Short Bus Rye IPA
Kettlehead Brewing Company

From a 32oz crowler, filled at the brewery five days ago. Served in an IPA glass.

Pours a light-to-moderately hazy caramel-copper colour with a scant two fingers of soft, bubbly head. Retention is good, leaving a thick, bubbly cap and fat chunks of sticky lacing.

Nose is clean and lightly, sweetly spicy, with toast, caramel and lemon.

Taste is sharp and well balanced, toasty crackers, toffee, lemon, grapefruit and resinous herb. There's a warm, yeasty, boozy, swedish ginger snap thing going into the finish that permeates all the way from the sinuses down into the gullet which is rather pleasing.

Feel is sharp and clean, light-to-medium bodied and brightly carbonated. A little more boozy warmth than I'd expect from 7% abv but I'm enjoying it.

All in all, probably as good a rye IPA as I can recollect ever having had. I usually associate rye with a sort of sour pumpernickel character but here there's a base sweetness that makes it more reminiscent of ginger snaps or molasses cookies or something like that. At any rate, it drinks well. Recommended.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a 16 oz canned shaped pint glass on tap at the brewery. Pours a hazy rusty red, with a solid inch plus of sticky white head, that leaves plenty of thin wisps of lace behind.

Smell is tangerine, pine, apricot, toffee, rye grain, and grapefruit rind.

Taste follows starts with caramel, rye, apricot and finishes with pine, tangerine, and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, gentle carbonation, maybe a little dry on the tongue, and plenty of flavor, but drinks very easy for 7% ABV.

Overall this is a very well balanced and tasty IPA that is perfect as we transition to winter soon. The rye adds a lot.