Petitcoudiac Rye IPA

Listening to Alan Maitland's rendition of Frederick Forsyth's short story “The Shepherd” on Christmas Eve, I wanted something with a little heft. Petitcoudiac Rye IPA is a bit low in alcohol for the style (6%), but it’s got a robust 60 IBUs and that’s what I was after. It’s a slightly hazy, bronze ale that pours with a thin layer of creamy head that comes from Dieppe, New Brunswick’s Cavok Brewing Co. The beer is sold in 473mL cans that have a pretty spiffy texture.

Petitcoudiac has substantial piney aromatics, as well as a whiff of caramel sweetness. The flavour combines a sweet, biscuity front end with caramel notes, and a rich, evergreen finish. Some rye spiciness adds a bit of subtext. 

Other than a lower than ideal percentage, there wasn’t much not to like about this li’l rye IPA. I’d eagerly down another can of this stuff.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Rainbow in the Dark

Billed as a “winter rye I.P.A.”, Redline Brewhouse’s Rainbow in the Dark came highly recommended by my server at Pinkerton’s, a little snack bar with a beer list that could in Toronto’s east end. Sold in lovely northern lights-themed 473mL cans, this Barrie, Ontario offering clocked in at 6.6% alcohol and a pretty rowdy 61 IBUs.

Cloudy and orange-gold, RITD poured under a luscious layer of off-white head. It had a potent citrus aroma, rich in lime notes. The flavour was somewhat unusual, with a combo that blended floral hops, spicy rye, and tangy citrus. The fairly enthusiastic IBU count was evident toward the finish, which was both bitter and thirst-quenching.

This little brew from Barrie had some game. I’d have liked to see the alcohol percentage tick up a few levels into the 7+ range to warm this brew up a bit, but the citrus/hops/rye combo lended a very interesting flavour that I found pretty engrossing—were I pairing, I’d have allied this beer with a spicy Thai prawn dish.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

RyeKing

From Kastrup, Denmark’s Amager Bryghus comes RyeKing, a 7.7% alcohol smoked rye stout. Sold in 500mL bottles with America’s stars and bars on the label, the beer within is extremely dark. It pours with a thick layer of tan head, through with comes a tangy, smoky aroma.

RyeKing’s flavour is both mammoth and complex. It is smoky, spicy, and malty, with notes of leather, tobacco, and chocolate.

This beer has a lot going for it: depth, potency, and richness are some of its finer attributes. On the negative side of the ledger? Not a whole lot, actually. The mouthfeel is a bit syrupy, but that’s not particularly unusual for a strong stout. In short, I have few complaints.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Beer Snob

Beer Snob is not the name of my autobiography. It could be, had I lived a life worth reading about, but in this instance it is the name of a Belgian rye ale from Toronto's Shillow Beer Co. (also makers of the surprisingly delightful Bitter Waitress). The bearded, trilby and plaid-wearing hipster on the 473mL can is too slim to be me, but the sentiment is clearly there. The beer contains 6% alcohol. The copy on the can is good enough to warrant reproduction in full:

An intellectually complex brew that no one else understands. With soft hints of indifference and strong notes of irony, this beer is best served in glassware you've brought with you from home.

Touché.

The beer is a hazy golden affair that pours with a dense and rowdy white head. It has a surprisingly grainy and slightly spicy nose, but a flavour that tends more towards yeasty and fruity. There are elements of dried fruit and coriander which lead into a modestly bitter and peppery finish.

 

To this beer snob, Beer Snob was a pretty good effort from one of Toronto's more enigmatic beer makers--seriously, their website gives you almost no info! The beer was too sweet and insufficiently spicy to be a top tier rye ale, but it did some things pretty well. Certainly well enough to merit a re-purchase.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Cutaway IPA

A rye India Pale Ale from Nashville's Tennessee Brew Works, Cutaway IPA comes in 12oz bottles. The percentage isn't listed on the label, but the TBW website told me that the beer contained 6% and 55 IBUs.

 The beer was hazy orange-gold with a little bit of yeasty sediment. It poured with a decent covering of off-white head, through which wafted a burly aroma rich in spicy rye, dank hops, and a tropical fruit edge. Cutaway proved to be a full-flavoured ale, with a nice blend of warm rye notes and bitter citrus stank.

