Sitting Pretty American Pale Ale

Billed as one of Black Lab Brewing’s flagship offerings, Sitting Pretty American Pale Ale leapt out at me because of the use of rye malt, alongside Citra and Barbe Rouge. Sold in attractive 500mL bottles, the 4.5% ale looks pretty good too—a hazy, dull gold brew under a layer of eggshell foam.

The Toronto-born APA has a bitter, tangy grapefruit nose. For flavour, Sitting Pretty pairs citrus with a slightly floral note to create a mellow yet crisp offering, with a hefty taste that belies its low alcohol stats.

Like a good flagship beer should, Sitting Pretty is uncomplicated, but it isn’t simple. An eminently quaffable APA, SP provides a plus amount of flavour while delivering a session-friendly experience, leaving the drinker eager for more, but not buffeted with tricks and flash. If I were holding the leash, I might have pulled this one up to 5% and given free rein to the rye elements, but what came in the bottle was perfectly agreeable.

Rating: 8.0 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.

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.

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.

Hot Rod Rye

Hot Rod Rye is brewed in Healdsburg/Cloverdale, California, by the Bear Republic Brewing Co. According to the label on the 355mL bottle, this stuff is brewed with 18% rye. It contains a healthy 8% alcohol and pours the cloudy copper colour of an old penny.

Hot Rod has a layered and complicated aroma--there's a malty sweetness that is supplanted by a hearty hop profile and some boozy warmth. The flavour begins with a somewhat unexpected helping of sweetness, with some raisin notes. The back end has some rowdy hop crunch and a solid slap of toasty booze. Throughout, there's a nice rye spiciness.

This beer is at once textured and fierce. It's a rich and punchy rye ale.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Cameron's RPA

Cameron's RPA comes from the Cameron's Brewing Co. in Oakville, Ontario. I had a pint on tap at a local watering hole.  According to the Cameron's website, the RPA contains 6.6% alcohol. It's a brassy, cloudy pint, topped with an off-white head.  It has a beautiful citrus-y hop aroma with a pretty boisterous grapefruit presence.  It has a tart, citrus flavour with more than ample hop bitterness.  Grapefruit is a huge contributor. It has all of the bitterness of a conventional IPA--I'd guess that this stuff has a pretty substantial IBU count--but a little something extra too.  The big hop presence continues through the finish.

I used this rye beer to wash down a smoked meat on rye and it was fantastic.  The brew is high quality deliciousness.  It's the only Ontario rye beer that I've ever seen and it only seems to be available in select bars.  If you see it, buy it.  You want to try it.  Trust me.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.