Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
California, United States
sierranevada.com
Style: Rye Beer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.60%
Availability: Spring
Notes / Commercial Description:
Rugged and resilient, rye has been a staple grain for ages and its spicy black pepper-like flavor has been prized by distillers and brewers for centuries. Rye thrives in the harshest conditions and comes to life in Ruthless, a rugged IPA with fruity, citrus and herbal hop notes countered by the dry spiciness of the rye. Holding a steadfast balance between contrasting malt and hop character, Ruthless is bold enough to inspire even the most brazen hop head to bear down and embrace the flavor.
Added by kaseydad on 12-29-2011
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 5,183 | Reviews: 1,148
3.75/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.19/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a light amber in color with an abundant off white sticky head that has excellent retention and leaves copious amounts of side glass lace.
AROMA: Leads with some spicy Rye hops. Bread malts still very evident.
TASTE: Again spicy Rye, some grapefruit hops enter. Bread malts still there.
Liked this offering alot.
321 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a light amber in color with an abundant off white sticky head that has excellent retention and leaves copious amounts of side glass lace.
AROMA: Leads with some spicy Rye hops. Bread malts still very evident.
TASTE: Again spicy Rye, some grapefruit hops enter. Bread malts still there.
Liked this offering alot.
321 characters
3.54/5 rDev -9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.36/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very nice beer. Creamy head and somewhat complex. Taste? How about "tangy"! Has some snap to it and you do get a little bit of the rye flavors. A nice beer to pair with a sipper of bourbon.
194 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very nice beer. Creamy head and somewhat complex. Taste? How about "tangy"! Has some snap to it and you do get a little bit of the rye flavors. A nice beer to pair with a sipper of bourbon.
194 characters
3.4/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.01/5 rDev -22.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
If you're into bitter IPAs, this version of a rye IPA is up your alley...
...but for me, not so much. Though the look is complex - dark colors including crimson, brown, and rusty copper, the head it forms is thick and there is a good amount of lacing down the glass. That's about it for this one for me. The smell is uninspired with a mouthfeel that was carbonated and astringent. The taste was mostly bitter, I couldn't pull anything out of it, though I still rated it good given the fact that this was a different rye IPA from others I have tried. Not great for my taste, but I'm sure there are others that will love this.
630 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
If you're into bitter IPAs, this version of a rye IPA is up your alley...
...but for me, not so much. Though the look is complex - dark colors including crimson, brown, and rusty copper, the head it forms is thick and there is a good amount of lacing down the glass. That's about it for this one for me. The smell is uninspired with a mouthfeel that was carbonated and astringent. The taste was mostly bitter, I couldn't pull anything out of it, though I still rated it good given the fact that this was a different rye IPA from others I have tried. Not great for my taste, but I'm sure there are others that will love this.
630 characters
3.85/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a deep amber or pale brown producing a nice, 2.5 finger, tan, frothy head that leaves nice clumpy, sticky lacing. Aroma is a biting, spicy, high octane rye, bready malt, floral & piney hops backed by citrus. Taste is bitter across the tongue, front to back with a grapefruit, piney resin & peppery start mixing with the spicy rye, bready, caramel malt sweetness develops immediately behind this & expands deeply into a clean, grapefruit & pepper finish. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth & slightly slick; dry with astringency on the back of the tongue. As expected bitterness lingers long in the dry aftertaste. Nice flavors, decidedly bitter, a solid BIG rye brew with IPA character.
724 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a deep amber or pale brown producing a nice, 2.5 finger, tan, frothy head that leaves nice clumpy, sticky lacing. Aroma is a biting, spicy, high octane rye, bready malt, floral & piney hops backed by citrus. Taste is bitter across the tongue, front to back with a grapefruit, piney resin & peppery start mixing with the spicy rye, bready, caramel malt sweetness develops immediately behind this & expands deeply into a clean, grapefruit & pepper finish. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth & slightly slick; dry with astringency on the back of the tongue. As expected bitterness lingers long in the dry aftertaste. Nice flavors, decidedly bitter, a solid BIG rye brew with IPA character.
724 characters
3.73/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.42/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Look - very nice bronze color and very clear. Not much carbonation on this one but some activity continued on after the initial head receded.
Smell - not very aromatic - some citrus and tropical fruit from the hops, but not much else. A touch of Rye comes through - slight herbal/peppery hint in there
Taste - decent hop bitterness here. Comes in with some sweeter malt / caramelly flavors. Quickly turns to spice and some herbal notes. There are some off flavors that appear randomly - some cattiness maybe that clashes with the other flavors. This trails off and then you get some smokey flavors - like some charred wood from the campfire (which is totally fine with me - I'm a fan of smoked beers and general smokiness). Dries out and is almost tart towards the end
Feel - medium bodied - but pretty oily and slick - maybe pretty close to the full-bodied level
Overall - This is an ok beer. I can't see myself grabbing this one again. Maybe they did this one because a lot of other breweries are going the Rye IPA (RIPA) route. It is ok, but seems a bit off at times and just not very pleasing to the taste buds. It is worth a try to see if you like it. Maybe I am just not a fan of Rye in a beer other than a darker beer / black ipas.
1,271 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Look - very nice bronze color and very clear. Not much carbonation on this one but some activity continued on after the initial head receded.
Smell - not very aromatic - some citrus and tropical fruit from the hops, but not much else. A touch of Rye comes through - slight herbal/peppery hint in there
Taste - decent hop bitterness here. Comes in with some sweeter malt / caramelly flavors. Quickly turns to spice and some herbal notes. There are some off flavors that appear randomly - some cattiness maybe that clashes with the other flavors. This trails off and then you get some smokey flavors - like some charred wood from the campfire (which is totally fine with me - I'm a fan of smoked beers and general smokiness). Dries out and is almost tart towards the end
Feel - medium bodied - but pretty oily and slick - maybe pretty close to the full-bodied level
Overall - This is an ok beer. I can't see myself grabbing this one again. Maybe they did this one because a lot of other breweries are going the Rye IPA (RIPA) route. It is ok, but seems a bit off at times and just not very pleasing to the taste buds. It is worth a try to see if you like it. Maybe I am just not a fan of Rye in a beer other than a darker beer / black ipas.
1,271 characters
3.65/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.76/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.11/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.33/5 rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.13/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a ruddy copper color,with a creamy head and noticeable lacing.Smells peppery,floral,fresh dough. Taste is refined and refreshing. A lot going on( the hops, the peppery rye, the caramel malt finish with hints of citrus. Delicious!! Feels damn near perfect. Nice carbonation, creamy head (not foamy) Overall this is a solid rye beer, right up there with "righteous rye" from six point. Well done by one of the craft's icons.
428 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a ruddy copper color,with a creamy head and noticeable lacing.Smells peppery,floral,fresh dough. Taste is refined and refreshing. A lot going on( the hops, the peppery rye, the caramel malt finish with hints of citrus. Delicious!! Feels damn near perfect. Nice carbonation, creamy head (not foamy) Overall this is a solid rye beer, right up there with "righteous rye" from six point. Well done by one of the craft's icons.
428 characters
4.18/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.89 out of
5 with
5,183 ratings
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