Ruthless Rye by Sierra Nevada
Available at Wise Guys in 6 pks for $8.49 and 12 pks for $14.99
Beer Style: Rye IPA – IPA or India Pale Ales are beers that focus on bitterness and hop profile. Originally made with extra hops to withstand long sailing trips they have evolved into a “cult” beer style in the USA with many breweries producing them. The Rye IPA has the traditional IPS ingredients with Rye additions. Rye adds spiciness and seems to intensify the flavor producing a heartier ale.
Appearance: Copper in color with a relatively small head, 1⁄4 inch a most. Excellent lacing.
Smell: Malt, rye, hops, faint grapefruit
Taste: Light grapefruit, solid malt, caramel, pine, pepper, very dry floral, and spicy finish
Mouth-feel: Creamy with medium body
Overall: This brew has a nice complement of hops, bitterness, and rye taste attributes. The malt profile is also spot on for the style, making this a well-balanced rye IPA. That is not always the case with this style...many are unbalanced or the rye flavors dominate. This one is benchmark for this style. This beer is a late winter release so it is not available year round (that’s too bad). For the craft beer drinker that may be getting “bored” with the same old IPAs...This is an excellent change of pace beer.
Cheers,
Beer Guy