American Rye
Buxton Brewery

 

 

On cask at Exmouth Arms, London.

Pale amber with steady snowy finger of froth.
Faint rye loaf and floral hop nose.
Round caramel base with orange boiled sweet hops and grassy rye bite.
Hint of pineapple in the finish and long nettle linger.
Creamy, smooth, light to medium.

This is average enough until some serious bitterness kicks in on the finish. With a soft body, good malt backbone, and just enough aroma, this is the full package. Rye shows up, too. It'll never be confused for Hop Rod Rye - it's too light and flinty.

But as a British take on an American style, good for what it is.

Bottled and bottle conditioned
Pours a dark brown body with decent tan head
aroma is soured grain and malted milk biscuits
flavour is rye toast with ginger jam

 

A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2013. Picked up a little while back from Trembling Madness in York. Described on the label as a pale amber ale replete with American hops and including a rye influence in the malt (?). Interestingly the ingredient list doesn't mention rye, so I'm uncertain if any has actually been used in this brew.

Poured into a straight pint glass. Bottle conditioned. A hazy amber hue with medium carbonation and visible sediment. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a while before reducing to a patchy surface layer. Nice lacing. An intense aroma of fruity hops: grapefruit, orange peel and citrus notes dominate. This is underpinned by hints of earthy yeast, subtle caramel malt and stewed hops. No obvious rye, but very delicious nonetheless.

Tastes of light caramel malt with a hoppy character and a dry, bitter finish. Notes of grapefruit, orange essence, citrus, mild pine resin, grain, peppery rye, earthy yeast and stewed hops. Spicy and aromatic. A strident bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with pleasing carbonation and a spiciness on the tongue. Nice body, though just a tad too thin. Rather astringent, with an aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops, earthy yeast and a hint of malt.

Lovely - a very tasty brew. I'm still not sure about the rye in this beer, but it doesn't really matter. A gorgeous fruity hop aroma envelopes your olfactory organs, followed by lashings of juicy hop notes on your palate. The hops dominate the brew, but the malt and yeast provide depth and balance. Ultimately, the presence or absence of rye becomes secondary; this is bottled deliciousness. A hophead's delight - don't pass it up if you come across it.