Rye Select IPA
Finest Made Ales

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a cloudy golden amber with a huge three finger off-white head with good retention and tons of lacing. This bottle just arrived after shipping from California and may be a bit more lively than normal. Nice aroma of orange family citrus, rye, tropical fruit, a light earthiness from both the rye and hops citrus hops; lightly floral. Flavor of mild caramel malt, citrus and lightly piney hops, light rye sourness and earthiness, interesting tropical fruit and the same earthiness in the finish as noted in the aroma, finishes with resinous citrus rind bitterness and a touch of rye bread. Medium bodied with sharp, peppery carbonation, nice mouth feel. The rye in this IPA is flavorful, like a whole rye bread, slightly sour and down to earth; it really works well with the hops selected. We have some of the best rye beers brewed in this area and there is a high bar for my expectations. This met them all. Quite different than other rye IPAs, but nicely balanced and flavorful. The malt presence is hard to taste, but it is more than sufficient to support the sturdy hopping and rye. Nicely done and refreshing. I never heard of this brewery before, but will be looking for more from them next time I'm in California.

 

 

 

Pretty good, practically no malt with a good hoppy taste. Just like a rye ipa should be. You can really taste the alcohol. The alcohol really overwhelms the hoppy taste. I would still prefer hess brewery rye ipa

 

 

 

This is one of our tasting room favorites. Generous citra hop additions give this beer a refreshing apricot and citrus scent. A medium body is balanced by a spicy rye finish. Take a deep breath after pouring into a glass to fully experience the myriad of aromas offered by this IPA. You may want to invest in a large cup; we already have.

 

On draft at the tasting room. Very fresh, kegged the previous day.

Nice orange-amber color, lightly hazed, with a rich, white head.

Great nose, slightly less floral than many beers featuring Citra, with a faint rye overtone.

The taste! SOO crisp and dry! The Citra stands out, but it's really the dry bite of the rye that makes this beer so appealing to me. Most rye IPAs seem to feature a bolder, less subtle hop, but this match fantastic from the first sip. Really enjoyed it.

Out of a 22oz. bottle purchased at the El Cerrito Natural Grocery Beer and Wine Annex.
Pours a beautiful hazy (unfiltered) orange with a gorgeous, thick white head that lasts.
Smells spicy, musky, earthy, grassy...not the typical floral, tropical fruit aroma you get from a citra-hopped IPA.
The flavor follows suit. The first thing that sticks out to me is how wonderfully dry this beer is.
Most IPAs in the 7% range tend to have a syrupy malt backbone. That's all good and well, but that's what makes this beer stand out. Also I detect a ever-so-slight funky yeast characteristic that may contribute to this dryness.
The after-taste seems to be a conglomeration of all the aforementioned attributes. Nothing stands out. In other words, it is extremely well balanced. And that's saying something for an IPA of this caliber. Most San Diego IPAs are all about the hops, and that's fine with me. I don't expect big west coast IPAs to be well balanced beers. I expect them to showcase the insane hop characteristics of all the new and exciting hops available for brewing these days. And while this beer does display the delicious aroma and flavor of citra hops, it resides in harmony with the rye, and if my suspicion is correct, the unique yeast.
Overall I would say that this is an extremely delicious, well balanced, spicy, hoppy rye IPA that would probably age fairly well. And while I adore all the big, hoppy IPAs coming out of the San Diego area, this one is truly a stand out.

 

 

A: Pours a deep amber with a fair amount of white head, which retains well enough to leave solid lacing.

S: Sweet with interesting hops; they have an almost plastic-y note, which is not unpleasant.

T: A really excellent balance of malt sweetness and flavorful hops. The blend is great.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation.

Overall, an excellent IPA from a brewer I haven't tried before. Recommended.