HeBrew Bittersweet Lennys R.I.P.A

A solid idea, I’ve always been fond of Hop Rod Rye and think american hops meet a fine complement when in touch with rye. Here, they went for the big showdown. Like 10 different types of malts and 10 different types of hops. And the result is amazingly ordinary. You need to pour very straight to obtain a minimal cover that fades out quickly enough. Dark orangey red coloured, totally clear. Strong crystal malts nose with lots of residual sugariness, fruit salad and syrupy notions. Syrupy indeed in mouth. For such a heavily filtered beer, the texture is of course syrupy, but not catastrophically hot. he chewiness seems natural enough and while the alcohol is present indeed, it does not dominate. The malts do however, more than the hops which procure a basic bitterness (sided by grapefruity aromatics) that still has ways to go before competing with the sugary malts. Limited rye influence, the shy spiciness might just as well originate from the hops. A testament to the pressure to go bigger.

it was good. Not really much rye, but a tad i guess. typical double with the malts balancing most of the hops out. It was big and complex though and the abv was nowhere to be found. overall a nice big beer. better than most doubles actually i thought.

bomber... simply wonderful....a true bargain for the price. this is kinda like a hybrid of a IIPA and a Barley Wine. Pours a deep red with a small white head. Wonderful floral hop aroma. Soft on the sides of the tongue, while intensely bitter from front to back. Thick chewy hoppy finish. I don’t pick up the rye in there too much. If you like hops, you will like this beer. Definitely will buy again.

On tap at the Plan B, West Hartford, CT. Deep amber body. Not much head by the time it got to me, but left nice lacing. Aroma of piney hops and some caramel. Flavor adds citrus hop notes to the pine and some toffee to the citrus, very hearty for any IPA, almost approaching an American strong ale at times. Generally average mouthfeel for the style, starts off pretty strong and lessens as time passes. As others have said, very unique for the style, I was impressed.

Rye huh? Well I don’t taste that, but I do tase a finely crafted rich DIPA with a complex hoppy mix and sweet malt underpinning. Big bold and beautiful, Lenny’s RIPA is a mouthfilling meal that tosses subtletly aside. Starting with resiny aroma and pouring a rich amber with a huge husky tan head, this brew is equal parts caramel maltiness and super hoppy jet engine bitterness, with a hint of black pepper. Most appealing is the thick resilient lacing. Well done! I’m coming back for more.

poured dark amber with a thick and lasting tan head. The rye really stands out in the nose. Strong malt character followed by a decent bit of hops in the flavor. A hint of dark fruit and some citrus. Finished thick with no evidence of the abv. Kind of like an IIPA turned on its head. More malt than bitter, but plenty of both. Different yet very nice.

wow. totally took me by surprise. really really good. a wonderful new take on a wonderful new kind of beer. so many DIPAs are similar in taste, this one just taste like itself. i am happy someone tried something new. please try this beer if youre a fan of this style.

Sampled during ABR ’07 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pours a dark copper amber brew with a creamy off-white head that has some good retention and lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel and crystal malt, some grapefruit and lime zest, with a touch of dark fruits. Taste is medium bodied, light carbonated with flavors of crystal malt and a strong, sweet grapefruit zest character flavor. Finish is semi-sweet and bitter that has a good balance of caramel malt and a lingering bitterness after the finish.