Rye Of The Tiger
Great Lakes Brewing Co.

God I miss this beer. Haven't seen it in years!

 

4/25/14:
Clear, golden-hued, with a cloud-white head.

Aroma speaks of spicy rye malt, and sparkling hops. Warm and lively.

Taste: juicy sweet in the mouth, malt holds down the ground, and hops rise up. Lean-bodied, crisp, with tasty rye malt steering the flavors. I'm loving this one, it's doing wonders on the palate. Bitterness is right in the middle, hitting the tastebuds just right. I'm left wondering if this should really be called an IPA, if feels more like a pale ale, but that's the thing these days, if there's perceptible hop bitterness, you call it an IPA and the hop-heads will buy it.

I wonder what the label says? "This kitty has claws. Named for it's one-two punch of fierce hops and sharp rye content, our Rye of the Tiger India Pale Ale is a thrilling ale with bite, handcrafted for the fighter in all of us." Wait, there's more: "Like tigers creeping through tall grass, hopheads will stalk this majestic golden brew, rising to the challenge of it's bold flavor attack. Full-bodied and loaded with hops, our Rye of the Tiger IPA is brewed with rye malt, adding a spicy complexity to every sip. It's an ale meant to inspire feats of strength and skill, a worthy contender in the bout against the flavorless. If you can step into the ring with this hopped-up cat, you've earned your stripes."

Yeesh. So, you beat the world's record for boxing and big cat puns, I'm proud of you. (Also, great job working in reference to the Survivor song that inspired the punning name of the brew.)

 

 

Rating from notes. Consumed January 2013. "A very good rye pale ale, perfectly balanced with bold hop flavours and lots of spicy rye character."

 

 

 

 

Pours a little darker of an SRM than your average ipa, basically a little bit of light amber mixed in with the darker gold striations. White head in the 1/2" range, retention is ok, she's a good looker. Aroma hits the citrus and rye notes. I can feel it, but its also relatively mild by recent proprietary hop developments.

Taste is a maltier than average beer, the rye doesn't really have that spicy pop but it does have a heavier presence, the hops are mostly grapefruit and orange like citrus notes. Bitterness seems in the 60ibu range. Never been a huge fan of Great Lakes hoppy offerings, they have a good diverse portfolio and they do well with most styles, but hops, just always seem to be lacking from these guys. Still, no off flavors and I wouldn't turn it down, but I don't see me looking for a 6 pack of it next time I'm in the Midwest either.

 

 

On tap at the Olde Lincoln House, Ephrata, PA. This was poured into a pint glass. The appearance was a nice looking hazy bronzed golden orange color with a slim bar pour’s kind of white head that dissipated gracefully. The smell started with a slight rye malt gracefully blending with a grassy to light citrus hoppiness. The taste blended the spicy rye with the grassy to citrus hop. A light semi-crisp spice to citrus aftertaste leads to a semi-wet citrus finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a decent sessionability about it. Carbonated definitely as an AIPA, the bitterness invades and punches my tongue appropriately. Overall, this was a good AIPA with the rye malt to accompany a nice spice. I would definitely have again.

 

 

 

 

 

Single bottle copped from Total Wine and More. A solid brew. Grainy and earthy flavor which the rye imparts definitely noticeable on the tongue. Not very sessionable nor drinkable. I noticed some malts in there as well. Not my favorite beer, but a noteworthy rendition of the style nonetheless.