Wry Pale Ale - Laurelwood Public House & Brewery

djeucalyptus

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a nice clear light golden-coppery hue with plenty of carbonation dancing in the glass, fueling a fluffy white two finger head that recedes fairly quickly and leaves behind a fair bit of lacing.

aroma is pleasantly pungent with a plethora of pale malt, piney hops, and a good dose of rye spice. Smells like pumpernickel and pine trees with a spritz of lemon.

Taste, not surprisingly, follows pretty closely. nice malt base accentuated with that sharp bit of rye - almost a hint of cracked black pepper. Citrusy, piney hops take it away and make it dance. A hint heavy on the citrus notes to complement the rye, but delicious. I'm always worried with "rye" beers that the rye will be hidden, but this one definitely has some good rye (wry?) character.

mouth is smooth, moderate body, with a good bit of bittering astringency and just a smidgen of piney slickness. Just what the flavor profiles need to make it sing.

All in all, I'm more impressed than I was anticipating. A deliciously balanced - although definitely hop-forward, pale with a delicious dose of clean and peppery rye. This one hits on all cylinders and definitely satisfies. If rye is your thing, this is a must-try.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 04:37:08 | More by djeucalyptus

Reidrover

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber from Capital Market, Salem. Slightly hazy light orange coloured ale with a large creamy eggshell white head. Nice hoppy fresh aroma floral and citric in nature. Very nice taste bready malts, a touch of rye and gorgeous hopping..super stuff. Great on the palate, the rye adds good body. Overall very drinkable yet complex. I liked this one a lot

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 12:55:26 | More by Reidrover

beertunes

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 10oz glass. The beer was surprisingly light in color (in my exerience rye beers have had deeper tint), a pale yellow that was similar to a lot of lagers, with a 1/2 inch of white head that dissipated quickly and left just traces of lacing.

The aroma was mostly grains, I didn't really pickup any rye in the scent, and was a little grassy. The beer had a nice balanced malt taste with a bit of a hop tang at the end.

The body was a little lighter than most Pale Ales, but still enjoyable. Drinkability was pretty good, I'd have a couple of these in an afternoon. Overall, a decent beer, worth a taste if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 21:32:45 | More by beertunes

jdense

Oregon

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle from Whole Foods Hollywood PDX served at EOU Winter Term Faculty Tasting, 1.20.10 into Delirium Tremins tulip.

One finger semi-rocky white head slow dissipation, good lacing. Orangish amber clear body, not a bad looking beer. The nose is citrusy hops pink grapefruit, and bready hops, the rye is not really noticeable odor-wise. Taste is pretty sweet but as as citrusy as the nose, more melony than citrus but enough bready malt to maintain a nice balance. . The rye starts to come through on the dry finish. Smooth mouthfeel, nice carbonation. Pretty drinkable. The rye is very subtle and nuanced, not as dominant as the beer name would lead you to believe. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 04:25:24 | More by jdense

froghop

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a clear orangish with a small white head, and great lacing.

smell of malt, rye, a little citrus, some spice, and some caramel.

taste is of hops, rye, spice, a little grapefruit in the back, some wheat, ends a little dry.

an above average APA with a twist.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 18:26:57 | More by froghop

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chill hazed golden yellow. Thick frothty jet-white head. Thin drippy laces down the glass.

Juicy citrus, oranges and grapefruit. Spicy, woody, rye.

Crisp grapefruit and resinous pine, spicy dry caramel rye, woody and slightly smokey. Bitter resinous grapefruit aftertaste left on the tongue.

Very dry, sticky, med bodied, med carbonation.

