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

Deep copper pour with off-white creamy head. Initial smell is dominated by malt, hops are there as well but don’t play the dominate role. A bit of alcohol also tries to make its presence known. Flavor is Big. Massive malt flavors. Lots of carmel and a little spice. The hops are equally as big. The big bitterness compliments the malt nicely. The hops bring some florals and pine to the flavor. Nice full mouthfeel. Bitter finish with some heat.

Shared with KAggie97. Visually it looks more like an Abbey than a DIPA...but still nice. Nice lacing. Aroms is more malt than hops to me. Flavor is rich malts as well as a good hop bitterness to balance it out a bit. I get the Rye, but not sure it really fits in. Hop choice is fantastic, which probably gives it a few extra points in my ranking.

Another over-the-top DIPA, more malt tasted with hop bitterness right behind it. Drinkable but not very tasty.

Rating based on this actually being an American Strong Ale, nothing about this screams IPA, let alone IIPA. Pours a deep amer color with big fat white foam that has good retention and great lacing. Aroma is a lot of malt with some nice piney hops shining through. Flavor is a whole lotta crystal malt, nice bitterness cutting through the sweetness in the finish, the rye is more and more noticeable as you go. A damn near perfect alliance of malt and hops. Very smooth for the 10%abv. Really can’t understand why they would call it a IIPA, to me this is everything Arrogant Bastard wishes it could be. As a side note, why the F did I have to go to CA to get a beer brewed in NY when I live 4 hours away from the brewery????????? Damn, sometimes I really hate Pittsburgh.

Clear ruby copper body with a large creamy tan head. Sweet caramel, rum soaked fruit and a bit of alcohol in the aroma with a bit of floral and citrus hops. Strong earthy bitter flavor with lots of caramel and molassas and some rum-soaked fruit.

Pours out dark copper with a fluffy white head. Nice hoppy aroma, very floral with a nice hint of malt. Taste is very hoppy, but nicely balanced by a lot of roasted malt. I don’t know if you have a well balanced hop bomb, but this could be it.

Pour: amber orange with floating sediment. Head: creamy offwhite laces a little. Aroma: sweet, hoppy, tart, some floral, some citrus but not as much. Flavor: waxy at the back of the throat, bitter, hoppy, malty. Palate: lively. Finish: warm and wax.

Nose of spruce, caramel & berries. Pours a clear sparkling copper. The brew’s cascade resolves into a huge fully lasting off white creamy & rocky head with wicked lace. The flavor is exceptionally complex with very good balance. The huge bitter profile is impossible to ignore despite the balance and depth however; and is especially prominent of course in the superb finish. The full body is soft & creamy, the finish feels dry. Very nice.