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

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up as part of the holiday pack. Very cool tribute to Mr. Bruce.
Appearance: Red and regal. Assertive off white head and lacing.
Smell: hard to describe...grapefruit bitter hops with a strong malt backbone. Something earthy in there. Interesting to be sure.
Taste: Wow, again the pattern of taste coming together when the nose projected a more disjointed brew. All the brews in the holiday pack have had this quality.
Overall: very interesting brew. Gonna look for more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 23:55:12 | More by cindyjeffsmith

jegross2

Illinois

2.03/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Reviewing the Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. from Shmaltz Brewing Company (He'Brew).
Score: 60

2011 vintage bottle poured into a Sam Adams glass.

Appearance: Pours a transparentish mahogany color with a finger, maybe a finger and a half of khaki colored creamy head that settles into a thin layer of head. Slightly below average lacing. 3/5

Smell: Caramel and rye. A lot of a sweet, sugary caramel. Lots of malts. A little funk -- reminds me like the aroma from my first homebrew. Very dank, earthy hops. Aroma is too sweet. 2.5/5

Taste: Very unbalanced and boozy. Heavy doses of earthy, oversweetened caramel malts hit upfront. Huge malt backbone. A giant first sip made me cringe. Has the characteristics of an overly hot, too fresh barleywine. Most of the sweetness is on the front and mid-palate. Finish is quite earthy and bitter, with some rye and spice. Refused to finish this one, and even my Steel Reserve drinking friend had to chase it with with a 312. 1.5/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and thick -- entirely too much so for an IPA. Low end of medium with carbonation. Bitter, lasting finish. Too bad I did not enjoy the flavor that lingered. 2/5

Overall: The bottle claims this is a "Double IPA with Rye Malt," but it's really just a hot barleywine with earthy hops.

Recommendation: Avoid this one. Casual beer drinkers may find this one undrinkable. If you must drink this beer, perhaps you should age it for awhile first.

Pairings: Gouda cheese (or the sink drain).

Cost: $11.99 for a four pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 08:24:08 | More by jegross2

smakawhat

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crush that gift pack! Poured into a nonic pint glass off we go!

A large three finger head, off tan/caramel in color, somewhat tight foamy for head. Body color is deep red, very cloudy, but also a nice hue of color throughout the glass, from Indian red to dark brown through the top where the head meets.

Nose is kind of fleeting if a little weird? Wet smelling, mild malts with hints of chocolate. Sense of clean but not much else. Not a sense that this is an IPA at all, I get no hop sense on the nose on this at all, but it doesn't smell off/bad.

Taste thought is KAPOW! Chewy malts of rich chocolate, but also a very thick hop angle. Resiny a little, but also extremely coating in the palate. Subsequent sips get much more interesting. Malt angle gets bigger, and something that grows is a real hop "richness". Dense malts keep coming, but texture never gets syrupy. Spice angle I would expect though for rye seems to be missing, but not the malt which makes this quite enjoyable. Some slighty toffee stickiness on the lips which is kind of fun.

Overall the drink as you go gets bolder and bolder. It's a "little" out of control and noticeable though on the alcohol side. However, it hits the mark on taste for the style with a bit of unique quality. Too bad it misses a bit on the nose.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 02:22:33 | More by smakawhat

whatthehull

California

4.65/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tulip

A - cloudy burnt sienna, one finger tan head and nice lacing

S - awesome booze, the rye is great, tons of hops, sweet and toasted malts, spice, funk, wet wood, huge yeast note, fruity and more sweet woody booze

T - the rye is fantastic, nice spice, booze, tons of earth, malt bomb backbone. some citrus, slight dried sweet and citrus fruit, island fruits and some sap

M - full body, medium minus acidity, medium balance, fun complexity and long finish

D - for most, this isn't for you. Huge hop, huge malt and very boozy! For all hop/malt heads, BAM! Get a few 4 packs. Great beer

Final thought - never had anything except for jewbelation 14 and 15 from schmaltz that I enjoy, but this, I love! $8.50 a 4 pack and 10%, love it!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 09:31:00 | More by whatthehull

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Duvel tulip; no freshness dating apparent. Deep amber color that is slightly hazy and has a tint of red. Good two-finger tan head that has good retention and leaves good lacing.

The aroma is more subtle than I expected from the "obscene" amount of malt and hops advertised on the label. I'm getting primarily caramel malt and a touch of rye. Very little hop aroma present.

The flavor is a bit better with the caramel malt dominating. A definite bitter flavor from the rye and some pine-resin hop notes. The mix works well as a whole for the flavor.

