Hop Rod Rye

Bear Republic Brewery, Healdsburg, CA

ABV: 8.0% (Alcohol By Volume)
IBU: ?? (International Bitterness Unit)

I usually enjoy the commentary written on the bottles of these specialty ales and so I will continue to share them with you. This is the latest from Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye specialty ale.

"Hop Rod Rye is a high performance, turbo charged, alcohol burnin' monster ale with dual overhead hop injection, made with 18% rye."

I poured my first glass into my Unibroue tulip glass. It is a gorgeous amber mahogany color. The head is tan and thick. This glass was able to retain the head for quite some time. As it subsided while I was letting it warm the head sat stout like Richard Dreyfus had carved it out of mashed potatoes in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". The beer has an unbelievably dense and flavorful appearance. I'm super excited to drink it because I have never had a beer partly comprised with rye malt.

This tulip glass concentrates the nose. I am glad I chose this glass because burying your nose over the fading head is bliss. The hops aroma is explosive! The bitter aroma is a little humbling and give sooth to the saying on the bottle. There is a balancing floral aroma and notes of warming alcohol which are not a surprise with a high alcohol content ale. The rye counterparts are unmistakeably accountable for pine and peppercorn punch. Lets take a sip of this bad boy!

"Wooooooooaaaah!" was an audible utterance from my jaw dropped chomper despite my undeniable solo performance of drinking beer and watching superbowl Ex-El-eye-eye-eye. The mouthfeel is cleansing and dense. It coats the mouth cleanly and comfortably. I would typically expect a biting and stinging carbonation from a hoppy IPA. This part-rye ale brings a hop perception and powerful bitter flavor with delightfully smooth and creamy taste. The rye malt adds the sweet unique peppery flavor of glorious (who-du-thunk) rye bread. This is certainly a fun and complex beer to drink. The finish is of hops and malt. This beer moistens the mouth rather than leaving it dry and chapped. Fortunately it is as if you are left watering and craving more. Perhaps this is the case.

This bear is truly unique. It is delicious, creamy, and fun for those hop heads looking for some other way to torture their taste buds. Bear Republic does it again in my book and I am beginning to believe that they are truly some form of Samurai paying homage to the hop. Enjoy and let me know what you folks think! P.S. I need to give a shout out to Mr. G's Beverage company for having a rad beer selection!

DRU: 96 (Dan's Rating Unit)