I found Cutout to be a really enjoyable rye ale. Well made and sassy.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Ricky and the Hendersons: Old Fashioned Premium Rye Ale

According to the label of the 650mL bottle of Old Fashioned Premium Rye Ale that I brought home from Toronto's Henderson Brewing Co., this 10% alcohol ale was conceived in response to a challenge: to "brew the flavour & spirit" of an Old Fashioned cocktail into a beer.

For those of you who only drink beer, an Old Fashioned is a simple and succulent cocktail made using bourbon (or rye whisky), bitters, and a sugar cube (and sometimes some water, simple syrup, or club soda). Typically it's garnished with an orange slice and a cherry. Just lovely.

Henderson's Old Fashioned was a fairly clear, deep copper colour. It poured with a modest eggshell head, and gave off a sweet and toasty aroma, with a fair malt presence. Details of the ingredients were scarce on the Henderson website, but a little googling told me that the beer is brewed using rye--the grain, seemingly, rather than the spirit. While the beer doesn't taste like a classic O.F., it does have sweet and spicy qualities that I associate with rye (the spirit), as well as a faint orange tint and a bitterness born less of hops than of something herbal.

At 10%, this stuff'll knock your socks off. It's a bit too sweet to be approachable, but it certainly has a unique flavour. Innovative, tasty, and strong make this a beer worth trying, and one I'll likely revisit.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Monty's Aged Ryed Ale

Monty's Aged Ryed Ale is named in honour of Jon Montgomery, the Canadian skeleton racer who won a gold medal and celebrated by chugging beer in a scene of patriotic glory. The beer, constructed by the Old Tomorrow Ltd., comes from Toronto, Ontario. According to the 473mL can, this 6.2% Ale is aged with oak that has been infused with rye whisky (100% Canadian of course--though it doesn't divulge which one).

Monty's is a swampy dull orange grog. It pours with a surprisingly bright white head and has a extremely sweet aroma--woody, with some vanilla notes. The flavour is also quite sweet, with clover elements and a fairly woody body. There is little bitterness to this ale, which makes it a good after dinner candidate, but also leaves it a bit unbalanced. There is a touch of whisky at the tail end that was warm and wily.

I thought that Monty's was a pretty innovative little brew. The oaked rye aging process made for an interesting taste profile, though I maintain that the beer was too sweet and could have benefited from a few more handfuls of hops. Still, I liked it and I'll buy it again.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Full Moon Rye IPA

Full Moon Rye IPA comes from the Real Ale Brewing Co. out of Blanco, TX. It's sold in 12 oz bottles and packs an unlisted alcoholic kick (according to the Real Ale website it's 6.2% alcohol and contains 50 IBUs).

The beer poured a clear and bright copper colour under a lush off-white head. It had an assertively bitter aroma, backed with a nice spicy rye note. The taste proved comfortably hoppy, with some citrus vibes, metallic notes, and some whisky-stained rye warmth.

I thought that Full Moon was a really well-crafted Rye IPA. It wasn't memorable, exactly, but it left a lingering sensation of quality. This good beer made me curious about Real Ale's other offerings and feeling sorry that I wasn't in Texas long enough to investigate.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Rype

Rype is billed as a "golden citrus rye pale ale". It comes from the north side of town in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where it's brewed by TrailWay Brewing Co. I purchased myself a pair of 473mL cans of the 5% alcohol ale fresh from the brewery.

The beer proved to be a hazy, slightly milky orange grog. Through a thin covering of white head comes a very agreeably juicy, fruit aroma. The flavour kicks off with a bright tangerine zest. The back end remains citrus-tinged, but takes a slightly hoppier turn.

The beer has a lovely taste profile and I like it a lot, but there are two modest downsides. Firstly, the mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side of the ledger. Secondly, there wasn't quite the degree of rye warmth that I'd have liked: I don't need my rye ales to crackle, but I'd have liked a bit more of a rye reminder--a "ryeminder"--than the hearty grain is present. All told, Rype is a very good beer. Fredericton's beer scene is taking off, and, if this stuff is any indication, TrailWay will be joining the leading lights in the city's brewing community.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Rye Knot

A few years ago, during a trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario, a pal and I ducked into a little brewery called Taps on Queen for a couple of cold ones (see reviews here and here). This week, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Taps, now billed as Taps Brewing Company, has managed to navigate the bureaucratic minefield and land a beer in the provincially-run liquor stores. Rye Knot is a rye pale ale. The 473mL can billed it as "the whisky of beers." At 5% and 30 IBUs, it's middling in strength and bitterness. The beer proved to be a next to clear with a handsome copper tone and a sudsy eggshell head.