Fairly dense mouthfeel and also very little notice of the alcohol. With no freshness dating, I can't tell is this is old, but more hops would be welcome. But, a solid rye IPA nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 22:16:27 | More by FanofHefe

mactrail

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fruity and bitter powerhouse of an ale. Like all the big Shmaltz brews the intensity of flavor is remarkable. Hugely bitter, but at least they cram in an indecent amount of malt as well. The rye flavor is sharp, vinous, distinctive. Less grainy than some other rye beers.

Looks nice with the long lasting cap of foam on the coppery orange brew. So powerful it's hard to taste a real mouthful. A boozy shotgun blast.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 03:50:56 | More by mactrail

Dubber55

New York

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy brown/amber with a 1/2 finger of head

Strong smell of earthy, piney hops, booze, baked bread, grass, and booze.

This stuff tastes intense- strong hops, pine, booze, and bitterness are the initial flavors. I taste some spiciness from the rye as well. The finish has a strong bready flavor from all the malts. I might taste a hint of caramel but this beer is dominated by pine and bread.

The mouthfeel is solidly medium. A little oily and sticky from the hop oils. Slightly syrupy at times.

The flavors of this beer are really in your face- aggressively bitter, bready, and boozy. Seems pretty abrasive. Definitly could not drink more than one bottle. This stuff kills your palate. I don't like flavor profile

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 05:11:10 | More by Dubber55

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber color, decent sized light tan head that fades quickly, not much lacing on the glass.

Smell is hugely malty, picking up caramel notes, decent hoppiness but I'm sure some of it has faded, still I can pick up a nice piney/citrus element that works with the rye and heavy malt character, the nose on this beer is quite big and filling.

Taste starts out with a sweet caramel malt flavor, a light bitterness follows but it smoothed out by the malt again, strength is evident but not overly harsh, the rye adds a nice dimension that would otherwise be lacking, carbonation is spot on with the thickness of the beer being quite viscous for a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 00:38:28 | More by deltatauhobbit

dday1231

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Carmel, cloves, and licorice. Oh my! The label downplays the hops and malts when it advertised "BREWED WITH AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF MALTS & HOPS". This is a beer with lots of flavor. Nice head. The color will make any passerby think that I’m drinking a cool glass of Grade C maple syrup. Soft to the palate, but the favors liven the taste buds. This is a top beer, no doubt, but a little to rich at the en for my weak palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 03:10:57 | More by dday1231

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.47/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a hazy reddish brown color into a snifter from a 12 oz bottle, with ABV on the label. Could not spot a freshness date anywhere on the bottle.
Thin film of a head that dissipates fairly quickly.
Aroma is just wonderful. Hops, fruity notes, apricot, peach, hints of spice and lots of malt (caramel and some toffee) coming through. There is so much going on in the nose, so complex and yet so pleasing. I like the concept of incorporating rye in an IPA, but the aroma on this one was nowhere near what I was expecting; very nice.
Taste is absolutely spot on for my palate. The malts completely coat the palate, feels like is a bready sweet carpet on the surface of the tongue which gets punctured by the perfect hop bitterness and the rye spiciness. There is just a hint of bitterness in the finish, which
This is a very well balanced and flavorful DIPA. I have to admit, this is the first He'Brew beer that caught my attention, and I am pleasantly surprised. I would definitely recommend this beer to all the hop-heads out there. Absolutely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:06:32 | More by CaptDavyJones

ctfixer

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap " The Usual Place" Augusta GA

A: White head, on top of a clear ruddy copper color. Excellent head retention, maybe indicative to the rye, one of the best I have seen.

S: Opposite many of the other he'brew beers, where sweet malt is dominant - this one has a very strong spicy hops character, with the malt playing a supporting role. Somewhat bready but hops, hops, hops!

T: Hello hops, big bite up front, which gives way to sweet malt. Alcohol well-hidden, for this big beer, very tasty if you are a hop head and like pushing the style limits.
Mouthfeel: medium-heavy mouthfeel, dry acidic finish that aids drinkability a little, but the aftertaste lingers.

M: Excellent again for this big style, I like the medium mouthfeel all the way around, with medium carbonation for 10% ABV

O: I swear I could drink 3 of these, but not sure thats a good idea, as one pint was plenty to start my night! Great beer from contract brew (Saratoga) my favorite He' Brew for sure...

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 00:32:20 | More by ctfixer

nrbw23

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice egg shell colored foamy head. Head has pretty solid retention and leaves some layered lacing down the glass.

S- Smell is a good balance between the malts and hops. Picking up sweet caramel malts, a bit of nuts, rye spices, piney and tropical fruit hops.

