I've never loved rye beer a whole heck of a lot. I've mentioned it here and here, but there was a brewery in Pictou NS that made a rye ale that was a bit too much like drinking bark: rough and heavy. I don't much like the dark bread version or the hard liquor one either. But I live in hope and take the sharing of this Georgian brew by Jonathon of Georgia's Monday Night Brewing as a seal of approval.
The beer pours an interestingly bronzed orange with a white head that resolves to sheeting cling and foam. A bit of marmalade from the hops when you take a sniff. On the tug, there is a nothing heavy, nothing bar-like. The rye sits in with the twiggy hops giving a rustic edge without reminding you of Deliverance. Plenty of grainy textures along with raisin malts as well as a variety of hop effects: twig, grapefruit and mint. Solid BAer approval.
Comments
MSS - June 29, 2008 7:21 pm
Can you get Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye?
Not typical of the Rye style (if there can be said to be such a thing), but I suppose if you can't like Hop Rod, there would be little hope for you and rye beers!
Years ago local brewer Pizza Port Solana did a Smokey the Rye. Oh, my, is that memorable, even though they have never done it again. It was kind of crazy, sort of a rye ale brewed to a hefeweizen recipe, and, of course, some smoked malt (or smoked rye, I suppose). Amazing. Though it could have used more rye.
Did I mention I like rye beers?
Ethan - June 30, 2008 2:18 pm
I second the "I like rye," and double-secret-second the Hop Rod:
Best. Rye. Beer. I. Didn't. Make.
Of the last 20 beers I've made, about 18 of them have had some amount & type of rye in them. From seriously RYE! (like 25% of grain bill) to added as a touch/just for color (.5 oz of Chocolate Rye, e.g.), it's been my grain of experimental choice for a while now.
Wish I could have a Terrepin, too... it does get lots of BA love- and the Zymurgy BJCP panel liked it, too!
joel - July 1, 2008 1:37 pm
I recently did some comparisons with this against various pale ales and then some other rye beers. I really sarted to enjoy it more and more. Definately not as good as Founders Red's Rye but still a great summer beer.