100 Barrel Series #37: Rich & Dan's Rye IPA

Hazy amber, with a thick yellow-tan head. Piney hops, rye malt, caramel aroma. Taste is rye, caramel malt, Nice steady bittering. Good.

On draught at Black Bear Saloon in BDL. The beer pours a clear pale amber color with a medium white head that evaporates steadily. Strings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of herbal hops and roast malt. Medium-bodied with a moderately bitter hops character with rye and caramel malt flavors in the background. The finish is hoppy with a mildly spiced rye aftertaste. Above average overall.

Bottle from Half Time. Pours copper with a creamy off-white head that laces a bit. Aroma is lightly rye with some mixed, mostly citrus(?), hop. Med body. The rye spice is very present, and there’s some grapefruit aspects, and perhaps a little light pitted fruit. Finishes rye and dry and decently bitter. Nice.

Bottle. Pours a clear orange with medium frothy white head. The aroma is citrus and honey. Medium mouthfeel with a sweet hop and honey with nice smooth finish. Easy to drink hiding alcohol well, a very good IPA from Harpoon.

Bottle sample at a tasting at kerenmk’s place. Thanks zvikar. Hazy amber. Aroma of some malt, piney and citric hops, a bit "green", and a light stale notes. Flavor has a bit of malt, spicy rye notes and slightly stale hops bitterness. Medium-bodied.

Location: Draft at HopsScotch, 9/22/11

Aroma: The nose has some rye bread, citrus hops, some spice, and a little pine
Appearance: It pours a cloudy caramel color with a small beige head and heavy lace
Flavor: This one tastes light sweet, with some rye and spice, and a medium hop bitterness
Palate: The body is medium, it feels slightly sticky, has a soft carbonation, and a somewhat dry finish
Overall Impression: Harpoon did a good job here melding the rye and classic IPA flavors together into a successful beer. I certainly enjoyed it.

Moderate grass and orange peel nose. Clear copper, medium head, good lace. Bready malt flavor, balanced by grass and lillies. Solid bitterness, but not so biting. No west coast character, but a nice offering and change of pace. Good hop diversity and balance. I like more of a citrus note in an IPA, but I can’t argue with the results of this one.

On tap at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, pours a hazy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma brings out candied sugar on top, with the rye to follow and some mild citrus hops. Flavour of heavy rye and rock candies, with citrusy hops lingering on the mouthfeel. This one is cloyingly sweet and not in good balance. Way too much of the candy, shy on the rye and shy on the hops. Not good.

Super hazy golden coloured body with a rich, honey and light copper glow with a thick, dense, three centimetre tall tan head - very nice. Aroma of pungent rye and other grains, some bright earthy and citric hop notes with quite a bit of herbal and grassy accents. Medium-bodied; Assertive rye flavour with a long-lasting hop bitterness, a great malt backbone and some herbal and yeastie notes to be aware of. Aftertaste shows mostly the hop bitterness, some good malt/rye glances and a definite herbal flavour to tail off to. Overall, a very nice Rye IPA - perhaps one of the better ones that I’ve had, with a great balance and enough of the grain to show notes of, but not too much to take away from the IPA qualities of this one. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Liqour Outlet in Boonton, New Jersey for US$1.65 on 22-July-2012 sampled at home in Washington on 11-September-2012 for the11th anniversary of the attacks in New York and here in town. Cheers to all the brave men and women who continue to fight for us in response to the attacks.