T- Bitterness from the hops hit me first. A bit of sweet malts to balance things out. A bit of heat from the alcohol too. A good amount of both piney and tropical fruit hops.

M- Sticky and medium in body. Carbonation is right on too.

O- Pretty impressed with this one. Very good and I'm gonna have to pick some more of this down the road.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 09:47:42 | More by nrbw23

braski

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

appearance- a dark amber color with a head that settles down quick and leaves nice lacing.

smell- a equall mixture of malts hops and alcohol.

taste- same as above, sweet, bitter, hot and a distinctive flavor like no other, must be the rye.

mouthfeel- medium body with a little burn that is sticky feeling.

overall- a great beer, i love when i taste a beer that is so different but yet so tasty that i can't put it down. i'm looking forward to trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 02:50:37 | More by braski

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz longneck.
A) Pours with a big head that settles slowly. Clear amber colored body. Sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Pleasant aroma, a combination of fruit and flora. Tree fruit - ripe apple, plum mixed with hints of spruce and black pepper.
T) A well balance flavor profile. Sweet malts and bitter hops. Bready. Caramel. Bitter evergreen.
M) Alcohol warmth. Full body. Mellow carbonation.
O) A well crafted brew. Good balance between the malts and hops. I'd definitely have another.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 00:18:32 | More by u2carew

Jaycase

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: dark caramel.

s: malty and sweet. Tiny bit of caramel. Can smell the alcohol as well

t: a nice balance of malts and piney hops. A nice bitterness to it.

m: medium to full body. medium carbonation. finishes a bit dry

o: Certainly an interesting spin on a DIPA. Don't think I could have more than one of these in a sitting. A solid beer though. Definitely recommend trying this if you are looking for a different angle on a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 01:07:01 | More by Jaycase

CaptJackHarkness

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Oy Gevalt ! Pours an interesting reddish brown slightly hazy body with a finger of beige-white head. Head lingers and it laces the glass well.
Aroma is nice and sweet. Tastes very hoppy with dates dark fruit notes. A bit of a bite in the aftertaste, that is not pleasant!

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 23:49:56 | More by CaptJackHarkness

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into Globe glass.

A. Poured 3 fingers of head. Great retention. Thick lacing. Color is a dark amber/brown.

S. Initial smell is rye malt. Has a semisweet smell to it. Underneath lies some hop bitterness.

T. Taste is also at first heavy on the rye. Nice rye malt flavor gives the beer a contrast of sweetness and bitterness from the hops, hence the name I guess. Hop flavor is not that prominent as is an overall bitterness.

M. Medium/full bodied. Medium/full carbonation. Lingering bitterness.

O. Overall a pretty interesting beer. Not really a DIPA in the traditional sense of what I think of one as. Maybe best described as right in the middle of a DIPA and a Black IPA. I like the flavor that rye provides, so this worked for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 22:33:08 | More by siradmiralnelson

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a stella tulip glass.

Appearance: Slight head that has reduced an let some lacing on the side of the glass. The beer is a reddisch amber color with sloght signs of carboantion. Looks delicious.

Smell: Very malty and sweet. Scents of caramel and butterscotch too. Whoa, plenty of alcohol in this one folks.

Taste: Sweet caramel and toffee notes, a little biscuit, some alcohol, grapefruit, and citrus towards the backbone.

Mouthfeel: SIlky smooth. Low carboantion and medium to full bodied. Alcohol and booziness towards the end, but still good. it's a sipper, so take your time.

Overall: I have had this beer plenty of times whether I buy a four pack or bomber. Great to share with friends and family and sometime great to sip on while doing things on the computer or watching tv.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 05:06:18 | More by Flounder57

dansmcd

Australia

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown/maroon body, two fingers of light yellow head, looks thick and syrupy out of the bottle.

S - Malt forward for an IPA, sweet dark honey, treacle, toffe, prune and booze. Citrusy hops are there but well back in the perifery.

T - This is really boozy. Follows the nose with the malt profile, maple syrup, honey, brown bread. Has a woody flavour also. A strong hop bitter finish.

M - Thick, smooth and syrupy. Moderate carbonation.

O - Huge, powerful, complex beer. And different to anything Ive tried before. As indicated on the bottle, clearly an obscene amount of hops and malt have been crammed into this bottle. This is NOT a session beer. One is plenty.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 00:06:32 | More by dansmcd

TheSeeker61

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on cask at the Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta and wow was it a great treat.

The appearance was an amber brown with a half inch head which hung around.

