Rye Porter - Peace Tree Brewing Co.

beagle75

Iowa

2.23/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, dark brown color with no head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Rustic and husky grain splits between roast and toast. Slightly sulfurous fermented plant is detracting, but overall smell is diluted due to carbon dioxide.

T: Begins off-dry, with early acidity and weak scorched malt. Vanilla is suggested into the middle where lesser acidity persists in the absence of other flavors. A whiff of burnt coffee clings to the palate late but otherwise the finish is mildly bitter and slightly herbaceous.

M: Thin viscosity, watery and acidic on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This unsatisfying porter applies rye to a style that never really asked for it. Grain qualities become thinner where they should be full and satisfying--while it is probably possible to craft an appealing rye-focused porter, this isn't it. Qualities are discordant and one-dimensional when the whole product is considered.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 14:39:51 | More by beagle75

alcstradamus

Illinois

2.48/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes

Pours a deep near-black color with a half finger of head that dies down to a persistent collar. The rye is immediately noticeable in the aroma, as well as some toasted malt, nail polish, and waxiness. The flavor is a bit watery, there just isn't much here to even describe. The rye is the main flavor component, without a supporting cast. The body is medium to light and carbonation is medium and makes it feel watered down. Overall this beer wasn't terrible thanks to the lack of off-flavors, but it wasn't good either thanks to the lack of on-flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 01:26:33 | More by alcstradamus

bashiba

Iowa

2.7/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

It pours a dark cola brown, very clear with a thin ring of tan head.

The smell is a strange mix of roasted barley and tinny metallic oxidization.

The flavor is very rye, dry and grainy a bit of spice and a big shot of smokey and roasted barley, not much else going on here. Needs a bit of sweetness to even it out a bit, feels very hollow in the middle.

The mouthfeel is very thin and dry for a porter, feels and taste like a complete lack of any crystal malts which is a bit strange for a beer like this.

Below average to average at best, nothing to get excited about.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 23:36:34 | More by bashiba

Mattamue

Iowa

3.15/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into a pint glass. No expiration/bottle date. '1118' printed over end of the surgeon general's warning.

a Aggressive pour formed a finger's worth of tan head that quickly dissipated. Dark black with a dark brown hue at the edges. Modest lacing that slipped down the glass during tasting.

s Smoky malt. Barely noticeable rye at the back of the nose after a long smell. Cellar.

t Malt on the sides of the tongue and a smoky aftertaste on the back. Searching for rye spice/boldness and only finding weak caramel.

m Somewhat watery. Smooth in the middle. Flat is the final impression as the taste finishes.

o Tried with some Hershey's dark chocolate after searching the label for an expiration date and reading Peacetree's recommendation to pair the two. Brought out some sweet/bitter chocolate flavors in the beer as expected and did enhance my overall rating by 0.5, but still let down on the promise of rye.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 17:07:11 | More by Mattamue

THECPJ

Delaware

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown black with a 1 finger mocha head

smell: roast, malts, coffee, black patent

taste: coffee, roast, malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body

overall: pretty average porter. glad I got to try it.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 21:17:05 | More by THECPJ

Hawkharvs

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark, black, no light comes through, typical to what I'd expect.

S - Chocolate and malt definitely come through strong initially, with very little rye present.

T - Directly opposite from the nose, a muddled, earthy taste with subtle hints of chocolate come through with a strong rye finish.

M - Very light and thin, not really what I would expect from the appearance.

O - A different take on the style. The nose is most appealing, but an easy drinker and one I will have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:14:45 | More by Hawkharvs

logmacschlog15

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served from bottle to pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a little under a finger of mocha colored head which dissipates fairly quickly. Black with tints of ruby when held to light. Hard to see carbonation due to how black the beer is.

Smell: There is a roasty aroma from the rye malts as well as spiciness from the combination of rye and Belgian yeast. There is also a sweeter note of toasted bread with very subtle hints of caramel and chocolate.

