RyePA
Bristol Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

the first beer ive had from bristol in quite awhile. good to see them back at it, this is a tasty beer too, heavy on the rye, just right for fall thats setting in now. only a little cloudiness to the medium copper colored liquid. plenty of grain character brimming in the nose, rye especially, robustly tasted and with a fair degree of spice. the taste too is real malty, but not sweet heavy barley, its that lighter peppery rye that has a real back of the palate lingering distinctness to it. hops seem underdone, the never really balance the malt, but im okay with that. its a little different from many others out there in that the rye is there all the way through, not just in one part of the flavor. its also got a fluffy fuller body which makes it a satisfying beer on a chilly early autumn afternoon. i like this one a lot, although i think most people would agree it could stand a more assertive bittering hop dose.

 

 

 

A- Pours a deep brown with a half-finger of off white head that dissipates rapidly, surprisingly dark

S- Strong rye aroma, lots of strong malt sweetness

T- Distinctive rye zest right off the bat, carbonation bite followed by strong hop bitterness

M- Slightly thin, high carbonation adds to the bite of the rye.

 

 

22 oz bottle. Pours cola colored with red notes and a smallish off white head that goes to a thin film and leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet cola and caramel malts and some rye.

The flavor is sweet nutty caramel malts with some rye and fruit with a resiny bitterness. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and fairly watery.

Overall, a decent rye pale ale.

In a bomber, bought on 8/12. I'm not an IPA lover, but this RyePA does it for me. The reddish appearance, great initial taste and the enjoyable hoppiness at the end made it for me. Another excellent work of brewing art from my friends at Bristol. Thanks all who worked so hard to give this to us.

22 oz bomber poured into a goblet.

Pours much darker than expected; the body is a rusty brown under an off-white head.

Smells of citrus-themed hops, dark bread crust, toasted malts, cracked pepper corns, and a touch of muddled fresh basil. Some "homebrew yeast" notes are apparent as well, which detract from the overall cleanliness

Prominent bitterness and a nice hop bite blends nicely with the spicy notes of the rye malt. There is a minimal presence of barley malt but it is mostly overtaken by the rye, which manifests with green peppercorn and dark bread crust notes.

The mouthfeel is slightly less smooth than I expected (sometimes rye beers are very smooth), however it is still pretty nice. Medium body and moderately sharp carbonation. Straight forward.

Conclusion: This is a rye-forward "pale ale" that dials in darker than average with some extra dark bread crust flavors to boot. Well done, but could be slightly cleaner.

A very nice copper-red color with a thick, creamy white head; a bit a patchy lacing and rings left on the glass. Rye spiciness and malt sweetness comprise the aroma; smelling somewhat of graham crackers. Mouthfeel comes across glass smooth, clean, crisp. Taste has a soft grain character, kind of a toasted bread edge, some rye flavor, and a huge bitterness at the finish.

This bottled version surpasses what I had on tap at the brewery earlier this year. Taste is improved from the tap version yet seems a little off-balance with the rye and malt flavors taking a backseat to the hop bitterness. Looks and aroma are the standout characteristics. Too bad the taste doesn't live up to the promise the visual and smell provide. Still, it's worth a taste...