Rheinderby Nr. 1
Freigeist Bierkultur

Pours a cloudy, deep golden coloration with a huge, fluffy, lasting head. Smells of biscuity, slightly bready malt and floral, citrus hops, with some berry accents and notes of lemongrass and white grape. Taste is a good balance of biscuity, bready malt and quite floral, slighty grassy hops, with fruity citrus and lighter berry notes of lemongrass, lime peel, and white grape. Finishes with a light bitterness and some lemongrass and white grape lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

While this is a perfectly nice and somewhat interesting Pale Ale, it didn't quite meet my expectations, explicitely labeling itself as a "Rye Pale Ale" after all. While there is a mild resonance of that earthy, spicy rye character to this, it's just not as distinct as I would have hoped, this being much more dominated by strong floral and zesty citrus notes, although the Nelson Sauvin adds some rather nice white white grape accents to this as well. Overall, this feel more like a New Zealand Pale Ale than a Rye Pale Ale and while it's pretty enjoyable for what it is, it's also kinda disappointing for what it claims to be and is just a tad too floral for my personal taste.