503 - Dark Rye Lager
Gateway City Brewery

 

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From the Huron Church Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. Canned September 8/25. My second beer from the North Bay, Ontario brewery, and for 2025. With Sundae the cat...

 

Appearance: Poured with a finger of head that sadly disappeared almost immediately, and thus produced no lacing. The body is a dark brown which is opaque unless put up to the light, which reveals thin carbonation and a deep brown with crimson notes.

Smell: I'm picked up a whiff of rye bread with a toffee malt backing and the barest notes of some kind of fruited herbal tea. Warming was welcome here as it did increase the potency of the brew, mainly the rye bread note.

Taste: Predominantly toffee malt to begin with just the smallest spicy rye note to keep things interesting, as the toffee seems to turn to a more roast burnt hit with a touch of earth again, with that spicy rye note just kind of tying the whole thing together.

Mouthfeel: Points get deducted for the lack of head, and really the low carbonation in general. I really hope this was just a bad can, as I think some more carbonation would really add to this. Transitioning is good, although it seems like a journey that's just a bit too short. Really like the mild toffee malt aftertaste with again, just that barest whisp of the rye.

Drinkability: Refreshing and went down surprisingly easy. This stuff is on the lighter end of medium body but drinks like a regular lager with a toffee and rye flair instead of boring old sweet corn. Settles down well, but that may be a function of the lackluster carbonation.

Final Thoughts: This was a good offering, and this is something you should give your macro buddies to try to expand their horizons. Most rye beers tend to be bitter, and predominantly rye forward, but this is something different. It uses the rye to tie the beer together, never giving it the spotlight, but present throughout the experience. Well done.

Jan 28 2026