Founders Red's Rye PA - Founders Brewing Company

guinness33

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an awesome looking, somewhat cloudy amber colour with a BIG frothy/chunky tan head that subsides somewhat quickly but leaves globs of residue on the glass. Great looking stuff.

The aroma has a sourness to it, along with a bit of sweetness from caramel and dark berries blended with some bread and hints of dirt. Not bad, but something just seemed a bit...off.

Flavour continues the tart/sweet mixture of fruit and bread flavours from the rye, and also throws some unexpected smokiness into the mix. Strike that: it's not true smokiness, but a cross between that and what I would imagine a burnt piece of wood might taste like. It's not necessarily an out of place flavour, but it's not one hundred percent "right" for the flavour profile either. Didn't love said flavour, but also didn't hate it. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a chewy slickness to it.

I can't put my finger on this beer. Some sips I was of the mindset that it was a well crafted, interesting beer, but on others it seemed like a jumbled mess. Weird. I normally like rye in beers but wasn't completely convinced with this one. It's complex and caught my attention, but didn't make me completely enjoy the experience. Huh.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2008 03:42:03 | More by guinness33

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%

05-18-2013 21:09:13 | More by Photekut

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev -5%

05-18-2013 14:59:25 | More by drgonzo2k2

Kevincredible

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-17-2013 22:53:23 | More by Kevincredible

carlosega

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-17-2013 19:22:44 | More by carlosega

thaghost

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5%

05-17-2013 17:33:53 | More by thaghost

dan027

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -28.7%

05-17-2013 02:52:48 | More by dan027

Westuh

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-16-2013 18:42:38 | More by Westuh

allisonastra

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-16-2013 15:29:16 | More by allisonastra

cmdmzmjm

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-16-2013 02:22:03 | More by cmdmzmjm

russwilliam

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-16-2013 01:30:38 | More by russwilliam

augustwest0823

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-16-2013 01:05:42 | More by augustwest0823

inanity

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +18.8%

05-16-2013 00:37:56 | More by inanity

gfap61

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-15-2013 20:45:51 | More by gfap61

Matt73

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-15-2013 17:49:27 | More by Matt73

Joey1566

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -5%

05-15-2013 13:41:16 | More by Joey1566

HarmonMW

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-13-2013 21:48:31 | More by HarmonMW

davesway10

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-13-2013 20:38:02 | More by davesway10

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-13-2013 19:23:09 | More by Dcunicelli

ShreddedThumb

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

The Dorm Room Review

Blessed with a cornucopia of Founders' beers at my disposal, Red's Rye PA never found its way into my shopping cart. Now, it's been poured and ready to be scored.
This review was written while listening to: a live Melvins Lite live concert.

Poured into a blue solo cup (definitely planning on buying a snifter or a pint glass soon).

Appearance: Slightly reddish, mostly amber. Great frothy head.

Smell: Nice rye beer smell. The permeating rye scents coupled with some fruity additions really entice the drinker.

Taste: Imagine a craft beer-nerd scientist places a rye beer and an IPA in the Large Hadron Collider. In my mind, after a long period of pseudo-cosmic tribulation, Red's Rye PA starts dripping from the ceiling, at which point, Founders' flies all the way from Michigan to bottle the Higgs-Boson runoff. As amazing as that sounds, RRPA is sort of generic. The hoppy bitterness is there, and rye flavors certainly show up; however, I'm not blown away by either. Unfortunately, the pleasant tropical fruit aromas aren't apparent in the taste. Unlike Lagunitas' Brown Suggah, which had excellent fruity notes, Red's Rye PA wallows in mediocrity.

Mouthfeel: Light remnants of rye linger. Slight (and I mean SLIGHT) hop bitterness. Not bad.

Overall: I really wanted to like Red's Rye PA, and I certainly found enjoyment in the rye IPA; however, I feel that RRPA could be so much more, in terms of flavor. It looks nice, it smells great, but the taste leaves me expecting more. I would toss a few more tropical fruits into the mix. Since I'm only an hour or so away from the Founders' Brewhaus, breaking and entering doesn't seem half bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:57:28 | More by ShreddedThumb

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-12-2013 17:15:57 | More by mikeburd1128

amcaleh

Indiana

4/5  rDev -5%

05-12-2013 16:28:18 | More by amcaleh

ipas-for-life

Virginia

4/5  rDev -5%

05-12-2013 16:02:41 | More by ipas-for-life

artoolemomo

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-12-2013 02:53:44 | More by artoolemomo

DPMomutant

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-11-2013 06:44:49 | More by DPMomutant