Ryebender Ale
Erie Brewing Co.

 

 

A - A clear copper body with a one finger, white head...the head showed some retention and left behind some decent lacing

S - Very earthy aromas...grain, malt (sweet and pale), spice, and subtle hops

T - The flavors were also very earhty...a huge grain presence...there were a lot of malts present in this beer...the caramel notes could be detected and their sweetness was nice...the rye really presented itself as grainy and a touch of spicy...also a touch of nuts like a brown ale left a toasted, grain flavor

M - Medium bodied...spicy finish, nicely carbonated...dry

D - I had high hopes for this one but it fell short for me like most of Erie's beers...this was a very malt based beer that had a huge earthy presence...I don't think the nitro pour did too much either

A - pours an orangey brown color with a little bit of head and little bits of lacing
S - smell is beautifully floral, then rye breadiness comes in
T - taste is floral hops and rye bread malt with little hints of citrus throughout. Like a rye version of Railbender Ale, which I love.
M - Medium-bodied and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation and a nice wet finish
D - Very drinkable indeed. It's hard to detect the alcohol and the wet finish made it very easy on the pallet along with the floral and rye combination.

Draft at Oldsmar Tap. Poured dark copper color with an average creamy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy rye and toasted malt aroma. Medium body with a slick smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy complex sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet finish of moderate to long duration. Good brew.

I had this on tap at Brass Rail, served cold in a pint.

A - clear copper w/ 2 finger white cap, small bead and the lace clings well

S - A smooth grainy scent w/ light fruitand scent has mild yeast ester. The nose is accented by biscuit and caramel w/ light vegetal notes

M - A medium body, creamy w/ soapy smooth feel and malty w/ light alcohol on the palate. The finish is clean w/ a drying effect

T - The flavor is good, not exceedingly rye tasting, but has a slight spice and mild fruit tinge in the middle w/ a hint of toasted malt. The flavor has a caramel edge and mild alcohol taste which leads to creamy nutty notes in the finish

D - A tasty rye, plenty of strength without overdoing it and is a very drinkable beer- I found this one to be one of Erie's better offerings

On tap at Brass Rail Deli on 10/15/09.

A - Clear and effervescent amber/light copper-colored body with a solid finger of beige foam that settled into a quarter inch of retention and yielded a shallow ridge of lacing just above the surface.

S - Sweet caramel and bready malt notes with a hint of toasted grains, spice and citrus fruit. Aroma is pretty muted overall.

T - Initial flavor is really sweet and maltier than I expected for a rye ale. While the rye presence is subtle, there is a good bit of toasted grainy character. Hints of maple syrup and brown sugar float into the mix. Finally, the spiciness of the rye emerges in the backend accompanied by light herbal and citrus hop notes.

M - Medium bodied with a syrupy texture and moderate carbonation, resulting in a fairly sticky mouthfeel. Finishes with a light hop bite with plenty of residual sweetness on the palate. Not overly dry at all.

D - Ryebender drinks like an amber ale with a hint of rye spiciness. Overall, it's a little too sweet, although not to the point where it became a struggle to drink. It went down quite easily.

Served on-tap at the Brass Rail.

A: The rye beer is a coppery color that looks like apple juice. The lighter hue has allowed the ale to remain translucent. A finger of white head blanketed my glass.

S: The nose has a malty sweet aroma, pale grains lifted by a whiff of rye spiciness.

T: I'm mighty impressed with the drinkability of the ale. It is, no doubt, a malt-centric ale, showing off a fragrant bready aroma that has a touch of sourdough sweetness. The paler malts set the stage for a mid- to late-sip rye presence. The rye adds a kick of pepper and dark grains, a strong addition.

M: The mouthfeel is light, sweet with dough but not heavy-handed. The rye appears at the right times, delivering a kick start.

D: Very sessionable. I'm impressed with how approachable this one is.

Had this on tap in Erie, PA while visiting from out of town. This is apparently a rye version of railbender. The beer pours a golden copper color and has a malty nose and a sweet aftertaste. Very good brew. Something to check out if you enjoyed Railbender, even though it tastes nothing like it.

This beer caught my eye at the Steel City Big Pour I have not come across many new beers from Erie as of lately so when I do I have to pay attention. Poured a copper colored orange hue with an off white head, decent lacing. Aroma had a nice spicy character among the malt bill, not too crazy on the hops a little herbal spicy kick. They've been getting bored with Railbender and making variations of it like Derailed cherry cream ale, and this one with the rye additions. Flavor was subtle with the rye additions but it was very nice. A nice strong malt base with spicy hops and rye additions, very well made brew. Mouthfeel was medium bodied carbonation was solid nothing overdone. Drinkability overall I could have had a few more samples of this brew, another easy going addition to the Erie brewing lineup that I welcome with an open palate.