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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A hop bomb, aged 2 years I think. The rye starts sweetish and then becomes too much. Not overally drinkable.Hops: Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Crystal, Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial
Dry Hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo and Crystal.
Thick and rich looking,mouthfeel is, hoppy aromas that are indistinguishable.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 19:31:03 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

"I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: what I'm going to be if I grow up."

--Lenny Bruce

Polished persimmon with an infusion of pomegranate juice. Four full fingers of foam were produced on the pour and overflowed the glass, despite my frantic attempts to corral it. Once it finally fades, the whipped marshmallow creamy cap blankets the drinking vessel with loads of lace.

Barrel-aged or not, an American DIPA needs to be more hoppy than this. Especially since this brew hasn't even reached its 4 month anniversary yet. The same problem is present in the standard Bittersweet Lenny's, but it seems even worse here. Rye whiskey is front and center, which means the brewers must have used some pretty leaky barrels.

Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. On Rye is probably best thought of as a big, bold, hoppy rye beer. In that context, it's a semi-success. The fact that a killer lineup of little green cones (Simcoe, Warrior, Cascade, Crystal, Chinook, Amarillo and Centennial) provides much more bitterness than flavor is disappointing.

If you don't enjoy the earthy spicy power of rye whiskey, then steer clear of this brew because it dominates a flavor profile that also includes sticky toffee pudding and orange peel macerated in Stolichnaya. A 10.0% ABV this soon after bottling can only be masked so well. This stuff will definitely warm your cockles.

The mouthfeel with be a treat for those of you who like full, lush, lip-sticky American big beer. Somewhat shy bubbles that still provide plenty of creaminess are just what the doctor ordered.

In the final reckoning, aging Bittersweet Lenny's in Sazerac Rye Whiskey barrels doesn't transform it into something amazing, but it does add another flavor element to a better than decent big beer. I'm still disappointed by the lack of hop flavor in both of these He'Brew brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 13:34:06 | More by BuckeyeNation

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.73/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Served up an opaque, dark, deep amber body with an inch or so of bubbly, light beige foam.

Smell: Looking forward to this one! Caramel cubes layered with a jolting, frown-inducing medicinal, band-aid-riddled phenolic scent. Some earthiness, some booze, but I'm rather done smelling it for now. Well, I WAS looking forward to it.

Taste: Toasty, caramel candy-coated malts with a modest sweetness. That zippy, spicy rye component still remains, as does the citrusy hops and bitterness. As you get into it, there's this odd, off-putting phenolic acetone flavor leaking in from the aroma. I must say, it really spoils the whole proceedings. Bitterish, sourish finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Not altogether pleasant. Sorry, He'Brew, but the thumb points down on this one. I'll be sticking to the standard R.I.P.A. in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2010 00:56:40 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

I love me some rye beers,highly hopped rye beers even more,I have never had a rye beer like this in its intensity of flavor before.Poured a deep bronze color with a tight formed one finger white head,almost creamy in nature it left one ring of lace as it settled very slowly.Big fruity esters in the nose, along with some pine resin,herbal sharpness,and a big whiff of sweet alcohol.A lush mouthfeel again almost creamy in texture coats the mouth,flavors are deeply fruity with an acidic-like sharpness from the rye,its quite boozy as well,a resiny/pine note comes in the finish.Its boozy and a little hot so its not a real drinkable beer but its got great sipping quality,its massive and complex on the palate.I liked it more than most.

The rye whiskey barrels provide an assertive oakiness as the beer warms and I drink more.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2010 19:12:58 | More by oberon

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bman1113vr for sharing this bottle.

Batch 001. Bottled 4/9/10. The beer pours a hazy brown-orange color with a white head. The aroma is piney hops with some rye notes. The flavor is chocolate, rye, toffee and piney hops. Medium bitterness. The alcohol is right up front and is very hot. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 00:11:57 | More by Mora2000

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle...a welcoming, and surprising find on the shelves of a worthy supplier of fine beers to the denizens of, or visitors to, Cowtown, Alberta...

This beer pours a clear red-tinted copper penny hue, with two fingers of thick, rocky off-white head, which leaves a seldom-broken wall of sticky lace around the glass as it casually settles. It smells of bourbon, topping some strong, but smothered citrus and pine hops, with the underlying caramel malt still poking through, complementing the typical sweet barrel characteristics. The taste is sweet caramel toffee, more woody, rye spice laden, bourbon cask representin', whisky notes, some Grand Marnier orange essence, and a rather subsumed, but still worth mentioning, big-ass pine and citrus hop bitter underbelly. The carbonation is there, but well hidden, soft in its rendition, the body hefty, full, creamy, and sticky. It finishes still ridiculously sweet, the bourbon barrel and base malt equally guilty - the big booze can only attenuate things so much.

