Wye Rye
Calvert Beer Company

Pours a coppery, brown'ish coloration with a small, fizzy head. Smells of sweet, bready malt, with just a hint of tangerine hops and a slightly grainy, herbaceous note. Some faint, yeasty, estery banana aroma in there somewhere as well. Taste is malt-forward, with a hint of grassy, citrus hops. Starts off quite sweet, with a certain grainy, grassy quality comíng through immediately. Very slight hint of spice there, more herbaceous, really. This is my first Rye Ale, but it did not leave me overly impressed. Too sweet and poorly balanced.

 

 

 

Poured into a pint glass from a can. Pours reddish orange with a very fluffy white head. Smells of rye grain and slight banana, but not overly strong. Tastes of banana and other fruity notes, and great rye backbone. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.

 

 

 

 

Since he has already reviewed it, I am guessing that this CAN came to me courtesy of my local, in-person trader, tone77. I always enjoy having him stop by as I have no idea what he might be bringing, plus he helps to keep me honest by bringing a mixture of bottles & CANs so that I do not get (too) carried away with The CANQuest (tm).

From the CAN: "Pairs with: Strong Cheeses, Spicy Foods, Oily Fish, Spice Driven Desserts"; "Color: Deep Copper"; "Aroma: Toasty, Malt, Burnt Caramel"; "Perfect for: Pairing with a hearty meal"; "Building a Better Beer"; "* The use of the image of the Maryland State flag is not an endorsement of this product by the State of Maryland".

Hmm. I am surprised that they were allowed to use it at all. Onward! The Crack! was slightly difficult since it was a "saved" CAN in that it had developed the telltale 45-degree pooch before being sent to the head of the line & placed in the reefer to cool. The seam was unCANpromised, but the tab was angled in such a way as to prevent the tongue from being properly pushed in. I have loads of accoutrements at the ready for just such ocCANrunces so I was able to press on, in and forward. Color was a cloudy Copper-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22). Nose had the peppery bite of rye & my mouth began to water. Mouthfeel was medium, but there was a lot of carbonation evident. The taste was very peppery, easily identifiable as rye-driven. It had that peppery-minty flavor that I really dig. Finish was cool & dry, leaving a fresh, peppermint taste in my mouth. I'd drink this again.

Pours cloudy amber with barely any head. There really isn't an aroma although there are just the faintest whiffs of caramel. The taste is malt forward with just a little spice. The body is a little light but very smooth.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a orange/bronze color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, rye, malts, hints of banana. Taste is bready malts, rye, some lemons. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall, not really what I expect from the style, but still a pretty good beer.

 

 

 

 

Pours a murky dark amber (bordering on copper) color. The head is pretty dinky - less than a finger high and white in shade, with fairly poor retention and almost no lacing left on the glass.

If I didn't overhear the rep talking about this beer at the store, I'd wonder why the hell I smell notes of banana, clove, and bubblegum. Then he said it's brewed with hefeweizen yeast, and all was right with the world. I do notice the rye malts, albeit subtly - I notice a bit more in the way of caramel and brown sugar. I'm intrigued by this beer's aroma, as the hefe yeast actually plays well with the standard caramel malts and rye hints.

It opens up with plenty of yeast esters. Mainly banana, but twinges of lemon and clove show up. These flavors are carried into a caramel-laden back end. Just like the nose suggested, rye is very subtle, but I can find it if I concentrate. Notes of ginger and brown sugar also show up. The integration of the yeast profile is comparable to some of the better German weissbiers. Not hyper complex, but quite likeable.

Crisp and well-carbonated, the softness of wheat is replaced with a slight rye sharpness. I do miss the former, but the latter gives it good drinkability in spite of the substantial texture.

This is a damn fine every day beer. It's just something I could genuinely drink every day, without a care in the world. I could use a softer feel, but I still like this a great deal. Certainly worthy of another purchase regardless.

3.49/5: Wye not?