Belgian Rye-PA
Sixpoint Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Sixpoint Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 5.54%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
15
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 30, 2014
Added:
Nov 04, 2007
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
Caramel wheat, rye malt, rock candy pressed from sugar beets, and a unique Abbey yeast strain are a few of the esoteric ingredients artfully blended in this creation. There are also copious amounts of Sixpoint's favorite domestic hops.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.8 by Drew88 from New Jersey

Aug 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of capra12
Reviewed by capra12 from New York

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass,

Appearance: deep slightly cloudy amber and copper and a 3 finger head with great weblike lacing, and moderate head retention.

Smell: I get a ton of rye malts and Belgian yeast.

Taste: Opens with Belgian yeast and a brief dark malt profile before rye malts take over the flavor profile and allow brief waves of yeast and dark belgian candied sugar. There is a distinct bitterness at the very end which I associate with the rye and possibly a mild hop profile.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation, slightly coarse on the palate.

Drinkability: I would definitely have this again, partially because I love rye in my beer. I reccommend this to those seeking a Belgian styled brew and also enjoy rye.
Dec 07, 2010
Photo of kmadison
Reviewed by kmadison from Wisconsin

3.91/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured with an excellent head into tulip glass. Has nice citrus aromas highlighted by Texas grapefruit(the more red large grapefruit, different than the lighter Florida stuff). The other dominant aroma is that of Kvass, must be the rye giving me that. Nice medium mouthfeel, enjoy the finish a lot. The brew has nice balance and a really stays even keeled from the first smell to the finish, no beginning blast or end die-off. Well done and highly recommended.
May 04, 2009
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I got this bottle in a trade with Nutbrown. Thanks Alan!

This pours a reddish brown with a +2 finger head of billowy foam. Head retention looks like it's going to be excellent and there's lots of sticky lacing. The beer is not clear but it isn't murky or cloudy either. All I know is that it looks great in my New Belgium Goblet.

The smell is yeasty and malty and hoppy. Nice combination there.

The taste has a good lemon zestiness up front giving it some bitterness, some rock candy(that's a new one on me) and caramel malt sweetness, and that undeniable flavour of Rye which I'm always a fan of. Light yeast notes are here as well though not as prominant as in the smell. Mmm.. very tasty and.. very drinkable. The abv doesn't show up much at all.

The mouthfeel is close to medium, the carbonation is lightly done, and it finishes with a kick of sweetness and more delicious rye.

Drinkability? This goes down very easy so no problem there aat all.

Bottom line: A very unusual example of the style for me but it is one that I surely favour. In life, "bittersweet" is generaly not a good thing but when it comes to this brew, hehe, it's a great fit for my palate.
Jan 18, 2009
Photo of Jmamay22
Reviewed by Jmamay22 from New York

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Belgian Rye Pale Ale? Sounds interesting. I think this is a beer best approached free of any style guidelines and measured unto itself. I was glad to see a solid lineup of Sixpoint beers at New Beer as I stopped by on a snowy Saturday. I picked up a 32oz. flip top and happily made my way home despite the inclement weather. Enough blabbering onto the beer!

A stone colored head that creates beautiful webbed lacing sits atop the murky ruddy brown beer. Lots of rye going on in the scent. And perhaps more so than any other beer I've previously encountered. The candied sugar (from pressed beets I read somewhere) creates a sugary sweet caramel scent. Combined with the generous hand of hops this is a wild smelling beer. I can't say I'm thrilled by the scent. Intrigued more than anything else.

The taste can quickly be summed as a medium bodied sweetened rye that progresses towards a mild hop and very dry finish. The alcohol is well masked and I wouldn't have guessed its heft according the the flavor. The initial sweetness consists of chocolate and maple syrup with the spiciness of the rye providing balance. The flavor does not linger long on the palate and leaves me wondering "Hmm...What was that? Just what were those flavors? I think I'll go for another sip." Enjoyable, quirky and delicious beer. If this were available to me regularly I'd likely lose interest, but this is a beer worth trying if you can find it.
Jan 11, 2009
Photo of srandycarter
Reviewed by srandycarter from California

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours reddish brown, .5 inch head, reduces to ring. Soapy lacing.

S - Subtle but stronger as warmer. Sweet grain, belgian yeast.

T - Again, more as it warms. Get the candy, some tropical fruit and nice citrus hops. Very well crafted balance.

M - Medium, somewhat creamy, good carb and coating.

D - For the style, very. Not over the top, and the ABV, while high, is well masked and not as high as others.
Oct 29, 2008
Photo of Nickls
Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
(From notes)

A - Dark brown hue, with thin slightly off-white head. Lacing wasn't as great as expected

S - Strong hop aoromas up front that are a bit citruisy, caramel malt sweetness as well

T - Definitely reminds me of other rye brews that I've had. Still pretty hoppy as suggested in aroma, but not nearly as sweet as I might have thought with the added rock candy, chocolate nibs, etc. Kinda wondered when they would show up...

M - Thinner than I would have thought, but pleasant. Of course, lacked any amount of carbonation since it was on cask.

D - This is decently drinkable, but not overly so. I would probably not feel the need for another immediately after finishing one.

