Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Beer Deluxe. From notes.

A - Poured really hazy. Medium brown colour. Good carbonation. Really fluffy two finger white head leaving decent lace and and rings of retention.

S - Rich malt, mild citrus, dark fruit. Mild.

T - Lot's of hop flavour, rich malt, spicy rye.

M - Spicy dryness in teh finish, good carbonation, medium body.

O/D - Pretty neat. Lot's of flavour and not bad to sit and sip but the spicy rye was a bit much. Otherwise alright.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:41:28 | More by tbeckett

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer pours a deep copper color with a thick cap of foam above. The aroma is floral hops, not much from the malt. On the palate, the malt, the bite of the rye and the bitterness of the hops meld to form a smooth drinking, balanced beer. The mouthfeel is thick from the grains. There is nothing ruthless about it, but it is a smooth drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 01:46:16 | More by BeardedBoffin

wowbagger

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a thin pale orangish-red. Decent head that dissipates quickly.

From the bottle it reeks of hops, but that is dispersed much better in the glass. Smells as if there are a few different hops going on.

First sip gives a nice kick with some sweetness, fruit and a generous dollop of hop. A little dry, maybe.

A larger swallow comes of mellower, though the hops are a little one-note in a sense and it still dried out my mouth. A decent complexity in the back of my mouth that's malty and round, but I would have liked a little more balance from the hops.

Overall, it's a better than average IPA. Wouldn't be the best IPA to win over those who don't like the style but it's enjoyable for someone like me who likes less aggressive ones.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 00:23:36 | More by wowbagger

claspada

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber-hued body with a noted clarity and capped by a tall, off-white head. Fair smattering of lace on the way down.

Aromas begin mildly spicy, grassy, citrusy and piney. Grainy pale maltiness with a little underlying rye maltiness. Expected more from the malts given he color.

The tastes begin with grainy, pale malts with the expected spicy rye malt character. Lightly sweet upfront, a sweetness that soon fades away as the bitterness accumulates on the tongue. Citrusy flavors of pithy grapefruit and sweet orange zest. A bit more grainy on the back, with some lesser floral, grassy hop flavors. Dry, lingering finish.

The mouthfeel is mediumt to light bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is quite crisp and clean overall.

Overall, this was a nice beer but rather ordinary. I want more rye or more hops or something. It basically tastes like their standard pale ale or IPA with a little rye.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:01:05 | More by claspada

BHopp12

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Poured an amber color that was very clear with a fluffy white head that leaves a very nice lacing behind.

S: A strong hop presences with a little bit of the rye behind it. Very hoppy presences though!

T: Very hoppy taste to it, almost like candy! Then the rye hits you with a bitter finish

M: Carbonation was medium to little very good in my opinion, bitter with a mild alcohol feel to it

O: Very good beer, definitly one I will have again and highly recommend like all Sierra offerings

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 16:30:43 | More by BHopp12

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a deep amber color with a small head which dissapates quickly and minimal lacing.

The smell is heavy on rye and citrus hops. There is also a bread like smell and the smell of spices, possibly pepper.

The brew hits the mouth with a bitter taste and the oil of hops resin is present. The oil lingers in the mouth after swallowing, the taste of pepper also lingers.

The taste is full of rye, bread, spices, mostly pepper and hops. One can also taste the oil of the hops.

This is my first rye beer; it was interesting. Bready, citrusy, and pepper. A somewhat complex and hoppy taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 23:03:34 | More by microbrewlover

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

on tap at a few places around philly

Pours a clear auburn color with a light coating of white head. Tons of sticky and splotchy lacing on the glass with rings left behind after each sip.

Bitter piney hops in the nose with some light rye-induced spice. Faint sweetness with caramel and bread crust.

Starts off with a nice amount of bitter pine hops with some earthy notes. Spice from the rye attempts to creep in, tempered by some softer caramel. Decent malt backbone, touches of bread crust. Finishes bitter and light.

Thinner medium body, decent carbonation, feels a little watery and soft to me. I’m a fan of rye beers so I was looking forward to this but it fell a little flat for me. More rye spice and more hop flavor would really set it off nicely. For comparison’s sake, I had a Founders Red’s Rye after this and it blew it out of the water.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 22:40:04 | More by xnicknj

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on February 3, 2012

A: Redish with a substantial head and lacing.

S: Mostly citric hops, but not all that pronounced.

T: Bitter citric and piney hops with a sweeter citrus hiding. The malt is a pleasantly fully and bread and faintly sweet. The finish is slightly dry and long.

M: Full and creamy.

O: Maybe I'm just not in the right mood for this beer right now, or maybe it wasn't stored very well, but it doesn't do much for me. That said, there's nothing bad about it. I'd rather have a Righteous.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 01:15:23 | More by greybeardloon

JG-90

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into glass gives a large, creamy, tan head. Beer is amber/copper with hints of red, gold, and brown. Head settles down to a small, slightly rocky cap, before falling to a film on top with heavy lacing. Smells of peppery rye, licorice, and a touch of light caramel malt, and just a hint of resin. Not getting much IPA/hoppy nose here.