The smell was dark fruit with roasted malt.

The taste was a balanced malt/hop.

The mouthfeel was medium.

Overall really enjoyed this brew. I've had it in the bottle and really enjoyed it and having it on cask was exceptionally enjoyable. Got to try it again on cask.

Serving type: cask

10-09-2011 13:54:09 | More by TheSeeker61

lonestar4lunch

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep reddish brown with a huge head that isn't going anywhere fast. Man I love smell of this one. Fresh biscuits out of the oven and then hoppy…awesome. This one starts off with a huge malt punch then slowly transitions to a bitter citrus finish. But even on the finish the hops don't ever really take over. The mouth feel on this one is perfect. The head retention is outstanding and just adds to that smooth, creamy, malty, citrus finish. The rye honestly shows up every few sips but that kind of makes it just a bit more enjoyable. I love rye but not when it owns the brew, this works. I have been head over heals for this one since I first tried it last year after GABF. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:31:04 | More by lonestar4lunch

tdm168

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber with 1/4" of head with good retention. The smell is bready, barley malt and faint, earthy hops. The taste is bready, biscuity malt with some peppery rye followed by some spicy, earthy hops. There's some faint yeast and creaminess. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

This is a pretty good beer, but at times unbalanced. It's worth a try for rye fans and DIPA fans alike.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 00:28:52 | More by tdm168

bnes09

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ruby red in color with a rich white-ish head. Excellent retention and some lace spots.

Rich and smooth malty aroma. Like whiffing some fresh baked biscuits smothered in maple syrup and cherry jam.

Intense malt character. Dense biscuity flavor with plenty of sweet caramel and cherries. Mild herbal hop attempts at balancing. Not like any IPA I have tried, way too much malt character, not bad though.

Dense, full-bodied ale and well carbonated. Sticky on the tongue and lips and lacks the dryness I expect in an IPA.

Pretty good but not quite an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 05:42:38 | More by bnes09

Crossmd

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured 41 degrees Fahrenheit into a Dogfish Head bulb glass.

Pours a deep red amber with a one finger tan colored head rising late to the surface.

Smells of a pungent grain, rye, toffee, and caramel. Projected very well.

Taste is an intense blend of hops and grain with an early attack of bitters that blend into a rush of caramel and rye. Tastes very much like it smells. Intensely long finish and

Mouthfeel consists primarily of more spice than effervescence. It doesn't feel lacking though because the flavor takes center stage - leading me to believe that any more effervescence would just be overkill/compete with the flavor profile.

Overall, incredibly flavorful with intense projections in the nose and the taste that don't have ready equals that come to mind. In looking at it? I guess it's an IPA..it's obviously pretty unconventional though. This will not sit well with everyone, and is really I think a beer drinker's beer at the end of the day. Balanced and uniquely crafted.

91.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 14:50:59 | More by Crossmd

minterro

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'll preface my 100th rating with this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIp3rubYr0c

In my pursuit to find the perfect beer for my 100th rating I found myself at Odaes Big Ten Store in Lansing, MI. And this beer was suggested by the stoner cashier. Very humorous label example: “contains explicit adult material”. Along with the funnies the label contains a quote from our beloved beer advocate. I was originally going to rate Cream Brulee for my 100th but, this beer was calling to me. Not only is this beer a better representative of “my kind of beer” but its also 10.0% abv.

A & S: not super powerful scent but it’s a mix of floral and piney hops. With hints of alcohol, with a faint bready smell. The beer pours with a thick, fizzy, tan head. Leaves a lagging lacing, where that falls back into the beer after a few seconds. The beer is a classic IPA copper colored beer.

T & M: very warming feeling while drinking it. Powerful but not super hoppy. Huge malty background, with hints of rye (I was expecting a bit more) and citrus. The 10% is present but, not overpowering. I was expecting more of a hop bomb, but its was still very pleasant to drink like a dogfish head 90. Unlike dogfish head its quite pleasantly bitter and maybe a bit winey in the finish. Smooth but, crisp beer, with a full body (when warmed), medium to low carbonation.

O: I can’t complain as far as beers go. I’m wondering if the 'Cream Brulee' would have been a better pick, but I’m certainly not disappointed.

Anyways, while i was rating this beer I was looking back and thinking about the amount of time I spend rating beer. It probably takes me between 30 mins to an hour to rate a beer, thats like 75 hours I've spend rating beers, thats like over 3 days. At first I was like this is a huge waste of time, but then I really couldnt think of what i rather be doing. SO CHEERS! LONG LIVE BEER ADVOCATE!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:47:35 | More by minterro