A slower drinking affair than I have become used to with He'brew's offerings - the astringent Kentucky barrel slowing things down considerably for me. Different enough from the regular RIPA offering to make me appreciative of the delta, and drinkable as the boozy, dense nature can allow. Neat, but still inferior in its attempt at further uniqueness compared to their regular RIPA, and losing significant points in the lack of standard big IPA hop forwardness.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 02:22:22 | More by biboergosum

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a burgundy color with good carbonation and a nice dirty white head

S: Vanilla, bourbon rye and booze

T: Starts with booze, vanilla and rye with bourbon, caramel

M: Rather thinnner than I expected. Booze sting with vanilla and caramel on the palate, leaves a booze and alcohol feel on the throat

D: Good. Worth a try and good brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 01:34:24 | More by barleywinefiend

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I was excited for this when I first saw it, Lenny's RIPA is a really good beer, and I love rye whisky, so hopefully the low rating is a misunderstanding with the beer.

A: Pours a large 3 finger head in my oversized tulip/snifter glass with fluffy semi quickly fading head. It's a clear copper reddish slight wood brown color.

N: Mostly a DIPA on the nose. Lots of thick malts and hops, chewy sweet hops with some earthy tones, little citrus and bitterness, and the malts are lots of sweet pale malts with hints of a darker malt. Some rye as well with little spicy fruity quality from it. I do get some woody esthers and a little oak, touch of a whisky aroma. As it warms it starts to get more of a bourbon aroma actually, with some barrel aromas.

T: Starts heavy as well, with quite a few malts at first. Thick and pretty sweet, mostly lots of pale malts but a little darker malt like crystal. Then come hops and bitterness. Quite a bit of bittering hops, earthy and chewy hops, but no real hop distinctive flavors. Again with the rye too, lots of spicy rye and a little fruit. The beer has a creamy almost oxidized aged taste to it. WIth that comes a warming booze, touch of alcohol tingly feel, and some whisky flavors, rye whisky (I just had Sazerac Rye Whisky - aka Baby Saz - to make sure I knew the flavor). There are some woody esters, but not a lot of oak and no vanilla. A strange hoppy and malty blend, with some interesting and unique flavors. Some bourbon flavors start to come out as it warms with a little bit of a barrel flavor.

M: Med body with tons of carbonation.

F: Still pretty bitter, with lots of bittering hops, but again not much distinctive hop flavor. Some earthy, chewy, and spicy hops if anything. More sweetness as well, which it dries a bit but not that much. Lots of lingering booze and warmth, as well as a little alcohol burn. Lots of rye on the finish as well, with a slight whisky flavor, but more spicy fruity rye flavors. The finish has quite a bit of that woody ester taste too, but again no real oak. I think the whisky took most of the oak flavor from the barrels. A little sticky sweetness residual sugar as well. The rye adds a bit of bitterness as well on the finish. It has a really heavy alcohol bite, a very slow drinking beer. I think it could have benefited from dropping the abv quite a bit. The barrel aging gave it a slight oxidized and aged taste, which doesn't usually benefit a DIPA as much as say a Barleywine or RIS.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 00:45:41 | More by jlindros

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/02/11 notes. Brought to a local tasting by nimbleprop; thanks Mac. 22 oz. bottle.

a - Pours an amber color with high carbonation evident and frothy white head.

s - Smells of rye, oak, wheat, bourbon, caramel malts, and light fruit.

t - Tastes of rye, caramel malts, dark fruits, bourbon, and oak.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - A very nice barrel aged beer. Lots of nice oak and bourbon in the smell, I reall liked this one. Would like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 04:00:03 | More by mdfb79

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased somewhere at Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA. Label notes Batch/Cases: 001/469, bottling date 4/9/2010.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a1" beige head over the clear copper brew. Dense head lasts nicely, with prevalent lasting lacing. Aroma is sweet and boozy, hops are shouted down a bit.

Taste starts with oaky maltiness, bitter in the middle, and closes with some serious warmth and lingering numbness. Mouthfeel is smoother than I would expect, and drinkability is good for the abv. An enjoyable sipper.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 00:58:14 | More by ppoitras

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.2/5  rDev -43.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark orange and relatively flat pour. Aroma was lots of alcohol, but not much in the way of rye. Didn't have the whiskey aroma, it was just pure alcohol heat for the most part, covering up any hop qualities in a significant manner.

Taste, lots of alcohol and bitterness. Where's the hops. Tastes a lot more like old coast ale instead of a dipa. I don't understand this beer in the least. Tastes like a boilermaker, at best.

