Shiner Ryes & Shine - Spoetzl Brewery

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #62 (Mar 2012):

LOOK: Clear garnet

SMELL: Caramel, toasted bread, spicy rye, herbal tea, clean

TASTE: Smooth, creamy, clean, malty, mild caramel, toasted grain, spicy rye, modest hopping, semidry grainy finish

Hands-down one of the most quaffable rye beers to date. So why is Shiner not in all 50 states yet? Straight-up great beer with no frills, even though they are going out on a limb with the rye. Great to see where a lager can go.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:13:05 | More by BeerAdvocate

Hooligans

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

05-12-2013 12:54:16 | More by Hooligans

Compton25

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

05-10-2013 12:02:29 | More by Compton25

LightsOut3000

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +22.8%

03-15-2013 14:35:46 | More by LightsOut3000

JeffSuttonTX

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -20.5%

03-10-2013 21:36:53 | More by JeffSuttonTX

kingmaker

Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

03-08-2013 06:12:21 | More by kingmaker

FrizWhiz

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

01-23-2013 04:12:02 | More by FrizWhiz

shamrock1343

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

01-13-2013 23:35:57 | More by shamrock1343

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of the 2012 Family Reunion Variety Pack. According to the label, "This small batch brew is the second in our Limited Edition Brewer's Pride Craft Brew Series. It's a medium-bodied, dark brown lager brewed with rye malt and chocolate rye from Germany, caramel malt and three hop varieties. The result is a rich, roasted, dry finish with a touch of sweetness and hops, which honors our old-world brewing traditions. Prosit!" The beer is brewed in the style of a Rye Lager.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served in the mid 40ºs Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a tan cream head of a frothy consistency with a decent retention. Lacing is thin and spotty. Body color is a medium-dark copper brown with high clarity and medium carbonation. Not a bad appearance overall. 3.5

(Smell) Aroma is a faint caramel with some mild grassy hop aroma, mild bready grains with a husky bitterness are the only contradiction to an overall clean, crisp aroma. Aroma has a low potency. The rye character is hardly evident in the nose. In fact, the aroma is reminiscent of Shiner's Bock or any other caramel-forward lager. 3

(Taste) Flavor is certainly more bready and substantial than the nose, with a smooth, caramel rye bread malty sweetness and a mild bitter earthy-hopped finish. Spiciness is mellow for a rye beer but the flavor profile is substantial enough to make for an enjoyable flavor. A little sweeter and less bitter and spicy than the average Rye-integrated beer, but this is a pleasant change from that. 4

(Mouthfeel) Slick, smooth, clean profile with a very mild chewiness works out well for the style. Body is medium for a rye lager and low-medium amongst all beers. Alcohol presence is very low. Pleasant pairing for the style, goes well for a rye lager. 4

(Overall) This is a pretty good beer as far as my expectations for Shiner go. The rye doesn't add a lot of flavor characteristics but raise the body somewhat and give a slightly more flavorful drinking experience. As far as rye beers go, I enjoy one that can keep from becoming overly bitter or spicy and instead lends to an improved drinkability. 4

Spoetzl Brewery's
Shiner Brewer's Pride Craft Brew No. 2: Ryes & Shine Rye Lager
3.78/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 03:31:21 | More by Jadjunk

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 9/11/2012. Pours a fairly crystal clear red copper color with a small light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of apple, pear, caramel, toast, biscuit, toffee, molasses, light rye, and herbal earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of caramel, toast, toffee, molasses, bread, light fruits, earth, herbal, light chocolate, light rye spiciness; and a light metallic note. Lingering notes of caramel, molasses, toast, bread, toffee, light fruits, earth, herbal, and light rye on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; not as much rye flavor as I was expecting; zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice rye amber lager. A nice amount of robust flavor for being under 5%; and very smooth to drink as expected. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:58:52 | More by superspak

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

12-11-2012 05:15:13 | More by cliff1066

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +22.8%

11-12-2012 00:19:14 | More by leprechaunandfatman

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +28%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Once again, I am going to go out on a limb and guess that this came to me via local in-person trader, tone77, but I am not certain. I am certain that I am going to winnow down my backlog of bottles so that I may refocus on what really matters - The CANQuest (TM)! For now, however, it is bottle time.

From the bottle: "Limited Edition Craft Brew Shiner Brewer's Pride Selection"; "Roasted sweetness [,] spicy rye notes"; "Every drop of Shiner is brewed in Shiner"; "A little something special from the little brewery in Shiner"; "This Small Batch Brew is the second in our Limited Edition Brewer's Pride Craft Brew Series. It's a medium-bodied, dark brown lager brewed with rye malt and chocolate rye from Germany, caramel malt and three hop varieties. The result is a rich, roasted dry finish with a touch of sweetness and hops, which honors our old-world brewing traditions."; "Prosit!"; "Brewer's Pride in every drop!"

I have to say - if you are a visual person, Shiner beers are for you! My pour got me two fingers of dense, light-brown head with great retention. Color was a deep coppery-brown with NE-plus quality clarity, enabling me to see into the future. Nose was chocolaty with a black pepper spiciness. Mole! Mouthfeel was thick and full and the taste was initially chocolate until the rye spiciness kicked in and a peppery flavor took hold. Finish was semi-dry but the extreme finish was literally breathtaking as the pepper flavor just seemed to linger. Man, I could drink more of this, I'll tell you!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:28:48 | More by woodychandler

mseidens

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

10-31-2012 20:16:53 | More by mseidens

Cluker

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

10-26-2012 21:37:48 | More by Cluker

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +8.4%

10-21-2012 21:25:02 | More by NilocRellim

Chucker17

South Dakota

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

10-11-2012 04:07:45 | More by Chucker17

JJFordick

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -49.4%

10-11-2012 02:14:54 | More by JJFordick

jwc215

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours brown with a very thin head. Some lacing sticks.

The smell is of caramel with hint of chocolate and rye bread.

The taste is of caramel with baker's chocolate. Sweet, but not sticky. A touch of rye gives it a minty aftertaste, especially as it progresses. Earthy, spicy hops come in in the finish to balance this malty brew.

Medium bodied and pretty, creamy, the soft to medium carbonation and malty smoothness makes it easy to drink.

Goes down easily enough, as a lager should. A nice altbier with a rye touch. It came in a mixed 6-pack or I would easily have had another!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 20:26:25 | More by jwc215

shirasong

4.13/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It was just very good. So good I was prompted to join this community. It was the perfect combination of richness and sweetness, without going overboard in either direction. I gave the appearance and smell both a 3.0 as I didn't find anything remarkable (or off-putting) about either one. I'd write a more specific review if my boyfriend didn't finish them...which is fairly disappointing considering it's a four-hour drive to the closest place that sells it, and even then I have to hope they haven't run out of the limited release beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 03:36:26 | More by shirasong

vcoggins

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

09-11-2012 22:11:32 | More by vcoggins

grumpygerman

Alabama

3.25/5  rDev -6.1%

09-11-2012 12:29:54 | More by grumpygerman

Mortarforker

Texas

3/5  rDev -13.3%

09-08-2012 21:10:41 | More by Mortarforker

netshark

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

09-01-2012 21:17:18 | More by netshark

kylehay2004

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: half finger head with an aggressive pour and poor retention on a very deep amber body.

S: toffee with caramel and toasted malts. very nice milk chocolate note.

T: toasted malts, burnt toast, coffee, rye breads. Milk chocolate is less so in the flavor than the aroma. The flavor follows the smell nicely.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: the rye is excellent but almost makes this one roasty and coffee like. A lot of flavor in this one but still not that memorable.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:49:11 | More by kylehay2004