Taste: Sweet hints of caramel and fresh baked bread are followed by roasty, spiciness from the rye and yeast. There is a harsh bitterness on the finish that seems to come more from torched grains than from hops. Very pleasant, subtle flavors reminiscent of dark coffee and pipe tobacco linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Relatively smooth with carbonation on the duller side of things. A much lighter body than I was expecting and actually a little too thin in my opinion.

Drinkability: This beer is definitely worth trying due to the interesting and complex smell and taste. However, with that being said, I just didn't really feel the urge to have another one and I think that the bitterness on the finish was a little too much for me considering the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 23:32:34 | More by logmacschlog15

birchstick

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a chocolaty brown with a small head. Nose is chocolates, some spicy rye malts, and some fruitiness from the Belgian yeast. The palate starts with some chcoloate malts that fade to a modicum of spicy rye. Sweet fruits are on the finish and are actually throughout the rest of the beer. Medium body with a spritz of carbonation. Solid porter...the Belgian yeast and the rye add a nice complexity to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 04:44:42 | More by birchstick

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into Tulip.

A. 3 finger off white head. Head disappeared very quickly. Some lacing. Color is solid black.

S. Roasted malt, coffee, a little spiciness.

T. Taste is roasted malt, coffee, chocolate. Taste is a little muted. Could use some further refinement.

M. Fairly flat. Could use more carbonation. A little lingering bitterness.

D. Easy enough to drink. I think the main problem I had was carbonation and mouthfeel. Taste was just average. I think Peace Tree could have a pretty solid Porter with a little tweaking. One I will try again to see if it has gotten any better.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 19:47:50 | More by siradmiralnelson

mdaschaf

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Funky little bottle here.

A: Pours a mediocre dark black with a one finger tan head on top. Decent retention with the head reducing to a thin layer on top within a few minutes. Lacing all around the glass.

S: A little bit of chocolate and some roasted malt. A faint spice note from the rye.

T: Some chocolate on the front end which transitions to some lightly roasted malt and a little bit of coffee. Not sure where the rye is, can't really tell that it is there at all.

M: A little thin for my liking in a porter with moderate carbonation. Just seemed a bit lacking in this area.

O: Like the stubby bottle and the label. The flavor profile was decent, but the mouthfeel was a bit thin for my liking. Not a bad brew though at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:56:25 | More by mdaschaf

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a chocoloate colored brown body beneath from frothy mocha head that patiently dissolves to leave a loose lacing around the glass.

The aroma deceives the senses with faint chocolate malt and spicy rye. Not your typical porter aroma. Seems to be some earthy hops hidden in there as well.

The flavor also offers chocolate malt and spicy rye but as it warms the smokiness appears as well.

Medium in body and carbonation with a lightly spicy finish.

Certainly a different porter. Tasty and unique, I can see what the brewery was going for. Perhaps a bit lighter than your traditional porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:06:06 | More by CHADMC3

clonebrewer

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a little grenade bottle into a pint glass. Nice tan head stuck around for a while. The appearance is little lighter than I expect from porters. Smells roasty with a little coffee and grain. Taste is different but very good. Not much hops here but plenty of roasty chocolate coming through. Fermented with Belgian yeast so that adds a different element to this one. If you want to drink a few porters in a sitting this would be one you could do it with.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 20:57:12 | More by clonebrewer

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black, but it is not opaque; light from my lamp passed through to give the beer a ruby hue. Three fingers of thick, cappuccino-colored head developed and dissipated slowly to leave a thin lacing and then a ring around the edge.

Smell: At first it gave off an unpleasant adjunct corn aroma, but it soon faded. The action from the smell is mostly chocolate. There is also a little caramel and candy sugar sweetness in there, and the rye gives it the scent of marbled bread. Though pleasing after all, the aroma is really weak.

Taste: Much bitterer than the smell lets on. Roasted chocolate malts dominate; there may even be little roasted coffee in there, too. The rye provides a nice sharpness, and there is a little spiciness, too. The roasted bitterness (I am not getting much hops) leaves a nice tingling aftertaste. The tail end, though reminds me of Peace Tree's saison, Cornucopia, which I did not like.