Taste follows the nose, too my slight dissapointment. Getting a good deal of great rye flavors, but missing the hops/citrus expected from a SN IPA. There is a bit of a citrus/resinous finish however. Mouthfeel is just a bit lighter than heavy, with medium/high carbonation, just the right amount of chewiness. In my opinion a very good beer, but not as much flavor as hoped on the IPA side of things.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 23:59:13 | More by JG-90

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

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle to Pint.

Ruthless Rye goes in the Sierra Nevada Tulip easy with not any cap or nothing. There is just the smallest bits of white bubbles towards the edge of the glass that die when on the surface, lifeless beer, no stick. smell is rye malt to the max with some faint caramel and a spicy sense. Some piney resins come up to with more whiffs. Taste is even between the rye and the IPA. Rye comes first than a small hit of pined hops. Small traces of caramel throughout. feel is a bit thin, I would say bordering on thin. Carb comes and goes off of the tounge, leaving a resinous effect afterwards. Bitterness is not that large, the rye malt takes care of that. I can say that while this was a noble attempt, it just misses the mark for me. I will try more bottles and a draft to see what's what though.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:45:59 | More by onix1agr

keanex

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel tulip from a 2012 bottle with no freshness date.

A: Beautiful, clear dark amber with a towering light tan foam head. This is a beer that looks like it wants to be drunk!

S: Slight rye spice with earthy notes and slight citrus.

T: Really spicey from the rye from start to finish they really are ruthless with the rye. It sort of overpowers the flavor sadly, there's a slight grapefruit bite at the end, but this is very one-dimensional. I'm not liking this very much.

M: Medium bodied with sharp carbonation.

O: I was expecting more from this, it's not very well balanced, but thankfully it is priced decently. Even so, I won't be buying it again, Hop Rod is a much better option.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 03:50:37 | More by keanex

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is nice and malty with a little bit of pepperiness. It actually smells like hot cereal, or a mash when making beer. Very fresh, very raw, it does not smell like an IPA though, and that is what I would expect.

This is a great looking beer, it's a really nice amber color with a very fluffy light tan head that hangs around indefinitely. Visible carbonation streaming from the bottom of the etched glass just adds to the gorgeous look. This is how beer should look.

Ruthless Rye is very floral on the palate which adds to that distinct rye flavor that accompanies it. The maltiness from the nose comes out as bread and biscuits. The bitterness is well hidden, and I didn't really feel it until the finish.

Overall this is an above average beer. The carbonation comes out on the moderate side, and the body is medium-light. It is actually extremely drinkable, though I still wouldn't call it session able. A nice beer though.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:26:46 | More by tlazaroff

vkv822

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into tulip snifter.

Pours a dark orange with a foamy, craggy off white head with decent lacing.

The aroma is of piney, peppery hops, with a very faint earthiness perhaps?

Taste follows the nose, piney and spicey notes. Decent, but nothing too exciting.

A medium body, a good bit of prickly carbonation.

A decent beer. I probably wouldn't have guessed that rye was used. I feel it did add a slight peppery spice, but it could also be written off as hops I would think.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 10:03:37 | More by vkv822

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a nice looking amber color with a white head on top. The smell of the beer has some nice hop aromas with the addition of the rye in there too. The taste of the beer had a pretty good balance of spicy rye with the fresh hop flavors. The mouthfeel of the beer was good, nice carbonation and drinkablity to it. Overall this beer wasn't too bad, I'd drink it again if I came across it and was in the mood to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 04:00:04 | More by Knapp85

Dodt

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

the box art work caught my eye thought what the heck. poured from the bottle into a pint glass.
with a nice bouncy head and a nice amber color it isn't to hoppy in smell. i was expecting more rye flavor but this beer doesn't dissapoint . for me this is another wonderful beer from the people at sierra nevada.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 02:04:38 | More by Dodt

mjpolzin

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I didn't really care for this beer. The only reason I gave it slightly respectable marks is that I do like IPAs over a lot of other styles of beer.

The rye was definitely present in the taste so they did get that right in making an IPA with rye malts. The hop taste just wasn't strong enough for me and the beer even had a bit of a watery aftertaste.

I do enjoy some other beers by Sierra Nevada but I don't think I will be buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:25:52 | More by mjpolzin

PatDreadful

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a DFH Chalice.

Appearance: Looks great with a nice light brown color that is completely transparent. The egg sheall colored head is large and maintains throughout the session. Very nice.

Smell: There is the typical SN hop bill that I've grown to love. Lush tropical citrus with a touch of piney notes to really keep everything grounded. The rye provides an earthy spice that only serves to enhance the pine notes. Again, very well done.

