable. A powerhouse smelling beer.

T- Same as the aroma with a massive amount of sweetness and bitterness. The booze is pretty noticeable too.

M- Eerily smooth, but then very dry afterward. This is the thickest DIPA I have ever had.

D- The booze and bitterness of this really take a toll. Definitely a representation of the style though.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 04:53:42 | More by david131

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Hazy and cloudy orange amber, creamy off white head

S: Very malty, distinct though, not just the typical sweet malt, the amount of rye has to have an effect

T: Way more bitter than smell, again has that distinct flavor that could be a result of the rye in the beer, the huge dose of bitterness comes without much hop flavor though, also has a strange aftertaste

M: Definitely dry, kind of bitey mouthfeel

D: Not great to me

Notes: This beer is not my style, although it is definitely interesting. It has promise, but doesn't quite work in my opinion. If that unique flavor is indeed rye, then I thick this could work with some tweaking. The hops need more flavor to match their bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 08:00:00 | More by dpodratsky3

birchstick

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a dark copper color with a huge head

S - smells of fruity hops that are mixed with sweet, earthy, grainy malts

T - Caramel hops dominate at first but are quickly pushed aside by the spicy rye malts. All of this fades into some grapefruit hops. This thing tastes almost like a hoppy barleywine. A lot different than I expected, not bad.

M - medium bodied and goes down smoothly

D - this was a decent Rye DIPA...this is the first of its kind that I have tried so I have nothing to compare it to, but I think this would have been better if it was a regular IPA with the rye instead of having this huge malt bomb to balance out the loads of hops. Not a bad brew, enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 15:42:19 | More by birchstick

portia99

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle received as a bonus volunteering at a beer festival.

A - Pours a deep, rich amber color with a really nice ruby red tint. about a half finger of cream colored foam rests atop the beer, hesitates briefly and falls to a skim coat with a thick collar and nice lacing left around the edges of the glass.

S - Smell is largely malt dominated. Rich, sweet, caramelly, sugary. Really struggling to pull some hops out of this...swrirling vigorously barely produces any hop aroma that can get past the malt. Not exactly what I wxpect out of an imperial IPA. I expect the probability of lots of malt but I also expect a ton of hops to make an appearance too.

T - Lots more hops in the flavor than the aroma. Tons of nice bitterness up front. Enough to offset the powerful malt presence here and then some. Still the malt presence can't be denied - bready, sweet, caramelly. Strong alcohol presence in the flavor too. Rye spiciness is there, but not as prominant as I'd hope...does leave a lingering spiciness behind after the swallow.

M - Medium bodied, carbonation is medium high. Very lively, prickly feeling from the carbonation. Rye spiciness stays behind long afer the swallow.

D - Well, I have to preface this by saying I've had several of the Schmaltz beers and have never really been impressed. This one is sadly no different. I've heard lots of good things, but I consistently find myself underwhelmed. Technically, there is nothing wrong with this beer - well crafted, no off flavors...just doesn't click with me. Alcohol is very noticeable, hops are very subdued in flavor for the style..bitterness is there, but not hop flavor at all. Just doesn't fit with what I'm looking for in a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 01:09:54 | More by portia99

katan

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into a goblet

A - Pours a very hazy, deep dark brown, with a few amber highlights. Not normally noticed in a pour, but this beer just looks super thick. Head formation was about nil.

S - Super sweet, lots of caramel and toffe notes, backed up with some interesting grainy rye. Rye can comes across as almost edgy in a beer like this.

T - Starts off all sweet, lots of 2 row malts and some grainy rye background. Mid-stream is still very malty, with more grainy rye notes. Caramel appears strongly here. Finishes with the first appearance of hops and bitterness, with some floral hopping and a bitter finish.

M - Thick and oil - very creamy. Carbonation is missing, so this beer stands on its own. Could use some "fluffy" textures from higher carbonation. Finishes thick and cloying.

D - A one and done beer. A bit too sweet for long sessioning. ABV is sneaky, and a bomb. Not filling, but certainly has a standing affect on the palette - almost overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 04:24:45 | More by katan

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

this beer's 666th review. damn it!

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a clear, deep amber; sits a borderline mahogany tone with orange highlights. yields a finger beige head that doesn't stick around too long but leaves decent lacing.

nose is bold, offering a big dose of rye malt to accompany some muted citric hoppy notes... a bit bready... was expecting more hops, questioning the freshness here.

taste follows suit. very malty for a DIPA, now i'm *really* questioning the freshness. rye is most evident with the hoppy characters being almost secondary notes. reading the reviews of others, it appears this quality is not the norm. medium-full and creamy in the mouth with adequate carbonation

altogether, not a bad beer even with an apparently past its prime bottle. will re-review if i can get my hands on a guaranteed fresh bottle, but as it stands it's an average-DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 02:23:38 | More by perrymarcus

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear coppery red with a 1/2 finger of foamy off-white head that dissipates quickly. Moderate carbonation and sparse lacing.

N: Sweet caramel, grapefruit, rye, hints of pine, citrus and sugar.

T: Sugary toffee and rye upfront followed by caramel, rye, pine, cocoa and hints of booze. Finishes with spicy rye and hints of pine.

M: Medium bodied, sticky and dry.

O: Good amount of rye throughout this beer but the malt is too toffee-like. Tastes similar to an Imperial Red.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 21:21:38 | More by justintcoons