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: 5,165 | Reviews: 1,142
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
3.96/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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
4.34/5 rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
3.4/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.85/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | 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
3.4/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
4.18/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours rich copper amber with a frothy khaki head that settles to a firm layer and leaves plenty of thick lacing.
S: Peppery rye, spicy pine, bitter citrus, slight fruity notes, toasty and faintly roasty bready malt, and a little toffee sweetness.
T: Spicy rye comes right out, as well as some resinous pine, then it opens up its fruity side, a little citrus, grapefruit, lime, and orange, apricot, plum, dark berries, and passion fruit, some earthy herbal notes, maybe even a hint of oak, all held together with a complex malty backbone, bready, toasty, slightly roasty notes, faint chocolate and coffee, and toffee sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, ever so slightly creamy.
O: The last time I had this was probably the last year they put it out in 6 packs, which was before I joined BA. Really happy to have it back, if only as a rare seasonal. Excellent rye beer!
949 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours rich copper amber with a frothy khaki head that settles to a firm layer and leaves plenty of thick lacing.
S: Peppery rye, spicy pine, bitter citrus, slight fruity notes, toasty and faintly roasty bready malt, and a little toffee sweetness.
T: Spicy rye comes right out, as well as some resinous pine, then it opens up its fruity side, a little citrus, grapefruit, lime, and orange, apricot, plum, dark berries, and passion fruit, some earthy herbal notes, maybe even a hint of oak, all held together with a complex malty backbone, bready, toasty, slightly roasty notes, faint chocolate and coffee, and toffee sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, ever so slightly creamy.
O: The last time I had this was probably the last year they put it out in 6 packs, which was before I joined BA. Really happy to have it back, if only as a rare seasonal. Excellent rye beer!
949 characters
3.96/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Great Rye/Oak flavor and smell. I really enjoy the look of this beer as well. I love that deep amber/gold color. I absolutely adore the flavor of rye as well, so this IPA, although I am not a huge IPA drinker, is right up my alley!
231 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Great Rye/Oak flavor and smell. I really enjoy the look of this beer as well. I love that deep amber/gold color. I absolutely adore the flavor of rye as well, so this IPA, although I am not a huge IPA drinker, is right up my alley!
231 characters
3.94/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Clear dark amber/light brown with a creamy off white head. Long lasting retention, and sheets of lacing.
S: Toasted rye bread, black pepper, fennel, cumin, grapefruit peel, ruby red grapefruit flesh, and pine needle.
T: Grapefruit zest and flesh upfront, juicy and citrusy, followed by a large malt backbone of toasty pumpernickel bread with herbs and spices. Cumin, fennel, black pepper and chive. Plentiful rye flavor. Finishes lightly dry and moderately bitter, piney with lingering resin and citrus pith.
F: Medium, creamy carbonation, slick and slightly oily--finishes dry with a slight lingering stickiness.
O: Excellent rye IPA! A perfect blend of West Coast IPA with massive rye flavor.
706 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Clear dark amber/light brown with a creamy off white head. Long lasting retention, and sheets of lacing.
S: Toasted rye bread, black pepper, fennel, cumin, grapefruit peel, ruby red grapefruit flesh, and pine needle.
T: Grapefruit zest and flesh upfront, juicy and citrusy, followed by a large malt backbone of toasty pumpernickel bread with herbs and spices. Cumin, fennel, black pepper and chive. Plentiful rye flavor. Finishes lightly dry and moderately bitter, piney with lingering resin and citrus pith.
F: Medium, creamy carbonation, slick and slightly oily--finishes dry with a slight lingering stickiness.
O: Excellent rye IPA! A perfect blend of West Coast IPA with massive rye flavor.
706 characters
3.77/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle into tulip. No date.
Cloudy dark brown look leads to spicy peppery nose. Taste follows nose and is easy to drink. Feel is light and easy. Overall, a nice change of pace. Would get again.
199 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle into tulip. No date.
