Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.

Shmaltz Brewing Co.
Saratoga Springs, NY

Available: CA, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MD, DC, DE, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, PA, TN, VA, WA, WI

“Brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops,” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of satirist and comedian Lenny Bruce, featuring “Shocking flavors—far beyond contemporary community standards.”

Alcohol (vol.): 10
Color: n/a
Bitterness: 85
Original Gravity: 23 p
Final gravity: 5.3 p
Malts used: 2-row, Rye Ale Malt, Torrified Rye, Crystal Rye 75, Crystal Malt 65, Wheat, Kiln Amber, Caramel 70
Hops used: Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Crystal, Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial. Dry Hopped with Amarillo and Crystal

Somehow I can’t imagine Lenny Bruce was an ale drinker, but let’s salute this tribute to him. It has a red-bronze color and an inviting aroma of rye, dried fruits and Dundee cake. It is truly bittersweet in the mouth, with hops forming a bitter base but with fruit and ripe malt on top. The finish has enormous length with rich sultana fruit, fresh tobacco, chewy rye and tangy, bitter hops. Some beer—but a Jewish India Pale Ale?
- Roger Protz

This beer’s sweet-talkin’ head emits eloquent aromatics, but definitely not with any of Lenny Bruce’s legendary obscenities. Thick and generous with fine deep color, the rye malt adds an interesting dimension. What a fine beer this is, and it grows in the glass. I was a Lenny Bruce fan. You couldn’t ignore Lenny in his day, and we can’t ignore this wonderful brew! But there was no such in his time.
- Fred Eckhardt

Don’t you just love it when someone brews a really big beer—and then puts it in a really big bottle? It brings out the extreme in me. (I’m getting too old for skateboarding or triathalons.) This thick, creamy, chewy beer with notes of toffee, molasses, and nougat is balanced by dried spices, hop bitterness, and just the right dose of fruit. For best drinkability and flavor, enjoy it at cellar temperature.
- John Hansell

Roger Protz
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

Fred Eckhardt
Fred Eckhardt lives, writes about and drinks beer in Portland, OR. He is the author of The Essentials of Beer and Sake (USA).

John Hansell
John Hansell is an equal-opportunity drinker. He writes about beer, wine and spirits. He is the creator, publisher & editor of Malt Advocate, a magazine for the whisky enthusiast.

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