Hula Hoop Rye IPA
Fullsteam Brewery

 

 

Thanks to my favorite Carl, ATLCarl, for this bottle, an extra that arrived last week during the brief pause in the epic freeze of aught thirteen...this gentleman knows I like my rye. 22 oz. bottle popped to begin a quiet Saturday night.

The pour should have ice-cold mountains in the background; purty as a Advertising Age. Golden waves of grain topped with a chilled white head & slowly percolating bubblies. Nose shakes hands with two fingers, faint notes of grain, rye spices. Floral hops are the only consistent note.

Hula Hoop Rye IPA is whip-crack sharp. What opens up from the beer reminds me strongly of the well at my Grandpa's farm up near Bemidji, when we used to have to carry in water in big old plastic buckets (not damn long ago, either). Iron. That's what it is. Not an unpleasant memory, either. Getting past the water profile, bittering hops meld with the iron to present a profile that's certainly...unique. Middle of the beer brings mild rye spice, peek-a-boo citrus. Strong caramel kicks in at the end & erases everything but the Fe that's now taken over my palate. Unexpectedly sticky given the light-looking body.

Interesting beer; I wonder if this was what the brewer intended, & I'd wager it's not. Still, whatever the intent, the oddness works & lends the brew a taste I haven’t had before. For that, I grant it ‘good’ status.

 

Grabbed a bottle of this about a month ago, and forgot about it. Great night to crack this open.

Poured into a snifter. Pours a transparent deep copper with a trace of head on top. Moderate bubbles rising through. No haze at all. Clean mouthfeel. Crisp, but with a mild oily finish. The flavor profile is a mystery. I'm not getting any spice from the rye, at least not what I am used to with its contemporaries. Instead, this is very floral - hibiscus, juniper, peach blossom. This is a very herb-forward beer as far as flavors go. It's odd. Light bitterness on the finish. Not what I expected. Maybe time changed this one some, as I am not sure when this originally came out as it is a one-off. Not bad, just a little different, but aren't we all...

 

 

 

I love the story on the label,we have a bear problem over here in GSO to.Pours into an imperial nonic a clear copper with a creamy one finger white head with good retention.Aromas are yeasty with a tinge of hard ward water,light nuttiness and flaoral hops as well.Flavors are yeasty and spicy with an almost phenol-like element to them.some leafy hops in the finish.A nice beer,not overly hopped or with a big shot of rye but it goes down smooth eand easy.

 

 

 

Made to celebrate 25 years of Weaver Street, a local co-op. Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a bright, copper coloring with only a slight haze and a filmy, sparse, white surface coat of head. Slow carbonation trails throughout the body. Aromas of toasted grain, sweet honey, caramel, resiny pine pitch, toffee, raisin, and hints of tropical fruit. Pretty deep nose. Flavors are roasted and richly sweet on the forward tongue, with a blending of rich fruit and roasted caramel/toffee, followed by an overall toasted grain character, leading to a slowly mounting cedar/pine, grassy, and slightly peppered, bitter, hops character at the end of the palate. Each trip is a little rollercoaster for your taste buds. Mid-bodied beer that is light enough to be drinkable, but robust enough to tackle all the different flavor profiles appropriately. The aftertaste is a blend of roasted caramel, toast, and a kick of bitterness. Slightly dry, slightly cloying finish, with a touch of spice left on the palate. This is a fun, funky beer. I really need to get my hands on some more while it's still out.