Grainy to the nose, with roasted malt elements and a whiff of something stronger than ale, Rye Knot delivered a pleasant smell. Its flavour started sweet with a well-roasted and grainy trajectory, but quickly angled toward a spicy hops 'n' rye finish.

Oddly, I wasn't wild about Rye Knot after my first sip, but by the third or fourth (sip, not can), I was really enjoying it. True to the copy on the can, this beer had elements reminiscent of a whisky--spice and sweetness rolled in together.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Golden Vox

A collaborative beer brewed by the beer geniuses of Van Kleek Hill, Ontario, and Canadian hip-hop stud K-OS? Yes. I'll buy that.

Golden Vox is billed as a rye pale lagered ale. It charges the gate at 6% alcohol, 46 IBUs, and pours a beautifully clear golden colour. The 600mL bottle that houses this elixir features a rad, leather-clad, sunglass-sporting fox on the label. The suds pour with a thinnish white head. There is a substantial toasted grain nose that comes with a modicum of bitterness. To my unschooled but evolving palate, there is a grainy, Kölsch-style flavour built alongside a tiny burst of rye warmth. The beer finishes cleanly, with a soupçon of bitterness that agreeably seals the deal.

Golden Vox has only a marginal dose of rye zeal, which let me down a trifle, but this calm and patient offering from Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. offered a nice flavour and an agreeable mouthfeel. Not all that dissimilar from Beau's legendary Lug Tread, Golden Vox adds a faint glimmering of rye charge to the equation to differentiate itself from Beau's stable brew (in truth, they were so similar I worry I couldn't

Tell them apart). There is a slight tinge of wood-aged sweetness that adds a touch of depth to the ale, which provides a bit of oomph.

Fans of Beau's excellent Lug Tread should be particularly intrigued by this oat soda, though I predict widespread satisfaction. It's only slightly richer and subtly different, but worth sampling. As with the vast majority of the Beau's brews I've sampled, Golden Vox is well crafted and pleasant. I'd have liked a bit more variation, but this ale is certainly worth sampling.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Reynard the Fox Golden Wry Ale

Descendants Beer and Beverage Co. really delivered with a great name when they chose to call their rye ale Reynard the Fox Golden Wry Ale. Pretty cool packaging too on its 473mL can. The beer, which hails from Kitchener, Ontario, is a cloudy golden brew. It pours with a wispy layer of off-white foam.

Reynard has a very mild aroma, with some nicely-spiced grain elements. The flavour is also a bit scanty, though what's there is quite pleasant. There are toasty malt notes that support a primarily grainy taste.

Despite its excellent name and packaging, this golden rye ale was just ok. It has some nice things going for it, but came up a bit anemic. It was, however, drinkable and crisp.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Another Way To Rye IPA

Another Way To Rye IPA comes from Franklin, Tennessee, where it is lovingly crafted by the oddly named Turtle Anarchy Brewing Company. During a trip to Nashville, I picked up a growler of this good stuff at an amazing beer seller called Craft Brewed Bottle Shop & Tasting Room. According to the Turtle Anarchy website, this stuff contains 6.2% alcohol and a pretty solid 62 IBUs.

We lugged the growler up to a friend's place but only drank half (she had lots of other beers to contend with). Finished it off a couple of days later--it had gone a bit flat, but still tasted pretty nice. It was a clear, copper coloured ale that had a hoppy, citrusy aroma. There was a healthy hop profile, bolstered by some high flying rye character.

My first impression of this brew was really favourable. The second experience drinking flat beer was less so, but I'd never hold that against them, since it was my fault I didn't finish the growler while it was fresh.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

New Scotland Brews--Propeller Rye IPA

I'm a damn sucker for rye beers. They're spicy and sexy and I love them. So when I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia's Propeller Brewing Company and saw their Propeller Rye IPA, I needed it.

At 6.8%, it's got some heat. I bought a 650mL bottle, and dumped out an elegant, honey-hued brew topped with a fuzzy off-white head. It has a sweet, syrupy fragrance with only a modicum of bitterness. The flavour is also quite sweet--unexpectedly so--and not necessarily ideally. Behind the wall of sweetness, there is some tangy rye and a nice measure of bitterness, but these are a bit downplayed.