Overall, this was an interesting brew, but not nearly as complex as I might have thought. Still, a great brew though
Sep 24, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a slightly fogged dark ruby hued brown. Nose is dough and a touch of perfume at first. Flavor is much better after a few sips. Dough, earth, a hit of rye on the back side, real dark mature fruits. The whole Belgian aspect really isn't kicking me in the mouth too much. Feel is slick and smooth on the liquid. Very easy to drink. Minimal Belgian aspects to this one I have to say. I wanted to try it on tap, but they only had the cask version. I have a feelig the tap version would be a bit more vibrant.
Sep 11, 2008
Photo of hoppymeal
Reviewed by hoppymeal from Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazy rusty dark copper in color with a big fluffy dark cream colored head that laces very nicely. Aroma is nice and hoppy, some good citrus notes, especially some grapefruit. Hints of the rye malt sweetness and nuttiness are evident in the nose and complement the citrus aroma very well. Taste follows with a good dose of rye flavor, some graininess and a zing on the tongue and turns slightly peppery at the finish. Citrusy hops are also very present in the taste. Mouthfeel is creamy medium weight body that the rye and hops cut through with a good pepperiness. Outstanding beer, highly drinkable, thanks Shane for the opportunity to try this one.
Aug 30, 2008
Photo of TheBlackMallard
Reviewed by TheBlackMallard from Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Got this in a trade with Sixpoint.

Poured a dark ruby with a huge long lasting creamy off-white head into my Kuhnhenn tulip. Leaves a lot of lacing.

Smells of bread, caramel, flowery, and citrus.

First tastes are sweet, fruity, spicy rye, followed by grassy, citrus bitterness.

Meduim bodied with a dry finish.

I like this one a lot. Great job Shane, thanks for the trade!
Mar 30, 2008
Photo of brownsbilliards
Reviewed by brownsbilliards from Rhode Island

4.34/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
We got some brewer labeled bottles at the EBF for the Billiard's tasting room. Lots of yeast in the bottle, showing the bottle conditioning. The rye and hops are prominent in the nose. If they are showcasing the rye, it's done very nicely. Not as dry as the Six Point Belgian IPA, but still quite dry. Very drinkable, but a bottle would probably do.

BB Reviewers: Dan, Joe, Ray, Larry.
Mar 29, 2008
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Listed on BA as, “Sixpoint Belgian Rye Pale Ale.” Referred to by brewer as, “Brumski Belgian Rye,” and said to be more of a strong dark ale than a strong pale ale. Still, a tough beer to place into a traditional category.

Note: Bottle leaked slightly in transport, however, I don’t feel that it negatively affected the beer. (If it did then whoa, this is something great) Still, the condition of the bottle should be kept in mind for this review.

Bottle Presentation: Brown 12 oz bottle with a brown and orange label. A giant warning from the surgeon general makes up half the bottle and informs me that beer retards children and kills machine operators. No date listed. Beer Type listed in black marker as “Brumski Belgian Rye.”

Appearance: Translucent dark amber when held to light, otherwise a murky mud color with golden hues and a thin lightly tanned lacing.

Aroma: Initially a blast of day old coffee grounds catches me by surprise but that is soon over shadowed by a yeasty banana aroma that grows as the beer warms. The banana aroma is comparable to Ale Asylum’s Diablo. Very resinous and spicy (clove?). Rye malt is overshadowed by the yeast, but in a good way.

Taste: Front is loaded with banana and generally fruity yeast notes. Middle contains some rye, touches of caramel, and a hint of cotton candy like sweetness. Those flavors, however, are short-lived, especially once the beer nears room temperature. For the most part this is a beer that goes straight from the mildly sweet, fruity front to an intensely spicy and increasingly well hopped finish. Black pepper and clove.

Mouthfeel: Yeasty and candy like sweetness and spicy hops play off each other in each sip. Still, the body maintains an overall light but earthy feel. The hops become ever more pronounced as the beer warms until they linger on the tongue and breath. Mildy tangy. Robust flavor yet a mellow body. Well done.

Drinkability: I only have one bottle to sample but I sure wish I had more. I would say very good to excellent.

Many thanks to BA Barrelman for this and other Sixpoint samples.
Dec 04, 2007
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

4.32/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a medium copper hue with a one finger creamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured an artful combination of clove spice, yeast esters, hop oil and rye malt.

The taste was similarly complex, with the spicy elements - the rye malt and the cloves - coming through first and the smoother, but heavier flavors - oily hop and candy sugar, appearing toward the finish.

The mouthfeel was toward the fuller end.

Overall a very tasty and complex ale. Excellent on cask.
Nov 05, 2007
Photo of jwc215
Reviewed by jwc215 from Arizona

4.26/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-cask at The Brazen Head (Brooklyn):

Poured murky, dark copper with a little head that soon disappeared, leaving virtually no lacing.

The smell was of berry-like fruitiness, some caramel, cotton candy, clove, spiced yeast and a touch of smoke. Wonderfully complex and inviting.

The taste was of fruity, candy sweetness and clove-like spiciness. A touch of smoke and spiced yeast play in nicely. Rye dryness balances it all out in the finish.

Medium-bodied and pretty smooth.

A nicely crafted brew. Unique, complex, enjoyable. Flavors work well together.
Nov 04, 2007
Belgian Rye-PA from Sixpoint Brewery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 15 ratings