Founders Red's Rye PA
Founder's Red Rye, from Bruisin' Ales, Asheville, NC. Poured into a tulip. Appearance: A heavily hazed, dirty reddish-brown with an initial finger of bubbly, sticky tan head. The lacing it leads after it fades is moist but clingy, erratic, and patch-like, with occasional larger bubble-like formations popping up amidst blobs of more delicate sheet-like lace. Carbonation is plentiful and very fine-bubbled, creeping around the sides of the glass and up to the ring of tan foam. Very nice. Aroma: Heavily roasted, bready malts are large up front here, coupled with a decent array of leafy, herbal (minty), and citrusy (orange zest) hops and a healthy dose of spicy, earthy rye. Darker malts emerge as it warms, with hints of cocoa and caramel. The earthy, woody crispness of the rye really comes through in the finish of this one. Taste: Very similar to the nose. Specifically, the malts are heavily roasted, with notes of sticky, doughy bread, caramel, light buttery notes, and faint coffee; the rye gives it an earthy character and crispness that begins to take shape about mid-sip and really comes into its own as it progresses into the finish; and the hops lend both a mild bitterness that again comes through mid-sip and melds seamlessly with the rye prickle nearer the finish as well as a few lightly tart, fruity, and minty hop flavors. Enjoyable. Mouthfeel: Amazingly smooth and even, crisp and full-bodied, both soft and silky but nonetheless firm and solid, with that good "hop protein" body, no doubt assisted by the rye. Drinkability: One of the best if not the best rye beer I've ever tried. Everything melds very well here, with a handful of distinctly noticeable and enjoyable but nonetheless well-connected and mutually-supporting flavors and aromas. Not too terribly much wrong here - comes highly recommended.