Propeller Rye IPA is nice enough, but doesn't hold up compared to their flagship brews like the ESB and the IPA. It's just too sweet.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Fire in the Rye Roasted Rye Pale Ale

With a mouthful of a handle, Fire in the Rye Roasted Rye Pale Ale hails from Guelph, Ontario where it's brewed by the excellent Double Trouble Brewing Co. Hearty, but not overpowering, a 473mL can of Fire in the Rye contains a swampy amber-brown liquid at 6.1% alcohol and 60 IBUs. It pours from the cool, retro, Catcher in the Rye-looking can with a thick and deep fog of cream head. And as the can states, this brew is "deliciously unfiltered".

Spicy rye aromatics link arms with rich caramel and citrus hop notes. The nose is understated, but really quite lovely. The roasted rye and the ample hop bill drive the full flavour of this pale ale. Beneath all of that, there are warm toffee notes a murmur of orange peel, and some notes of raisin.

This is an excellent Ontario beer. In fact, it appears in my previous post, the Five Ontario Beers that Own My Fridge. I was excited when I first saw it on the shelf, I've enjoyed it many times since, and I've not been disappointed one iota. Rye and hops fans will get enough bitterness and spice to keep them cheering, and there's also lots of depth in the flavour. I like this stuff a lot!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

The Matador, Version 2.0: El Toro Bravo

I'd seen The Matador, Version 2.0: El Toro Bravo in the store for a while before deciding to part with the eleven sheckels that it costs to buy a 750mL bottle. Brewed in Barrie, Ontario by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery and sold in a handsome box featuring a very cool painting of a bull, this "Imperial dark rye ale aged on Spanish cedar" clocks in at a demonic 10.1% alcohol. It's a very elegant looking beer: clear, with a reddish honey hue, and blanketed beneath a creamy head. Not as dark as expected, but very sexy. According to the label, El Toro Bravo is the second entry in the Monkeys' Matador Series of suds aged with Spanish cedar. Also, it advised that this beer can be agreeably aged, though not drinking a beer is nowhere to be found in my unique skill set.

El Toro Bravo has a warm and generous nose reminiscent of my cigar humidor. The woody cedar elements are snugly nestled around sweet, malty elements and a hint of spice. The flavour is sweet initially, with soft honey notes and a very woody tenor. Behind that, a bill of rye spice is timidly lounging--not as obvious or as aggressive as I'd like it to be, but undeniably present. There isn't a lot of bitterness to this brew, but that isn't really the point. It has a very smooth, very mellow mouthfeel that makes for enjoyable sipping. A word of caution: El Toro Bravo is a strong ass beer, but its 10.1% is cunningly cloaked, making it dangerously drinkable. If you're not careful, you'll be singing and weaving in the blink of an eye.

The Mat 2.0 is a grand ol' brew. It's not perfect, but it sure is nice. It's a strong beer with significant subtlety and craft. I wanted more rye spice and a bitter finish to compliment the strength, but what I was presented with was certainly worth the purchase price. Would I buy it again? Most def. Would I buy it again tomorrow? Less def. This is an occasional treat--a beer to appreciate on a chilly winter's eve. Flying Monkeys is one of my favourite Ontario brewers, and with El Toro Bravo, they have delivered another winner.  I expected audacity, but was met with a relaxed, contemplative brew. And I liked it. Kudos!

Beer and Canada are like Salt & Pepper ... only different.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Riptide Rye Pale Ale

From the Southern Ontario city of London comes Riptide Rye Pale Ale, a product of the Forked River Brewing Company. Riptide is sold in 500mL bottles and contains a respectable 5.7% alcohol. When I spotted this stuff at my local liquor store, I was actually about to leave for London the following morning for some rock and roll, so I pretty much had to buy it. It pours a cloudy, rusty brown colour underneath a layer of off-white head that was never thick and which faded to a fine disc in no time. 

