Rye Knot Hop
Blue Point Brewing Company

Enjoyed this beer as part of a tasting panel. A boldly pleasant aroma of barley malt sweetness, spicy and earthy rye, and a balance of citrus hops. The beer promises to be very nice. Flavor strongly support the malty complex: toasted barley malts for sweetness, pungent rye to compliment the malts, and light grain flavors for a cracker-like flavor. Light molassas flavors compliment the peppery notes of the rye witout weighing on the palate. Malty rich and well attenuated for high marks on drinkability. Citrusy, piney hops add a lot of complimentary flavors to the spicy, bitter rye. Bittered for more than just balance, but cleans up the taste as they intensify going into the finish. A medium-dry finish allows the creamy malts to justify while not cloying at all. A very nice beer that deserves praise beside the Founders Red Rye and Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye.

Thanks Gary.

Tasted at the annual Cask Ale festival held by Blue Point at their brewery in Patchogue, New York -- and poured out of a receptacle billed at the event as "the world's biggest cask," which held nearly 10,000 pints of Rye Hop Knot.

Sadly, the beer wasn't as impressive as its cask. A decent brew to be sure, but not distinguished. Rather light, it tasted like citrus and hops, and didn't have much of the rye malt I'd expect.

This was on-tap at High Street's Grill Blue Point craft beer promo night on 4/15/08. It was served to me in a standard Blue Point pint glass.

This Blue Point poured a amber orange color that had a really nice 1/2 to 3/4 inch creamy head of white foam. It had excellent retention that left behind a tiny white film and plenty of white streaks of lace around the glass. The aroma wasn't anything special. It was a bit on the mild side with some citrus hops, citrus fruits, and a pinch of malted rye toward the back. The taste was just one ball of flavors. They didn't come one at a time, they all came in at the same time. This ball of flavor featured malted rye, grapefruit, and dried citrus hops. It was a light to medium bodied of beer that had a long lingering aftertaste of malted rye and tart grapefruit. Overall, it was good rye beer. It could have used a little bit more rye in it, but it's not too shaby.

Appearance: Lots of lace, golden translucent amber retains so head.

Smell: Nice Aroma light crackers

Taste: Light Malt lots of hops, didn't seem to be that much of a malt presence. So While I really liked the hoppy finish it seemed slightly unbalanced.

Mouthfeel: Little bit of bubbles, light on the mouth

Drinkability: smooth light and easy to drink

Poured a medium copper hue with a half finger foamy white head. There was good retention and decent lacing.

The smell featured an upfont orangey hop followed by a spicy rye malt.

The taste was likewise upfront hoppy, with elements of orange and pine. There was a pleasant tangy rye throughout, that lingered long after the finish.

The mouthfeel was clean, if not a bit thin for the style.

Overall a very tasty rye beer. Very spicy and very easy to drink.