Pimp My Rye
Bull & Bush Brewery

L: Pours a dark purplish red with a small white head and no lacing on the glass.

S: Strong caramel, sweet malt, a hint of tobacco, lots of bourbon and vanilla, and some stronger bitterness.

T: Sweet caramel and toffee, some sweet malt, a strong bourbon and vanilla, rather boozy, a medium bitterness, definitely hints of eye. Very nice rye wine.

F: Larger body, good carbonation.

O: Very enjoyable barrel aged rye wine.

 

 

 

not sure if the beer happening now is the same that these other guys tasted in 08, but its back on at the bull and bush under the same name, and drinkin amazing. apparently spent 545 something days in heaven hill whiskey barrels, and man does it show. billed a rye wine, it pours a deep amber color with a massive three inch head. one whiff tells me its worth the 9 bucks I just dropped on these ten ounces. tons of dank oak, decomposition, sweet alcohol, soft vanilla, thanksgiving and Halloween. the taste is malty and mildly peppered from the rye malt. some maple syrup sort of sweetness, and a lot of whisky and oak character, almost more like a spirit itself really. gently smoke, vanilla beans, and molasses round out the finish. the texture of this beer is like some other huge barrel beers from bull and bush, thick as jelly, and slippery like lube. its a really funny mouthfeel, even though the carbonation is still great, its just a body that big sort of defies physics. not unpleasant, just don't need a ton of it. furthermore, the 12% abv this comes in at is intense. definitely a beer to sip and contemplate, very well made. if this was in any kind of packaging and distribution, people would be talking about it as it skyrockets up the ratings list. for now its just another local treasure from these guys.

GABF Weekend '08

Had to get away from the convention center for a while, so we ventured out to the Bull & Bush for a sheppard's pie and a few pints. This beer has an aggressive rye malt base that gives it a pungent, spicy character that compliments the barley malts well. Light sweetness and esters round out the malts. The hops are accentuated by the rye flavor and bitterness while giving an added earthiness to the beer. Bready, toasty, and malty throughout. The bitterness hangs in the back of the throat and helps to dry the beer out. Finishes with a good balance of bitterness and maltiness.

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a medium amber color and a modest head that descends to a ringlet, but splashes a few dots of lace around in the process

Smell: Caramel aroma with undertones of sour rye

Taste: Fruity up front, with grapefruit and stone fruit meshing with caramel malt; adds a sour rye dimension by mid-palate; after the swallow, the sour flavors remain prominent, but are balanced by the residual sweetness that lingers on the tip of the tongue

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with medium to low carbonation; some warmth on the finish

Drinkability: Interesting and creative take on the barleywine style; really like the balance between the sweet, sour and bitter flavors