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

Aroma is a big dose of malts and hops intermeshed and standing stroung. Body is amber in readily develops a firm thumb thick tan head even in a wine glass. Fore is a luscious dollop of sweet malt and then the toungue is jumped and brutally beaten into submission with hops. A hop heads ideal beer, but woefully out of balance to my palate.

I’m not sure if I care for the name of this brew. On tap at the Vintage Estates Wine & Beer. Pour has a big big foamy head. It eventually settles to one eighth inch tan head. Clear orangish color. It has an aroma that is strongish, like you better get ready for what is coming. The flavor is quite hoppy bitter, like a tremendous amount of grapefruit peels being chewed in my mouth. You can taste the alky - overwelming malty and hoppy. However, this lacks some of the hoppyness I was expecting for a double IPA. Not real impressed with this brew but I never was an IPA lover. Has a little carbonation that I am thankful for. This rye based IPA seems more malty than hoppish. This is overall more than my delicate girlie taste buds can handle.

Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark caramel-orange colro wtih a huge orange-beige head. The aroma was dry floral hops and light sour malts. The flavor was dry, bitter and fruity hops with a light piney hops, chocolate, caramel, spice and pineapple underneath. The finish was long and bitter with notes of grapefruit and pineapple. The mouthfeel was moderately thick. Well done.

Pours clear deep bronze with a decent sized tan head that gives very good lacing. Aroma has sturdy malt, sweetness, rye, dark woody hops and some light grapefruit citrus hops. Full bodied with lots of soft carbonation. The taste has lots of dark hoppy flavors, some fruitiness, very woody hops along with some dark malt that give a good amount of balance. The finish has a boatload of woody hops with some spiciness and rye. There is lingering dark fruits as well. There is a sweetness that goes throughout the taste that is not typical for the style, but it works for me with this one. Nicely done and unique IIPA.

Bottled. Deep amber coloured with a medium sized head. Malty and sweet with strong notes of hops and pine. Well balanced.

Bottle. Pours a ruby copper body with a small white head. Strong Ale-like aroma consisting of resinous grapefruit hops and dark sugar caramel. Bitter flavour with lots of bread astringency and alcohol. The finish is a tad rough due to the heat but there are some positive bitter rind flavours. Maybe a bit TOO over the top.

On tap at HDG. Deep dark reddish amber in color with a nice off white head that left a nice lacing on the glass. Grainy very hoppy aroma. Citrusy earthy hops. Orange and grapefruit. Hoppy and grainy flavor. Toffee caramel notes. Piney. Wow. Nice hop bite. Full bodied. Finish is dry. Well balanced. Very drinkable. Nice.

bottle - Pours slightly hazy copper with a thick head. It has a hop aroma that’s full of citrus. The rye malt comes through well in the flavor and of course we’re talking about a double IPA here, so there’s lots of hops bitterness. It’s full bodied and the high alcohol doesn’t really stand out.