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HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A

HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A - Imperial/Double IPA

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 Percentile 
96
overall
Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA

San Francisco, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
6283.73/5.03.72/5.0Special10%74Snifter, Tulip
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
Contract brewed for Schmaltz Brewing Company. Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the death of Lenny Bruce: A Rye based double IPA. Brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops. Shocking flavors - Far beyond contemporary community standards. The Most Radical Jewish Tribute Beer ever created. 10% alc. -- Malts: 2-row, Rye Ale Malt, Torrified Rye, Crystal Rye 75, Crystal Malt 65, Wheat, Kiln Amber, Caramel 70 -- Hops: Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Crystal, Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial. Dry Hopped with Amarillo and Crystal
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
kangaroo (7), Everett, Washington, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A does not count
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/102/512/20
Nov 9, 2009  
Great rye aroma and taste. Like drinking a rye crisp cracker, but in a good way. The finish had a little too much alcohol in it. Nice foamy and clingy lacing helped distract me from the finish though. Lacing tended to clump into marine animal shapes such as a fish, octopus, and a hippopotamus. Overall a good beer. My first time trying a rye beer and quite memorable.


 Nena (120), Seattle, Washington, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/517/20
Nov 8, 2009    Updated: Nov 9, 2009
Pours copper with a big white head. Aroma is rye malt and a little brown sugar sweetness, with a touch of citrus hops. The malt is definitely more noticable on the aroma than the hopping. This beer has a very prominent rye flavor up front, which reminds me of rye crackers specifically, and finishes with citrus hops and warm alcohol burn. This is definitely very malty for an IPA, but I definitely don’t object to that in a rye based beer. My only complaint is that the alcohol hits a bit hard at the end, but overall it’s well masked for a 10% beer.


 TipsyMcStager (900), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/515/20
Nov 6, 2009  
Pours red-copper with a thick head. hoppy aroma. Heavy malt with strong hop flavour. Bitter piney finish.


Grizzle (44), Lawrence, Kansas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/515/20
Nov 3, 2009  
1 pt., 6 oz. -> Snifter. A tribute beer to Lenny Bruce, eh? Pours the color of watered-down, sold-your-soul Coca-Cola, with a nice cream head, which dissipates quick. The lacing is nice, making rings where I pause between drinks. Smells of rye, vinegar (appropriately enough), cranberries, citrus, and chocolate, in relative reducing strength. Not as hoppy smelling as I would expect from an IIPA. Flavor starts sweet with the malts, but rolls so smoothly to finish with a bit of a citrus-y bite on the top of the tongue and the back of the throat. Still not as hop-strong as I would expect from an IIPA. Maybe not the best example of a Rye malt IIPA (try Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye Ale as a good example), but certainly not a bad beer. Hell, I may have to side with Mr. Bruce on this one: "’Life’ is a four letter word." In deed, it is.


washoppinin (19), Florida, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
Oct 30, 2009  
Great price to quality ratio. The 10% is masked by the great balance of hops and malts. Great piney finish.


 SamGamgee (1396), Santa Cruz (La Selva), California, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/512/20
Oct 23, 2009  
22oz bottle. Dark red-orange with a lasting off-white head. Grapefruity and pungent, spicy hops fight with alcohol, and sweet caramel in the aroma. The flavor is malty and sweet with a light spicy rye touch and some caramel, balanced by a strong and lightly astringent bitterness. Hop flavor is a little fruity and pretty spicy, but is lost in the malt for the most part. Full bodied with nice, medium carbonation. A bit harsh up front, with apparent alcohol and astingency, but smooths out toward the end of the glass, perhaps due to the 10% abv. I’d definitely give it another go if offered, but not a beer I would buy again.


 zdk (188), New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/58/104/517/20
Oct 7, 2009  
I drank this over the summer but forgot to rate it. I do remember really liking the balance between the rye and bitter hops. Overall has a great, big malt taste that supported by big hops. A fitting tribute to Lenny Bruce.


 keith0718 (157), Olathe, Kansas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/58/20
Oct 7, 2009  
Bottle. Noticeably viscous when pouring. Beautiful, thick, creamy head. Goes down like heavy, liquid bread. Reminiscent of barley wines I’ve had. Quite hoppy. Too rich for me.



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