The beer is a failure in the dipa department for me. It doesn't smell like hops, it doesn't have hop flavor. As for the barrel characteristics, its not pleasant, rather hot and boozy.

I've never been a big fan of this brewery, and this is probably the worst of the worst. Who thinks when buying a dipa with that list of hop additions, that they're going to end up with a subpar, undercarbonated old ale?

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 18:05:42 | More by Beerandraiderfan

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.55/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Ledgers Liquors in Berkeley, brought back to Sydney and cracked open with my bro @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a very thick and heavy deep reddish amber, with a yellowish white head of creamy foam. Good lacing, and the body looks incredibly heavy. Lovely static carbonation. Really quite wonderful. Head could be fuller, but otherwise, it's practically perfect.

Nose is lovely - big and rich hoppy notes, almost as though they've been compressed to a singularity and then smashed into a galaxy of flavour. But there are big sweet other notes, oak and coconut come through in abundance.

Taste is excellent as well. Big and sweet wood and coconut characters, with a huge welling of delicious fragrant hops that give a finishing bite to cleanse the palate. Slight spice on the back, with a slight alcohol heat. Mouthfeel is superb, slick and heavy without being too prickly. It's got such a weird bent on the heavy and aggressive DIPA style - masses of coconut and a really odd sweetness to balance everything.

Oh hell yes. This is what I love about American craft beer. There are such classic flavours all over this, but they are also twisted and battered into such original and unique forms. Superb.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 07:46:44 | More by lacqueredmouse

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at Max's during their BUnited International vs. Hebrew beers. I believe the owner/brewer were in attendance and they brought some special treats. This was one of them... the Lenny RIPA aged in rye whiskey barrels.

The beer pours a rich redish brown color with outstanding head retention and very impressive, sticky lacing. There is lots of malt and vanilla on the nose, with a hint of citrusy bitterness. On the palate the flavors are amazing. It starts with chocolate and baked apple, but then comes a huge tidal wave of hoppy bitterness on the finish. The bitterness cuts the sweetness and helps with drinkability, though the high alcohol is noticeable, making it difficult to drink too much of this. There is a huge presence in the mouth, though the beer is not the least bit heavy or syrupy. Considering all the rich sweet malt in this beer, that's no mean feat.

This huge rye beer was the most impressive beer I sampled at the Tuesday Night Social at Max's. I was able to get a growler fill from Casey at Max's, and so was able to share it with some chums at a BA X-mas party the next night, where it was quite well received. A very fine beer from Schmaltz brewing. L'Chaim!

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2007 18:34:34 | More by johnmichaelsen

glid02

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Not 100% sure I shouldn't start a new listing but let's go with it. Lenny's aged in rye whiskey barrels for quite a while (three years I believe I was told).

Pours a cloudy brownish-red color with a half-finger tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of tart fruits - currants and apricots - with a solid earthiness backed by sticky caramel malts. Very unexpected.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Well-integrated caramel malt flavors segue seamlessly into sugar-coated tart fruit flavors. It's got the sourness that I would expect from a mix of a mildly tart American Wild and a normal Lenny's, however it tastes so much better than that description would indicate. The tart fruit flavors stick around before fading away into a clean ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a solid thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could have a few more.

Overall I was planning on sampling this but after being handed a sip I ordered one right away. I'm not sure how the extended aging on rye had this effect on the beer but I'm impressed nonetheless. A sour IPA if ever there was.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2009 02:51:23 | More by glid02

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aged in 6 year rye whiskey barrels (and boy does it show). Batch 001/469 cases. Bottled on 4/9/10. Consumed 7/22/10.

A: A flat burgundy pour with sunset orange highlights produces a beige colored and whipped frothy head that was moderately lasting but left a ton of splashy deposits for a lacing. Visible carbonation was feverishly strong and dense with a fairly good clarity.

S: Strong notes of whiskey are evident on the first impression. Unfortunately it was the only thing perhaps masking any hoppiness that may have been intended or could have been there. Dry, and boozy best sums up this limited spectrum of aroma.

T: Again strong whiskey notes are evident in the flavor, dry, slightly boozy but maybe not so much for its 10.0%abv. The rye whiskey barrel aging seems to have taken over/control here hindering any of the hoppiness and individual character that I found so good in their original RIPA offering. The beer boasts hops of warrior, cascade, simcoe, crystal, chinook, amarillo and centennial while dry hopped with simcoe, amarillo, and crystal. Unfortunately as the saying goes, to many spices spoil the soup which is the case here. None of the individual character of the hops were allowed to stand out, with the exception of maybe the Chinook hops which provided some bitter grapefruit and citrus notes deep beneath the boozy nature. All the hop flavors got homogenized into one bland concoction that was overshadowed anyway by a boozy nature of whiskey. A toasty dryness on the finish is vaguely highlighted by a light peppery and dry rye spiciness but overall I feel the contribution of all these hops just muted each other out and were a waste to the beer.