Drinkability: This is good stuff. It is a little awkward for a porter, but I do like the rye presence a lot. In actuality, it is more like a rye/porter hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 04:57:27 | More by TheQuietMan22

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Murky roasted walnut brown with blurry tangerine trim. The pour resulted in a thick chunk of coffee milkshake colored foam that softly crackled its way into the atmosphere in the first several minutes. A little more staying power and a little more glass coverage might have resulted in the next highest score.

The nose has the dark maltiness of a porter, with a moderately spicy-earthy edge thanks to roasted and chocolate rye. There may be a hint of Belgian yeastiness, but it isn't as prominent as it could be. More power and definition is needed... something that I hope isn't true on the palate as well.

Rye Porter sounds like my kind of beer on paper. Who wouldn't like caramel and chocolate malt, rye malt, Belgian light and dark candi sugar and Belgian yeast? The flavor profile is fine as far as it goes, but the beer is too light. This stuff would be killer as an 8.0% malty beast.

Let's go with rye toast, chocolate shavings, a small splash of cold coffee, assorted fruity esters and a light sprinkling of ground clove. This is good beer, it just needs to hang around a bit longer, needs to sink in and really *engage* the taste buds in a more committed manner.

The mouthfeel is this offering's Achilles' heel. It isn't horrible by any means, but it doesn't firm up enough or become even slightly creamy as it warms. In addition, the carbonation favors sharp and loose rather than smooth and tight.

If they find some way to nail mouthfeel, Peace Tree has a chance to be the best brewery in Iowa (not that there's much competition... yet). I love the fact that they aren't averse to brewing outside the box. I also love the stubby bottles and the labels. Bottom line: there's major potential with this beer and this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 11:43:56 | More by BuckeyeNation

jera1350

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an oily dark brown/black with a ring of tan foam around the glass.

A little bit of chocolate, but the nose is dominated by a sesame oil scent. I'm guessing it's from the rye, but really smells like sesame.

Much like the nose. Getting some chocolate, coffee and sourness from the rye and the sesame oil taste as well. Some toasty notes at the finish and into the aftertaste.

Very smooth and somewhat slick feel with a some frothy carbonation. Medium body.

A nice unique little porter that drinks above averagely. The rye can be a bit much, but this is a nice beer. I like that it is different from the majority of porters out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 23:30:10 | More by jera1350

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Mahogany with some lighter outlines. Head is about an inch at serving, but retreats with no small quickness. Nose is similarly fleeting, eith notes of chocolate and a hint of coffee. Earthy and notes of aspirin.

The flavor includes notes of earthy hop, with some peppercorn, Belgian sugar, and roasted cocoa beans. Not bad with regard to complexity, but the mouthfeel and fullness of flavor is more then lacking.

I would dearly love to dearly love Peace Tree brews, but they fall somewhat short. Great thinking, mediocre execution.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 04:08:40 | More by BretSikkink

bsp77

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Summit Pint glass.

Appearance: Very dark ruby with nice, foamy tan colored head.

Smell: Smoky, spicy and roasted malt.

Taste: The rye is very evident with strong smoky and spicy overtones. Otherwise, this is a fairly standard, and maybe even mild, Porter, with chocolate, light coffee and just a touch of hops. Can't really taste the Belgian yeast unless I drink the dregs straight, but maybe it adds subtle complexity.

Mouthfeel: Moderately low carbonation (too low actually), fairly smooth but a little thin.

Overall: Nice smoky Porter overall. Not one of my favorites and it has faults, but quite drinkable and I like it.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 02:25:34 | More by bsp77

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This bottle was poured into a glass stein.

Appearance- The opaque, black body has some beige highlights. The tan head is only a slight ring around the glass.

Smell- Roasted malt blends with some buttery notes, the result is very akin to peanut butter and toast. That is kind of strange. I am assuming Peace Tree is using the same Belgian yeast, and that could be contributing to the wacky sweet and roasty smells.

Taste- There is a lot of roast and char in here. The belgian quality is coming through in the form of earthiness and banana. There is a little bit of nuttiness mid-drink. I am not picking up any of the sweet quality that had been in the nose. It is really interesting, and ultimately, not bad.

