Rye'd or Die IPA
Gem State Brewing

underrated i think, a little basic yes, a little conservative on the rye sure, a little malty overall yeah, but the quality is good, and i found this to be objectively one of their better beers, even if its not epic in any way, its thoroughly solid. light amber colored and off from clear, but frothy headed and active, not overly refined but not sloppy either. the nose is toasted and a bit rich, that caramel malt thing comes at the expense of the rye, which is also true in the flavor, and i think thats a poor recipe choice, but it doesnt make the beer bad, just a bit generic. lightly earthy and spicy rye is still present, woodsy piney hops seem fresh, and the ferment is close to clean, better than in some of their others for sure. the flavor has hops all though it, a little bitter citrus up front, more spruce later, modest and balanced bitterness. the grain is warm and baked with a toffee note, sweet in the middle but less so alter, and it balances out somewhat higher alpha hops rather effectively, the rye is both compatible with these hops and the part of this i like the best, they could stand to go a little heavier with it in future batches i reckon. smooth and longer on the palate, the rye has little impact on mouthfeel, carbonation is fine, and bitterness outlasts malt sweetness on the tongue. a fine first impression for me of this place, could be better than it is, but its close.

taster flight at Gem State. Amber pourwith a thin, soft cream colored head. Nice malty, grainy aroma. Taste is musty grains, rye bread and an even handed amounytof Bitterness. Smooth.