There's a studly aroma with sweet, malt elements and a bitter rye spiciness. The mouthfeel is much less astringent than I expected-really quite creamy for an R.P.A.--and doesn't have a lot of carbonation. It's flavour is pretty engaging. The flavour kicks off with malt and caramel, but soon passes into a tangy rye finish that is supplemented with a respectably bitter backing.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more brews from Forked River. Riptide isn't my favourite R.P.A. out of Ontario, but it certainly has a nice vibe. Insufficient carbonation and too thin mouthfeel aside, I'll definitely be buying this beer again.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Resurrection Roggenbier

Resurrection Roggenbier from Oakville, Ontario's Cameron's Brewing Co. is my first brush with the roggenbier style. In fact, I'd never heard of it before I saw this 650mL bottle emblazoned with a phoenix at my local liquor retailer. According to the label, roggenbiers were outlawed with the passage of the German Purity Law of 1516, the legendary Reinheitsgebot, since it forbade the use of rye in brewing. Other than the fact that it contains rye and that this one has 5.2% alcohol, that's all I really had to go on.

Resurrection is a gloomy dark ruby ale topped with a dapper cream head. It has a somewhat sweet nose with a bit of cranberry notes. Flavour is also sweetish, and solidly malty. There is a touch of tartness and very little of the rye spiciness that I anticipated. The finish continues to be malty, in a fashion more typical of Belgian ales than German ones.

A neat little brew from a top notch Ontario brewer. Not the kind of beer I'm inclined to purchase on any but rare occasions, but one I'm certainly glad to have experienced.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Winding Road for 7 Km Rye Saison

From Ontario's cottage country comes Winding Road for 7 Km Rye Saison. It's brewed in Gravenhurst by the Sawdust City Brewing Co. and came in a silver 473mL can with a sticker for a label. This little 7% beaut was left in my fridge by a most excellent and generous guest after a New Year's Eve beer and cheese soirée--clearly the social event of 2014. On New Year's Day, still a bit groggy and cheese-bloated, I decided to conduct a co-review with the truly remarkable Sequin Brown, with whom I had somehow never written a review previously.

According to Sequin Brown [and occasionally paraphrased by yours truly], Winding Road had fast flowing bubbles, which were inviting. She described its colour as brassy and "Rock and Roll golden". Aroma-wise, there was a bold, homey, almost concord grape overnote--in fact, upon tasting, she elevated that to "an incomprehensible grapiness". She also noted that some "not quite caramel" was hidden within. The beer had a crisp mouthfeel and was "extremely flavourful, bright, and a little bit mischievous", and was described as "a sultry lighthouse" and showy and loud, like a trumpet.  It had a clean finish with no aftertaste and isn't particularly sessionable.

Sequin Brown determined that Winding Road for 7 Km was worthy of 7 Km out of 10.

In my own estimation, I found Winding Road to be a chipper, slightly hazy golden ale that was seriously fizzy. It poured with a mammoth amount of durable white head. Its aroma was floral, with a gently perfumed yeastiness. It had a bright and sunny mouthfeel with some champagne-like dryness. The flavour had lots of yeast, in a Belgian fashion, and there was ample taste, but it didn't "pop" as much as I'd hoped. There wasn't much of the classic rye spiciness that I was pulling for. To its credit, the 7% alcohol was subtly buried. All in, it was certainly a nice enough little beer.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Main Street Brewing Company--Rye Saison with Saaz

While in Vancouver, I joined some pals for a couple of pints at the Main Street Brewing Company. Given that it was my second brewery of the day, I opted to review only one beer, lest my already questionable impartiality and objectivity slip too far toward loving everything.  I settled on Main Street's Rye Saison with Saaz and had a 12 oz pour. According to the board at the brewery, this stuff contains 6% alcohol and a solid 30 IBUs. It was also a cask ale--my first foray into cask saisons.

When it arrived, I was pleased to see a very cloudy golden ale. It was topped with a thinnish white head. This beer had a very unusual aroma--there was a cacophony featuring sweet hay, a grainy rye spiciness, and a touch of apple. There was a very mellow mouthfeel that somehow managed to be syrupy and thin at the same time. I was expecting a bit more carbonation and life. This beer was sweeter than I'd hoped for, but its flavour was oddly beguiling. There were apple and grape notes, as well as some gentle spice.

This was definitely not a beer ale at all, but I'm not sold on the idea that saisons are well suited to delivery via cask. I later had a pale ale that I didn't review, but which I enjoyed a lot more. I would eagerly return to Main Street, and encourage my readers to check it out.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.