“Riverbend” Carolina Rye
Three Notch'd Brewing Co. (Craft Kitchen & Brewery)

Can dated 5/11 can, best by 7/4:
A deep amber body supports a thoroughly smoked cigarette filter colored head. The head has large bubbles, but settles down into a modest ring with minor amounts of lacing.

Nose is heavy on rye and toasted caramel from the malting process. It reminds me a bit of the opening parts of a brewery tour or the ending part of a brew day. There's spice and toast, dark honey, caramel and husky grain.

The taste therefore comes as no surprise. For being at its "end of life" - it still had a nice malt presence that doesn't come across as sweet. There's a husky, dry grass bitterness that counters initially before gaining a footing at the end of the taste. But the caramel, toast, rye, and light mineral notes that take most of the taste work well for me, especially with the slight bite of the rye making up for the lack of a specific bitterness up front.

Easy drinking, light heft but a nice malt complexity gives it more of a presence than its low ABV might lead one to expect. Being a collaboration, I'd be surprised to see it again. However, I'd easily buy a twelve pack if it were - and would be curious to see if a "fresh" can would be more or less enjoyable.