St. Lenny's
Shmaltz Brewing Company

St. Lenny'sSt. Lenny's
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From:
Shmaltz Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
10%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 11.14%
Reviews:
51
Ratings:
219
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 05, 2020
Added:
Aug 27, 2013
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  26
Collaboration with Cathedral Square Brewery

Belgian Style Double Rye India Pale Ale
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Photo of Tony210
Reviewed by Tony210 from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a fairly clear dark copper, minimal head. Big malty aroma, loads of brown sugar. Sweet but not cloying, very interesting beer. Very malty, lots of brown sugar, light caramel, hops and Belgian yeast flavors faded. I recall loving this beer when it was fresh so I bought way too much. Still tasty.

12/5/20
Bomber form prob 2013
4.25 rating
Dec 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.79 by Zaktcc from Maryland

Nov 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Feb 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by Imperialjake from North Carolina

Jan 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Whiskeydeez from Kansas

May 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Apr 18, 2016
Photo of Evilyak
Reviewed by Evilyak from Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
getting to this one well past its prime.

2014 edition, knocked back in 2016. all things considered, time has been kind to this brew.

reddish in color, with some head.

whatever they might have been going for just tasted boozy.
Apr 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.32 by 2ellas from New Hampshire

Mar 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by Dave2234 from Minnesota

Mar 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by drummerdwzp from Connecticut

Feb 16, 2016
Photo of threesignificantstarfish
Reviewed by threesignificantstarfish from Missouri

4.26/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Shmaltz Brew Co. has become a new years eve staple to share a pint between me and my brother when the clock strikes midnight. Every different one I try knocks me on my ass. And I love it. Thank you He'Brew!
Jan 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by MispeledStalion from Ohio

Dec 12, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by bgold86 from New York

Nov 01, 2015
Photo of Tilly
Reviewed by Tilly from Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
P: Clear reddish orange, whiskey colour with lasting slight beige head. Great lacing.
A: Malt, citrus, honey, Earthy hint of rye.
T: Wow, mallt, hops, mead,, plum, biscuit, slight citrus and slight rye.
M: Well balanced medium to full body, slight bitterness.
O: Kinda confussing mixture of tastes. Belgiun? IPA? ow about St. Lenny?
Great beer. Make more!
Oct 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by dradair from Missouri

Oct 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3.82 by dbean3 from Texas

Oct 09, 2015
Photo of bobhits
Reviewed by bobhits from Kentucky

4.14/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Firm pour yields about a quarter inch of head that retains (a lot more when it first poured). It did leave a nice lacing, determinately looks like it'll be sugary and rich. The body is red with orange tints, it's a nice color somewhere between a big red and a more traditional double IPA.

Brown sugar, raisens, plums, rum, pine, light citrus orange at the end. I barely get any belgian spice, a bit of rye here here. Reminds me of more the flavor profile you'll get on a less yeasty dubble.

The flavor builds on the aroma. A lot of raises, plumbs, and rum soaked brown sugars. The back end however brings out a nice bit of spice that complements the sugars and fruit, the beer then ends with a nice hoppy bitterness. Everything here is separate, broken up, but somehow all builds and plays on each other.

I have had some really poor beers from Shmaltz, but this one nailed it. Really good and highly recommended. I should take off a few notes for the religious stuff, but I won't even knock them for the horrible name. Oddly I'm thinking a bit of an arrogant bastard or a maharjie.
Oct 08, 2015
Photo of CHickman
Reviewed by CHickman from New York

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2014 Edition: Pours clear copper color with a massive 3 finger foamy tan head that was full of mostly tiny bubbles, fading very slowly and leaving great foamy rings as it went down

Smells of piney hops, grapefruit and rye up front, followed by lemon zest, candied sugar, Belgian yeast that's sweet not funky, fruity candy like gummy bears, brown sugar, weed or lettuce, dry floral hops and mild spices that fade and leave a sugary sweetness similar to a malty barleywine. It's a confusing nose, but it smells nice and sweet, almost fermented like the hop base of a DIPA turned and brought out more fruit.

Tastes like it smells but with more bready and fruity mixed in with the piney hops, grapefruit and rye up front. The sweetness is not cloying as the Belgian yeast kicks in right after the first wave of flavor with a slight funk, some chalky residue and grains that almost seem like granola sitting in yogurt; the grainy sweetness has brown sugar, cinnamon, rotting pear and grapes, tart green apple, bubblegum, pepper, rye and light coriander. Trailing hops release citrus and floral notes, ending with tea leaf and some toffee. Each sip is different and complex, with the spices and sweetness hiding that high ABV.

Mouthfeel is creamy and slick with a buttery feel, a medium body that borders on chewy and a finish that has some of the rye and hop spices, some grainy/bready sweetness and a touch of bitterness. It ends as confusing as it tastes and smelled, to me that's what made this fun, unpredictable and enjoyable.

A Belgian Style Double Rye India Pale Ale clocking in at 10% ABV that completely hides the alcohol taste. Indeed this was an Immaculate Collaboration since this beer was much better than I expected it to be, and the strong sweetness managed to work well overall. Not sure if it was all the hops or the Belgian yeast or the rye mixed in, but this turned out quite well.
Sep 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by jpd026 from New York

Sep 27, 2015
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2014 edition. Served in a Duvel tulip glass. Seems appropriate with a name like St. Lenny's.

Appearance: Clear coppery amber. Thin ring of persistent lt. tan foam at the edge of the glass, with a small island of foam in the middle of the glass. Some small islands and an occasional strand of lacing noted.

Smell: Orange citrus, a hint of toffee, rye, a hint of woodiness. Complex and interesting.

Taste: All sorts of flavors going on here but a bit jumbled up. Hard to pull them apart in the order I tasted them, but I got candi sugar, pine, citrus zest, tea with honey, rye, a barest hint of whisky and oak. Has a lingering bitterness that builds up over drinking the bottle.

Mouthfeel: Not as creamy smooth as the Lenny's RIPA, but nicely thick and definitely a bit sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: A very interesting take on a DIPA, but I think this beer is trying to do too much and so it doesn't quite work as a DIPA or even as a Belgian IPA. Maybe that's the point: a profane take on Belgian Abbey style ale that only Lenny Bruce would approve of? I had a bit of difficulty finishing off the whole bomber by myself due to the lingering buildup of bitterness that comes at the finish, but, I will give it points for being a very interesting beer. I certainly spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out all the flavors going on anyway. I wouldn't buy again, but I don't regret having it.
Sep 26, 2015
St. Lenny's from Shmaltz Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 219 ratings