M: Crisp bubbly hold with an edgy texture. Malty, dry and boozy providing for a good warmth of whiskey on the fade that lingers about.

D: Dry and boozy, not the hop bomb I was expecting, instead got a pitcher of stong ale with a shot of whiskey dropped in it. More suited perhaps for the chilly fall weather then the summertime heat wave that I originally drank this in. A little over the top drinkability wise but manageable in slow moderation.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 22:57:13 | More by beerthulhu

largadeer

Kentucky

2.42/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This was shared by someone...chswimmer maybe? I can't remember. Oh well, thanks, whoever you are.

Pristine clear burnished amber, the color is beautiful but it looks oddly filtered. It's topped by a small off-white head. Very clean and refined appearance.

It has an oxidized hop aroma. Spicy rye and pine, almost cheesy, like an extra-sharp pecorino romano. This is stale-smelling. There's some whiskey aroma, but not a ton...makes me think of whiskey soaked pine needles. Strange.

Caramel malt and whiskey flavors hit the palate first, followed by strong pine that eventually turns into a firm bitterness. It has some rye spiciness and a bit of whiskey heat, but it's not overwhelming in any way. Quite muddled overall, I dislike the interplay between the barrel and the stale hop flavor. This may have turned out good with more time in the barrel, or if it simply had a more robust barrel character. As it stands, it's mediocre.

I remember enjoying this beer when I had it on tap at Toronado last year, but this bottle didn't live up to that memory at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 06:12:29 | More by largadeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, oaky, bourbon, hops and hints of rye. In the taste, whiskey, oak, rye, and a mellow hop. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry oaky bourbon in the aftertaste. Almost too much bourbon, quite nice but a bit too boozy.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 21:10:51 | More by OWSLEY069

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: half finger head on a clear amber and crimson body. Excellent lacing.

S: sweet caramel malts and citrus. Relatively mild on the nose.

T: very malty. Candied citrus, floral and herbal hops. A little boozy.

M: medium body ad moderate carbonation.

Overall: very malty IPA approaching barleywine status. ABV and booze hurt drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 03:14:43 | More by kylehay2004

tpd975

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one one draft at Dunderback's in Tampa.

A: Nice amber hue with average head. Nice cap with beautiful lacing.

S: Tons of spicey rye with definite notes of whiskey barrel ageing. Oak, vanilla, on whiskey goodness. A brew that really makes you wanna drink it.

T: Wow what a beer. Think wonderful spicy rye IPA with just a perfect amount of whiskey. There is pleny of malt pushing thru as well. Perfect balance betwwen hops malt, and barrel ageing.

M: Medium body and ohh soo smooth.

D: Very nice. I really enjoyed it.

Overall: A once in a lifetime beer. I am glad to have had a chance to sample it. They started wtih a wonderful IPA and the barrel ageing put it out of this world. Very good!

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2008 16:27:55 | More by tpd975

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.13/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sampled at the Extreme Beer Fest on 2/15/2008: Pine, cirtus, and whiskey were the most notable flavors. I didn't get any rye. Mostly, the whiskey was too overpowering in this beer.
Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Flavor: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 13/20
3.2/5

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2008 21:42:20 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Thirstybird for sharing. Batch 1 out of 469 cases. Bottled on 4/9/2010. Poured a deep, translucent amber with a dense, one inch, frothy head. Nose reveals coconut, caramel and candy corns. Taste is sweet up-front with the coconut carrying over to the flavor profile and some bittering hops coming out at the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium in consistency with a lively effervescence. This is a really interesting and complex brew - not really a characteristic DIPA; however, really tasty and has piqued my interest with this brewery. That being said, this beer is best split amongst three or four.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 02:04:34 | More by Jwale73

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. BATCH/CASES is No. 001/469, whatever that means. Bottled 4/9/2010.

4.0 A: Clear mahogany color. Two and a half fingers of off-white frothy/creamy hybrid head. Good retention and moderate lacing.

3.5 S: I dunno about the IPA part of this. Hops are minimal. Slight herbalness if anything. The rye, however, is very nice both in the malt and the whiskey. Rye earthiness comes through well. The booziness of the rye whiskey and associated leatheriness is found in a perfect proportion. However, that's about it. Like I said, the hops aren't there and the remaining barleywine is pretty neutral aside from a bit of toffee and caramel.

