Ramarillo
Big Lake Brewing

 

 

 

 

Short Review. I thought this was a pretty solid Rye IPA, all the key flavors i look for in the style show up and the deliver just what I would expect from the style. The r ye shows up enough and the hop profile is nice and it works well with the beers base. I would for sure by this beer again when in the mood for a rye IPA.

 

Pours golden orange. Foamy, medium, white head that lasts a little while with light lacing.

Smells citrus peel, light tropical, light rye and hints of rye and malt.

Tastes grapefruit, orange peel, lemon and malt. Followed by rye spice and light tropical fruit. Finish is dry with a rye and pine linger. Medium body and creamy medium carbonation

16 ounce can into tulip glass, no can dating. Pours fairly hazy golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper, pine, rye bread, light honey, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/pine hops and moderate rye/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper, pine, rye bread, light honey, and floral/grassy earthiness. Moderate pine/citrus peel/grassy bitterness and rye spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, lemon/orange peel, pepper, pine, rye bread, and floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and moderate rye/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and rye spiciness balance; and zero astringent hop/rye flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitter/spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and slightly resinous balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6.4%. Overall this is a great rye IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and moderate rye/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Great hop vibrancy and balanced rye malt backbone. Very similar to the Ryecoe; but feels less resinous on hops, and paler on the malt character. A really enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

This pours a honey amber glowing in the glass. Light aroma. There's a peppery spice as you sip this with an assertive hop characters and a drying finish. It's a good one, and one of the better surprise finds from my recent trip to Michigan.