Archive for the category “Rye”

11 Feb 2014

Sour in the Rye with Kumquats – The Bruery

bruery-sourrye-kumquats-bttl7.6% ABV
Purchased through The Bruery Provisions (25.4 oz. bottle) and poured into wine glasses.

This variation on Sour in the Rye was aged in oak barrels with kumquats, and it pours a muddy, peachy copper with a vaporous white head.  The somewhat perplexing aroma contains sour candy, a little vinegar, puckering citrus fruits, and oaky wine tannins.  Sour in the Rye with Kumquats has a surprisingly refreshing sourness given all of the elements in play, with the intense kumquat juiciness asserting itself on the second wave of flavor.  Oranges, lemon peels, and papayas are all present on the tongue in addition to the kumquats, and while the rye never emerges as an independent flavor, it does seem to have imbued the citrus flavors with an extra intensity.

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SourRye-Kumquats

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Posted in 4-5 Toasts, Beer Review, Rye, Sour Ale and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
26 Nov 2013
1 Comment

Groupe G Belgian RyePA – Headlands Brewing Co.

headlands37.6% ABV, 65 IBUs
Purchased at City Beer Store ($xx /16 oz. can) and poured into tulip glasses.

Groupe G pours a dirty orange with a mid-sized, pillow-y, off-white head.  Belgian aromas jump out of the can on the crack; in the glass, you get bubblegum, tropical fruit esters, banana, peach, a sharp spice bite, and hint of farmhouse funk.  The first swallow is beautiful – sweet tropical flavors of guava and berry play off the spice snap of the rye, and the hop bitterness is fairly restrained.  It gets more flower-y on subsequent swallows, almost like a Belgian hibiscus IPA with rye, while kumquat and bubblegum flavors come to dominate the finish.  This beer goes in a lot of different directions at once, but it’s all pretty cohesive and original, not to mention delicious.

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Headlands

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Posted in 3-4 Toasts, Beer Review, Belgian, Belgian IPA, Rye and tagged , , , , ,
14 Nov 2012
1 Comment

Rugbrød – The Bruery

8% ABV
Purchased at Pangaea Bottle Shoppe and poured into tulip glasses.

A “Julebryg-style Dark Rye Ale” from The Bruery, Rugbrod pours a pumpernickel-brown with a vaporous, sand-colored head.  The savory and intriguing nose contains sharp rye and bread-like malts, while peppery rye also plays off of bread notes on the tongue.  Rugbrod offers much of the same flavor and texture as dark rye bread, while remaining a rich and drinkable cold-weather brew.  Even more complex flavors – molasses, nuts, and subtle spice-rack herbs among them – begin to come through as the pour warms.  This year’s vintage has more palette-splitting rye and less molasses than previous versions, but a year or two of cellaring should tame the beer.

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Posted in Beer Review, Rye and tagged , , , ,
15 Oct 2012
1 Comment

Chocosaurus Rye – The Bruery/Bootlegger’s Brewery Collaboration

7% ABV
Purchased at The Bruery Provisions Store in Orange, CA ($10/25.4 oz. bottle) and poured into tulip glasses.

This “black rye lager” marks a collaboration between Placentia-based The Bruery and Fullterton’s Bootlegger’s Brewery, and it pours a squid ink black with a rapidly evaporating sandlewood-colored head. The enticing nose contains coffee grounds, vanilla beans, hard alcohol, and some rum cake, and the first swallow follows suit with plenty of alcohol-soaked chocolate and vanilla-flavored coffee. Significant chocolate syrup notes are present on the tongue, but the mouthfeel of Chocosaurus Rye is light and crisp, and it’s actually complemented well by the sharp rye finish. Ultimately, this brew is a curious experiment in tastes and textures – offering rich, syrupy flavors offset by lager lightness and the cleansing presence of rye on the retreat – but it’s not a brew that I would ever particularly crave

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Posted in Beer Review, Black Rye Lager, Lager, Rye and tagged , , , , ,

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