3.5 T: Eh, it's okay, but nothing special. Again, the whiskey part is in perfect proportion. Leather, earthy spiciness, oak, and a nice booziness from that. However, the base beer again disappoints. No hop flavor, but balancing soft bitterness exists. Some toffee and caramel. Slight, but only slight butteriness. Maybe the whiskey is covering up some of the subtleties in the beer, but if that's the case, then they had no business putting it in a barrel in the first place.

4.0 M: Medium body. Slightly more than moderate carbonation, it could use a bit less. Reasonably creamy and warming on finish. Not bad here.

3.5 D: Not too bad and definitely worth a try, but this one didn't wow me.

EDIT: Changing the drinkability score, it gets better as you get through the whole bomber.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 03:03:36 | More by DavoleBomb

maximum12

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hadn't seen this at all around the Twin Cities until recently & picked up a bottle since it has two of my favorite ingredients: rye & rye. Sounds like a winner before the cap pops. Neck notes "Case 1 of 469". Interesting. Shared with my wife after my third softball game in two nights. I can feel that in a variety of places.

Before I even take a sip my wife makes an obscene exclamation of delight; guess she likes it. Pours on the amber end of the IIPA spectrum, fairly clear but not see-through. In the nose one can pick out distinctly both the rye barrel & rye malts, which is really cool. Both pack a good-Indian restaurant kind of spicey-vibe. Nice. The hops are subdued in the rye whirlpool.

R.I.P.A. should get more respect than it does, IMHO. Is this nationally distributed? With the barrel-aged craze, one would think this would be getting a lot of air play. THIS is what I thought I was getting with Boulevard's Rye-on-Rye, which proved good but a touch bland. Let this one warm a bit for full 3-D.

This beer is ryed all the way into my third eye, reaching up into my throat. Spicy rye burns all the way down my throat, the sensation ending right in my sternum. Yeehaa! There's nothing standard about the barrel-aging here, it's subtle, sweet, oak-laced vanilla that tries & fails to stop the lava tracks of the rye malts. The hops, or what's left of them two-plus months after brewing, are plunged into the background, providing a flare of bitterness that twines really nicely around the spiciness, giving it a depth of character one usually only sees in Asia Carrera's performances.

And after all that gushing, this is a drinker. I could have happily & easily done 22 oz. & then some by myself. My half is well over half gone in the past few minutes I've been writing this; it might take me fifty minutes to put away the average big beer, this one'll be lucky to see fifteen.

Excellent beer. That's two fantastic, unexpected surprises from a brewery that I know next to nothing about. I will be making a trip in the next couple of days (on my wife's orders, I'm sure) to secure another couple bottles of this &, while I'm at it, I'll grab another bomber or two of their lineup. I'm sold.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 03:06:16 | More by maximum12

ehammond1

California

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle (2010)

Holiday Wine Cellar
Escondido, CA

(Aged for 1 year)

Deep and dark auburn with a huge, thick, persistent khaki colored head. Sheets of lacing smear the glass. This beer looks thick and substantial, not to mention gorgeous.

Incredibly aromatic and incredibly sweet. The initial aromas are of the tremendously sticky, diabetes-inducing sweet variety: maple syrup, toffee candies, melted caramel, and fruit cake. There's a rich vanilla and earth component, along with lots of rye/whiskey. Upon initial whiff, this seems far closer to a barrel-aged barleywine than it does a DIPA, granted, this one is pushing a year old now. There is little to no hop presence left.

More sweet flavors mimic the aromas. Maple syrup, toffee, caramel, and vanilla, along with a pleasant oak character. Moderate to high bitterness, though that's all that is really left from the hops it seems.

Thick, chewy, substantial mouthfeel. Some alcohol burn on the swallow.

An interesting rye-barrel aged DIPA, though it completely falls away from anything remotely near style. It's more of a barleywine than it is a DIPA, especially at this age, though I don't get the impression this beer was much different a year ago. This beer becomes more and more enjoyable as it warms, though it's a tough bomber to tackle on one's own.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 00:51:16 | More by ehammond1

emmasdad

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

As a fan of both rye whiskey and Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA, I've been quite excited to try this one. It pours into the glass a nice medium copper brown color, with a huge, rocky, 3 finger tan head. This one has a nice spicy rye aroma, along with toffee, oak and brown sugar; as it warms the booze really comes out. Flavors of wood, vanilla, toffee and maybe mint, along with suggestions of grapefruit and citrusy hops. The barrel aging has worked pretty well here, balancing the base beer nicely.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 03:50:43 | More by emmasdad