WWBG: Taste Is In The Rye Of The Beholder

WWBG

Editor’s Note: This column is sponsored by Georgetown Square Wine and Beer (10400 Old Georgetown Rd.).

This column was written by Georgetown Square Wine and Beer customer Garrett Cruce. Follow his beer travels on Instagram.

I’m very excited to talk rye beers, one of my favorite varieties. Rye beers can come in a bunch of different styles, but I’ll be focusing on rye IPAs today. There are several traditional European styles that use rye, but to narrow our focus even more, I’m taking a look at the trend in American brewing.

This variety has a significant amount of rye in it’s grain mixture. Known as “adjuncts,” grains such as rye, corn and rice are used in addition to the primary grain, barley, in brewing. Adjuncts can be used in small amounts to achieve varying effects or to cut down on the amount of barley needed.

Rye is traditionally used to improve the appearance of the head — rye beers often generate thick, creamy and long-lasting heads. But increasingly, American craft brewers are adding more rye to special beers to showcase its spicy and mildly sour flavor. Now is the time to explore and enjoy the charms of rye beers, as many of them are in season for late fall and early winer.

Great Divide Brewing Co. Showdown Rye IPA, ABV: 8.3%, Denver, CO

This bomber is a smooth and refined rye IPA with the balanced hop and malt character that you want in a rye. A good pour creates a beautiful creamy head that lasts. The spice of the rye comes through with the clean hop bitterness in both the aroma and the flavor. Very drinkable even with the high alcohol content.

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPAFirestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA, ABV: 8.3%, Paso Robles, CA

This toasty black rye IPA won the Great American Beer Festival gold medal for black ales in 2012 and 2013.

The rye spice is downplayed, as are the hops, in favor of the dark roast dryness of the black malt. This is a complex beer that unlocks its rye and hop flavors as it warms in the glass. The sourness, albeit very mild, that can come with using rye is present here. It’s a treat.

Southern Tier 2X Rye AleSouthern Tier 2XRye Ale, ABV: 8.1%, Lakewood, NY

This double ale has all the sweetness that the ABV suggests, unlike the beers above.

That’s part of the charm. The spicy rye flavor is more subtle with this beer, but it’s there and really adds to the overall experience. This is perennially a delicious beer.

Otter Creek Brewing Co. Kind Ryed IPAOtter Creek Brewing Co. Kind Ryed IPA, ABV: 6.0%, Middlebury, VT

Otter Creek is just making its way on to my radar here in Montgomery County. This IPA is big on piney hops with enough of the rye spice that sets it apart from other IPAs. The aroma is all hops — big pine. The alcohol might not be there, but the flavor is there in spades. Get this one now, because it’s in season.

Terrapin Beer Co. Rye Pale AleTerrapin Beer Co. Rye Pale Ale, ABV: 5.5%, Athens, GA

Terrapin won the Great American Beer Festival gold medal for American pale ales in 2002 — the year Rye Pale Ale released.

This beer has a malty character similar to British pale ales when cold, but the hop flavor comes through as the beer warms. The rye spice lingers in the background, but becomes more pronounced with warming. At 5.5 percent, this is a sessionable beer that can be enjoyed over the course of an evening.

Community discussion guidelines: Our sponsored columns are written by members of the local business community. While we encourage a robust and open discussion, we ask that all reviews of the businesses — good or bad — be directed to another venue, like Yelp. The comments section is intended for a conversation about the topic of the article.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up