Cloudy dark brown look leads to spicy peppery nose. Taste follows nose and is easy to drink. Feel is light and easy. Overall, a nice change of pace. Would get again.
199 characters
3.6/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.18/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.06/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Reddish brown color, balanced nose with smooth kentucky rye and soft tropical hops. Taste is balanced but maybe too much of a fence straddler - rye is there but not as muscular as I personally like, hops are also a bit muddled, mostly tropical with medium bitterness...still a very good beer and no real flaws in it
315 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Reddish brown color, balanced nose with smooth kentucky rye and soft tropical hops. Taste is balanced but maybe too much of a fence straddler - rye is there but not as muscular as I personally like, hops are also a bit muddled, mostly tropical with medium bitterness...still a very good beer and no real flaws in it
315 characters
4.47/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I'm not sure why, but Ruthless Rye is exactly what I envision visually for a proper rye ale. Its deep amber color bordering walnut brown, its crystal clarity, its khaki pillow on top. It looks smooth and clean, then rugged and burly thanks to its rediculously sticky rings of lace, but overall, picturesque of the fall season.
The aroma ain't too shabby either. Classic IPA pine met with raw earth and subtle spice. Peppercorns and brown bread lay the foundation deep underneath.
The flavor is so unique, it's difficult to describe. Like a spicy IPA meets a brown ale. Pepper, bread, a heavy dollop of pine on the end. Brown sugar and clove weave in and out along with a dried seasoning herb blend.
This has a stickiness to it yet it's relatively dry thanks to an elevated carbonation. Bitter as hell too, which I personally love. A little bit of grit to it. Probably not something for the masses, but suits me just right.
As a Rye IPA, it doesn't get much better than this. Not exactly your Roggenbier if that's what you're looking for, but this definitely feels much more rye forward than most rye beers. Cheers.
1,130 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I'm not sure why, but Ruthless Rye is exactly what I envision visually for a proper rye ale. Its deep amber color bordering walnut brown, its crystal clarity, its khaki pillow on top. It looks smooth and clean, then rugged and burly thanks to its rediculously sticky rings of lace, but overall, picturesque of the fall season.
The aroma ain't too shabby either. Classic IPA pine met with raw earth and subtle spice. Peppercorns and brown bread lay the foundation deep underneath.
The flavor is so unique, it's difficult to describe. Like a spicy IPA meets a brown ale. Pepper, bread, a heavy dollop of pine on the end. Brown sugar and clove weave in and out along with a dried seasoning herb blend.
This has a stickiness to it yet it's relatively dry thanks to an elevated carbonation. Bitter as hell too, which I personally love. A little bit of grit to it. Probably not something for the masses, but suits me just right.
As a Rye IPA, it doesn't get much better than this. Not exactly your Roggenbier if that's what you're looking for, but this definitely feels much more rye forward than most rye beers. Cheers.
1,130 characters
4.19/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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
3.71/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - Pours deep brown color with big fluffy tan head. Spotty lacing all around the glass.
Aroma - Floral hops, spicy rye, touch of malt, little sweet caramel.
Taste - Taste is really balanced, getting some malt and a little floral hops up front. Sweet caramel and peppery rye and then bitter citrus rind on the finish.
Feel - Medium bodied, well carbonated, touch of dryness on the finish.
Overall - Not always a fan of rye IPAs but this one has nice flavors and is really well balanced.
500 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - Pours deep brown color with big fluffy tan head. Spotty lacing all around the glass.
Aroma - Floral hops, spicy rye, touch of malt, little sweet caramel.
Taste - Taste is really balanced, getting some malt and a little floral hops up front. Sweet caramel and peppery rye and then bitter citrus rind on the finish.
Feel - Medium bodied, well carbonated, touch of dryness on the finish.
Overall - Not always a fan of rye IPAs but this one has nice flavors and is really well balanced.
500 characters
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.89 out of
5 with
5,165 ratings
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