Kentucky Ryed Chiquen
Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse

 

Single 16oz can from Party Town.
Definitely need to buy this again, very tasty!

Subtle
Smooth

 

From the 16 oz can in a snifter. This solid brew pours a nice deep amber with a
modest head of white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and shows light
lacing. Nose of faint grains, light spicy rye, and faint bourbon with touches of
caramel. Flavors exceed the nose with caramel, brown sugars, oak, bourbon, and
light vanilla with a balanced back drop of herbal hops. Nice mouth feel; medium
light body, lightly effervescent carbonation, and a balanced lightly dry bourbon
touched finish.

Overall, a unique brew.

Cheers

 

16oz can with an unreadable stamp poured into a shaker pint at fridge temp 8.6% ABV. Recent release. The beer pours bright, light copper in color with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and few scattered bubbles. No lacing. The aroma is faint with notes of earthy, caramel sweetness. The taste is semisweet toasted caramel malt with a minor hint of rye and oak. Bourbon is absent. Mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good beer, but not what I was hoping for... Minimal rye, minimal barrel and a fairly hefty price tag. It's a nice change of pace in today's beer world, but I'm good with one.

750 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.6%. Orange to amber colour, huge off-white head. Distinct aroma of rye whiskey oak barrel, hints of caramel and dark dried fruits. The flavour has a slight malty sweetness, again followed by notes of rye whiskey or bourbon oak barrel, caramel and brown sugar, dark dried fruits and mild spices. Moderate hops. Overcarbonated, fizzy mouthfeel.

 

 

 

Ordered two flights at the brewery. This is definitely their best offering.

It looks and tastes a little thin and watery compared to what you would expect.

However the flavor is not a let down. Often with bourbon barrel aged beer you become overwhelmed with the smoky and woody flavor. It takes the back seat to an excellent rye.

L:. Pours a muddy red orange with a creamy white head that takes a while to dissipates.

S:. Notes of bourbon, a spicy rye, some apple juice, some sweet berries including strawberry, a bit of vanilla. Smells unique.

T:. Spicy rye, mixes with bourbon and berry, a sweet apple and a light hop. Unique taste definitely, not sure of that is good or bad.

F: high carbonation, medium to full body.

O:. Interesting beer, definitely unique, good but not amazing.

 

 

$ 13.80 (Including tax and discount)/750 mL capped bottle ($0.543/oz) from Spec’s # 100, DeZavala, San Antonio, TX. Reviewed 1/26/19.
Undated bottle. On shelf at distributor. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Amber, clear.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.3 cm, aggressive center pour), tan, fizzy, medium density, average retention, diminishing to a three to five mm ring and a rocky partial layer.
Lacing – Fair. Wide band of tiny to small bubbles.
First pour – Light amber, clear.
Aroma – 4.25 – Caramel, bourbon.
Flavor – 4 – Begins with light bourbon flavor and sweetness, followed by some rye spiciness in the middle. It ends with some vanillin from the barrel and a touch of hop dankness and bitterness. No alcohol (8.6% ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 4 – Medium, creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 4 – Well, this was a pleasant surprise – rye and bourbon in the same beer, and both were noticeable and tasty. This is only the second beer I’ve had from ATG, but both have been good.

 

 

 

 

I think Kentucky Ryed Chiquen a Bourbon Barrel Aged Rye Ale was pretty good even though it was a bit on the thin side.

Look: reddish brown with a two inch off white head.

Aroma: rye bread and bourbon

Taste: The flavor is rye bread, a bit of bourbon, orange, a hint of warming alcohol, and overall I think it is pretty good.

Feel: a bit thin and watery

Look: Opaque chocolate brown with a two-finger head of off-white foam.

Smell: Spicy, bready rye malt notes, some fruitiness, bourbon, and soap.

Taste: Dark, bready, spicy rye malt predominates. A minor amount of noticeable bourbon flavor. Still has a bit of that soapy bitterness and a small amount of alcohol taste.

Mouthfeel: Slightly thicker than average, decent carbonation.

Overall: I'm unsure what to think. While it tastes different, I'm not sure if "different" means "great" in this case.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my glasses ready, or even in the same room. Probably lost 1/3 of the content before the gushing foam stopped. This and the slightly sour odor and taste leads me to believe it was infected. Rye was present but the rest was a mess. I finished it but can't recommend.

 

 

 

 

 

Initially, this beer filled a Cisco fisheye pint glass with pastel orange rocky foam that slowly yielded a hazed copper SRM 14-16 beer with turbulent clouds of carbonation within. Big patches of sticky lace eventually coat the glass.

The aroma opens with sweet anise and white bread, followed by figs. Bourbon and oak are background players that start faint and build with warmth only to be displaced by soapiness before all is done.

Nutmeg and anise open to be followed by light bourbon and oak flavors. Light bitterness is overtaken by sweetness, only to return at the end of a long modest finish. Jewish Rye is displayed with warmth as is Mandarin Orange.

A touch of alcohol lifts the medium body of this beer while the texture is that of itchy combed wool. Carbonation is mild, as is the astringency.

Ryed Chiquen is interesting and unexpected. I imagine it would work well with finger foods as the spicing is suggestive of Christmas or Easter. There were no feathers in my bottle. Warmth dramatically improved the flavor and palate by adding orange sherbet and soft creaminess.

 

OMFG! I scored a non-feathered bottle at H-'n'-G a while back, but I have been holding off for company before opening it ever since. I had an impromptu visitor who was amenable and so out it came!

From the bottle: "Cluck Cluck"; "The Chiqun has come home to roost! You asked for anything but chicken ... so here you go! An original rye amber ale recipe aged in bourbon barrels hatched right here in Kentucky! Kentucky Ryed Chiquen is malty and mellow, but has quite the barrel-aged bite."; "Rye beer aged in Bourbon barrels"; "Phantom Stab"; "Anything But Chicken"; "We've got a bleeder!"

I had to first peel away part of the label before I could Pop! the cap. This, in and of itself, was a reminder to be gentle on the pour. Once accomplished, I had a couple of awaiting tumblers for us. I poured so slowly that we grew impatient, but an in-glass swirl raised a finer of dense, light-tan head with decent retention. Peering into the glass in the harsh sunlight, the color revealed itself to be Amber to Deep Amber (SRM = > 9, < 13) with NE-quality clarity. I could take this beer to the local recycling center & clean up on CU prices! Nose was pungent with rye and bourbon! There were notes of vanilla, coconut & black pepper, but it was the rye bourbon that held forth, caught my attention & would not let go. Mouthfeel was smooth & creamy. The taste was a cool riot of peppery, minty, pepperminty coconut with a bit of oaky woodiness. OMFG! This was SOOO good! I have been accused/vilified/called out as an alcoholic, but beer is not (generally) what causes the onset of the disease. It is usually wine and (especially) hard liquor. My Achilles heel is/was/shall be Rye Whisky. Where I do not (generally) like Bourbon, I adore its offspring of Rye. Finish was the cool, smooth, semi-sweet/semi-dry kiss of Rye Whisky. Never indulged? Even in its cheapest rotgut form, it is still more pleasant than most whiskies. This was so good that I am inspired to have a finger of Rye before I take my shower & go out for the day.

 

 

 

 

When I opened thebomber it hideously gushed on me. I didn't expect this from a barrel aged beer. Probably this beer was infected though I didn't get a sign aside from the gushing, high CO2 and typical foam. Smell was dirty Bourbon barrel and taste was smoky and earthy but not in a good way. A shame that I paid the high price for it. In the beginning I almost drained it but the it was OK.