Rye Road
South River Brewing Company

 

Pours a gorgeous dark gold colour with a fluffy white head on top, which disappears quickly. I get some rye notes and some hops notes on the whiff. The taste is different than any other rye beer I’ve tried. Why? Because I like it. I’m not a fan of rye beers but this one is excellent. The rye flavour is not overwhelming and doesn’t take over the beer. I actually found it a bit sweet. I will definitely purchase this beer again
July 4 2021

Look: Pours coppery yellow, with plenty of carbonation. Left a 3 finger white head on an aggressive pour. Tight packed bubbles. After 5 minutes still a finger of white foam up top.
Smell: Biscuits, orange peel, hint of rye whiskey and smoke. Dried apricots. Very nice but too light.
Taste: Smooth, cinnamon, hints of smoke and softwoods. Notes of a toasted light rye bread. The hyperduck described a taste of butterscotch. I wouldn't have put my finger on that, but they are right, definately hints of that in the mix.
Feel: Smooth and filling. Really plays at the sides of the tongue and mouth, but something nice happening all over the mouth.
Another great beer from this malt forward brewery. Sure to be found in my fridge going forward. This beer earns an A-

Tallboy can from the LCBO; packaged Jun 29 2018 and served slightly chilled. Glad to see something new from Highlander on the shelves.

Pours a clear, effervescent golden colour, with one finger of frothy, off white-tinged head soon settling atop. Its existence is fleeting; within a few minutes' time, it has wilted down to a creamy collar and paper thin cap, splattering a modest amount of lacing about in the process. The aroma is generally malt forward, with notes of caramel and butterscotch coming through alongside some doughy, bready pale malts, along with just a hint of rye grain. Not getting much hop presence; maybe a faint herbal quality, but I'm stretching here.

A quaffable pale ale that keeps things simple, with a clean, approachable profile dictated largely by its three malts & grains. Lightly caramelized malt and butterscotch, together with grainy whole wheat and a doughy sweetness, provide the bulk of the flavour. Hints of rye bread, light spiciness and herbal hops round off the tail end, with suggestions of rye grain lasting briefly into the aftertaste. Light-medium body, with light-ish carbonation that meekly agitates the surfaces of the palate; the mouthfeel is fairly soft and smooth, with very high drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.77, a B+. Highlander's Rye Road isn't the most exciting beer I've had lately, but it's a pretty darn solid pale ale regardless. While I did find its smell to be a little too sweet for my tastes, the flavour itself is balanced enough for it to be an enjoyable tipple. Fans of "Ontario pale ales" and malt-forward ambers should appreciate this one, though I worry the rye presence might not be prevalent enough to satisfy the folks who were expecting a straight-up rye beer. Good stuff; I'll be back for more, assuming it remains stocked.