Great showcase for the rye. Big hoppy smell, and great hoppy bitterness. well balanced. Great with some food.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 21:14:50 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

edmedina

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a full 22oz bottle we are taking on here. Pouring the beer and I immediately notice the head is small, very bubbly and white. There is some lace happening but not much. The head disappears pretty quick as well. The color is a hazy yellow/red. It kind of reminds me of a dark lager (don't ask me why, it just does). There isn't any active carbonation happening at all. The aroma reminds me of a lemon grass. I also get a pine like smell as well. I could easily mistaken this for a pine forest. My first taste and I get a heavy hop character. It's definitely high on the pine taste. I can also taste the rye, though it is subtle. However, I also tend to get a grassy flavor as well. The after taste is bitter but some what dry. Maybe not as dry as I would have expected but dry nonetheless.
Over all I find that I like this pale ale. Unlike most pale ale beers this isn't in your face bitter but it doesn't lose that quality either. Again this is another great beer from Laurelwood Public House & Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2009 05:36:56 | More by edmedina

GJ40

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from a 22oz bottle in a hotel glass. Purchased at Full Throttle in Seattle. No date on the bottle.

A pale golden color with good clarity and a small white head. The aroma is mostly earthy and biscuity malts upon pouring but then that fades and some nice floral hops dominate. The taste is mostly floral and fruity hop flavors. There's a touch of rye but only enough to make it interesting. There's very little bitterness. It's very smooth and silky with a thin but satisfying consistency. The carbonation is low with very fine bubbles.

This is a very good session beer with subtle but substantial flavors and a nice smooth delivery.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 00:38:49 | More by GJ40

olmatty

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours a deep golden hue with a high, sudsy head.

Smell- Cereal grains and a moderate whiff of hops

Taste- Crisp and very clean balance of rye, cereal malt and hops.

Mouthfeel- Pretty thin bodied, and somewhat srisply carbonated.

Drinkability- Light bodied, moderate malt backdrop and delightfully pungent with hops. What's not to love.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 06:46:25 | More by olmatty

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a bottle of this at the Fred Meyer on Hawthorn Street and shipped it back home. Had I actually had the time to hit Laurelwood beforehand and try their beers I might have bought a few more!

The Wry pours a lightly hazy deep-golden body beneath a full-sized head of frothy white that holds remarkably well and leaves great lacing about the glass.

At first opening I could smell the rye! And a good dollop of citrusy hops as well.

The flavor offers a lightly bready, biscuity, and gently spicy malt base (yes, you can actually taste the rye too), along with a very soft fruitiness from the yeast and some citrusy/fruity (tangerine, apricot, delicate grapefruit) and gently piney hops . It's backed by a solid bitterness, and there's a hint of chalky citrus rind in the drying finish as the lingering fruit and biscuit fade.

Quite nicely done - very well brewed, and a touch unique!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 21:00:46 | More by NeroFiddled

RedBrewer83

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into Sierra Nevada Pint Glass. No best on date.

A: Pours a beautiful light golden yellow with a fluffy two finger head that slowly falls to quarter inch. Nice lacing, not overly sticky, and the body is crystal clear.

S: Great aroma of rye malt and citrus hops, pretty floral and a little bit of yeast as well.

T: Crisp rye and grapefruit, a little tangerine as well and well supported by a caramel malt that comes through in the finish. A faint breadiness lingers on the finish as well.

M: Very crisp and lighter than expected. Good carbonation, and the finish is fairly dry leaving you thirsty for more!

D: This is extremely drinkable! On a hot day this would go down in the blink of an eye. Overall it is quite delicious, another great offering from Laurelwood.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 02:57:45 | More by RedBrewer83

Docer

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New seasonal bottled pale ale from Laurelwood... "A Classic Pale with a hint of Rye Malt". No freshness date, no Alc. %.

- Golden straw yellow with a hint of orange... very clear and crisp looking... nice fluffy white head.. lacing all about...

- Great oily citrus scent with sweetness of caramel malt, some dry rye as well... hops are floral and citrus.

- Smooth roasted rye presence and light all at the same time.. tad bit grainy, and some light sweetness.. nice bitter hop notes... slightly pine-like... hints of lemon zest...

- Grainy, bit chewy and dry.. but overall a good feel.

- Quite drinkable.. bit bubbly... but fits the style very well... overall a very nice summer brew to have ice cold.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 00:07:37 | More by Docer