Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

mattcrill

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Spicy and floral hop aromas up front. Dark bread aromatics that provide a nice balance. Classically clean SN fermentation character that allows the floral hop notes to shine.

Appearance: Brick red pour with sticky off white head. Pillowy head that retains well.

Flavor: Spicy assertive hop notes up front. Earthy and leafy hop bitterness provides a good flavorful base. Some bread crust-like malt character serves as the foundation and provides a little balance. Balance is decidedly bitter but the crusty malt notes provide an interesting character that offsets all the hop character. Finish is clean and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly oily with no alcohol heat.

Overall impression: A nicely done, classically SN rye IPA. All I would expect from SN's version of a rye beer. Plenty hoppy with nice malt accents to keep it interesting and round out the flavor profile. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 21:44:30 | More by mattcrill

Illos

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-23-2013 04:56:04 | More by Illos

UWBadgerFan4Life

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-23-2013 02:03:39 | More by UWBadgerFan4Life

tswater

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

05-23-2013 00:45:13 | More by tswater

Marty91

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

05-22-2013 21:54:03 | More by Marty91

DStoked

Ohio

3/5  rDev -23.3%

05-22-2013 13:47:10 | More by DStoked

watermelonman

California

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pouring to a deep gold amber, this looks great in glass with moderate head and lace. Mild carbonation keeps up throughout.

Citrus hops and rye dominate the smell, and in taste are joined by barely enough caramel malt to give body and balance. The flavors I want and love in a rye pale are a little flat and flimsy, especially considering the lighter mouthfeel, but in terms of a balanced IPA this is as well done as any. The spicy taste of rye is apparent but I usually want more body to back it. The finish is clean and lightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 05:10:20 | More by watermelonman

BigOldOaf

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-22-2013 03:01:17 | More by BigOldOaf

Kingcurio

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-21-2013 01:51:24 | More by Kingcurio

Lucoli

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

05-21-2013 01:22:53 | More by Lucoli

tittymcj

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank at a bar in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Good looking beer. Nice and frothy, lots of head. Solid color and clarity.

Very smooth, if I remember correctly. Not a lot of bite, but not overbearing with the malty flavors. Very well balanced.

I'd recommend for being a good beer, but not particularly impressive on any front.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 13:51:53 | More by tittymcj

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-20-2013 04:10:58 | More by Kmat10

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

This beer always gives me the knarliest farts. They fucking stink too. The beer's good, and the 6.6% always leaves my liver working hard to make me sober enough to work the next morning. I like the fact that I can drink a bunch of it, fart enough to make my domain a gas chamber, then wake up and walk out of the room without noticing the deadly smell that the beer gave me. It leaves a chalky hungover taste in your mouth after you drink 10 and wake up without brushing your teeth, but that's the life of a true alcoholic. An alcoholic's beer if the ABV were a touch higher and the farts were a bit stinkier.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 07:33:05 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

nick_asian

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

05-19-2013 07:11:41 | More by nick_asian

Budinetz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-19-2013 06:55:07 | More by Budinetz

bluestar0828

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

05-18-2013 21:10:51 | More by bluestar0828

jbarletto

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

05-18-2013 15:05:08 | More by jbarletto

mattsucks

Ohio

3/5  rDev -23.3%

05-18-2013 14:10:30 | More by mattsucks

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -23.3%

05-18-2013 06:58:11 | More by beernads

anewlanguage

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

05-17-2013 22:31:18 | More by anewlanguage

Newenglandcraftbrew

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

05-17-2013 21:18:44 | More by Newenglandcraftbrew

BeerRefugee

Oklahoma

3.44/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light copper color. Moderate off-white head with good retention and moderate lacing. Medium rye and herbal hops in the aroma. Flavor is mild caramel malt, grassy and piney hops and a moderate dose of rye. The spiciness of the rye and bitterness of the hops predominate--I would have liked a bit more malt for some sweetness and balance. This is a beer that couldn't really decide what it wants to be--it needs more hops and rye to be a really aggressive rye IPA. Or it needs more caramel sweetness to be a more "mainstream" beer. Instead, they split the difference and the result, while good, is not as good as it could have been.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 21:05:43 | More by BeerRefugee

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-17-2013 12:45:38 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

somethingcreative

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

05-17-2013 01:01:53 | More by somethingcreative

AL89BR

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

05-16-2013 23:04:07 | More by AL89BR