Taste: Ah, that is what I'm looking for. The citrus hits you up front with grapefruit dominating which gives way to that wonderful piney spice acheived through the hops and the rye and then all of the sudden, it is gone. The flavor loses steam half way through my swallow and I am just left with a lingering taste of mild malt. No spice and certainly no hops. This is a huge dissapointment.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with medium carbonation. Very good for the style but I could have used just a bit more in the way of carbonation

I was left underwhelmed by the hops in this beer. It certainly wasn't bad but I think there are much better rye options and certainly much better pale ale options out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 15:17:58 | More by PatDreadful

GNWBC

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Not a fan of IPA's but they are growing on me slowly, picked this over the SA alpine Spring.
P: pours a sexy reddish copper color with a decent head and nice lacing that lasts all the way down.

S: lots of sweet rye, roasty and sweet

T: you get a awesome citrusy hoppy note up front and as it settles the rye spiyness comes out with the sweet malt

MF: for being so hoppy it goes down clean, almost no resin lasting in the mouth.

OA: a good way to bring in spring, nice and refreshing while enjoying some good weather! and a grilled bbq chicken pizza.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 23:11:22 | More by GNWBC

farrago

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

You get a little over a finger’s worth of very even foam, dense with a few islands of larger bubbles, wispy lacing without much stick, retention is average and unremarkable. Deep bronze hued liquid, clear with an orange to yellow tint at the glass bottom, the bubbles are tiny and spread wide, shines brightly. The rye gives the nose a pleasing rugged to raw feel, scrubs deeply, fairly herbal with grapefruit pith and unprocessed grains, rock salt, you only get the powdered chocolate as it warms, any flowers or fruit muted. Medium-bodied, muscular in feel, flexes more than flows, the carbonation isn’t aggressive nor creamy, just nudges things now and then. The orange, tangerine to pink grapefruit citrus starts out sweet and then yields to the herbaceousness, pine cone and rye. The peach, apricot, pineapple fruit speaks more clearly here. Light toastiness but not doughy nor bready per se. Hard to find a distinct flavor profile to the malts, at most basic milk chocolate. Solidly constructed yet unremarkable, which is not really a slam at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 04:34:11 | More by farrago

iabeerbaron

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice mix of a doughy, bready beer and an IPA. The rye really stands out in this beer and the mix of hops balances it nicely. A bright amber pour with a small white head. Nice lacing on my glass that sticks throughout. Aroma of malts, rye, and hops. Flavor is citrusy hops and rye bread. A really nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 17:42:22 | More by iabeerbaron

creedence

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Am I going crazy? I pick up anything new from SN - well, at least new to me and I have to say I'm not that impressed. I don't have a very deep palette but I can distinguish a crappy beer from a quality beer. I found this to be just 'average' at best. Somebody tell me I'm not going crazy.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 04:49:36 | More by creedence

MasterSki

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Figured I'd do the two Rye Beers back-to-back. Couldn't be bothered figuring out the Julian date code. Thanks to Chris (spycow) for mixing a sixer of oddball wants for me. Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A - A half-finger of yellow-tinged foam settles to a thin cap. Looks very similar to the Widmer's O'Ryely, but with a bit more in the way of lacing.

S - Yep - lots of rye. Spiced bread sort of aroma dominates, and it's supplemented with earthy and spicy hops flavors as well.

T - Taste is again very earthy and peppery, with spicy rye malt dominating the palate. Fairly assertive hop bitterness in the finish.

M - Super dry medium body, with a resinous and oily finish. Moderate carbonation level. No real complaints here.

D - There's a bit too much rye here and not quite enough IPA, at least for my tastes. I think I liked the Widmer a tick better, which came as a surprise.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 07:39:22 | More by MasterSki

harrymel

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled 28DEC11

Pours a nice copper color with a little over a finger of peanut foam. excellent clarity and near web lace. Smells dank, some resin, pine, grapefruit, skunk and a little soil. Interesting, not sure if I dig it.

A bit nutty up front with a good grainy backbone and even some corn. An interesting malt profile I must say. The hops are herbal and theres even a sage flavor in here to me. Some sweetness and nutty flavors, almost a hint of oxidation on the malt. I'm really intrigued by this beer, I can't really say I like it, but I don't really dislike it.

Mouth is a bit heavy with higher carb and a dry finish for the style. This beer is not feeding into any of my expectations.

I really am having a hard time deciding on this beer, but I'm thinking it may be a little too rustic for me. The malts are weird, but the hops match the weirdness, I'm pretty torn on this one. It's above average, but not great. I will likely revisit just to creep the intrigue.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 17:16:02 | More by harrymel

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

$3.50 single from Wegman's.

Slightly hazy orange body, topped by a four fingers plus of just slightly off-white micro-bubbly rocky foam. Excellent lacing quickly evident.

Aroma mixes pine and grapefruit with rye, just as the name implies it would. Not huge, but clean, fresh, and inviting.

Taste begins with rye coming out strong and laying down a dominating foundation. Some citrus, some pine, then a lot more rye as it rides toward the finish.

Medium body with lively, almost prickly mouthfeel.

Overall, a quality beer, but not my personal choice when it comes to SN hoppy beers. If you're looking for a rye IPA though, or just curious, give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 18:10:18 | More by RonfromJersey