Mouth feel- This is one of the thinner porters I have had recently. And it is not all that creamy. Roasted notes have a way of taking care of that, although I feel the carbonation could have been handled better. At least it is slick over the tongue.

Overall- It is an interesting beer for sure. This is where I feel Peace Tree maybe could have done without the sweetness that is present in the beer, and could have beefed up the body.

It is worth trying, but after that, you probably do not need to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 18:52:25 | More by Pintofbrown

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Score is an average of a bottle review and an on-tap review.

Bottle Review. Score: 3.45/5
A - Dark mahogany color with some walnut hues on the edges. Slightly larger than average, bubbly, foamy, whispy, beige head. All right retention that leaves and thin bubbly ring of lace. 3.5/5

S - Strong spicy aroma cuts through the roasted malt aroma. A fair amount of chocolate and bready/doughy aroma. Some burnt sugar also comes out. 3.5/5

T - Has a good amount of spiciness with some rye coming out pretty strong. Some dark roasted malt and chocolate come out, especially toward the end. A touch of burnt sugar brings a bit of sweetness out as well. Some Belgian yeast and earthiness also present. 3.5/5

M - Lighter body with a fair amount of carbonation. Just a little too thin and a slick feel. 3/5

D - Good mix of sweetness, roastedness, and spiciness. Goes down pretty easy, but the thinness detracts a bit from the drinking experience. 3.5/5

Notes: Fairly good beer, but the body kind of kills it as it is just too thin. A good amount of spiciness, but not quite as roasty/porter like as I was expecting. Interesting beer that definitely has promise, it just fell short in a couple of areas. Worth trying though.

On-Tap Review. Score: 4/5
A - Deep brown, almost black with slight ruby hues. Decent sized foamy, creamy, light tan head. Good retention and a nice ring of lace left. 4/5

S - Strong dark and bittersweet chocolate. Has a nice rye and spiced aroma as well. Roasted malt, slightly burnt sugar, and candi sugar also present. 4/5

T - Roasted malt and spicy rye make up a lot of the flavor. A strong baker's chocolate and dark chocolate flavor comes out mid sip. Compliments the spicy rye well. Some candi sugar and burnt sugar sweetness balances out the spice and roasted bitterness a bit. 4/5

M - Lighter side of medium body with plenty of carbonation. Smooth. 4/5

D - Easy to drink and well balanced. Rye is definitely present but it doesn't overwhelm. Could easily drink another. 4/5

Notes: I had (and reviewed) a bottle of this earlier and was a little let down. At the brewery, I decided to give this another shot on tap, and I am glad I did. This is a much better beer on tap, and was very enjoyable. Rye definitely had a showing and was well balanced with the chocolate, roasted, and sweeter flavors. I definitely prefer this on tap, was a very different beer on tap.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 01:30:50 | More by FreshHawk

wagenvolks

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Stubby 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint. Props to ballz50401 for the extra!

Peace Tree's Rye Porter pours with a murky, chocolate body. Deep, seal brown at the core; mud-puddle color at the edge. Not much head to speak of, as the carbonation is quite low. However, a few bubble trails do surface in the center of the glass (thanks Jim Koch :D !!). Very doughy aroma, with rye bread and grainy chocolate malts leading the way. A bit salty and medicinal from the Belgian yeast. Caramel and spiced fruitcake thrown in the mix as well, yet hops are all but missing from the nose. From the PT website, it looks like that was intended.

Let's try this bad boy: first sip gets lots of spicy chocolate rye and roasted barley. Belgian yeast kicks in with some cracked pepper and phenolics, and it's a welcome balance to the grain bill. Warming booze, more spice, and hop bitterness linger into the finish. Mouthfeel is creamy but thin in body, highly carbonated with big bubbles (despite the appearance) and semi-watery. I like a good Rye beer as much as Adam West enjoys his taffy, but this one was a miss for me. Still, I'm grateful for the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 23:56:04 | More by wagenvolks

DoctorDog

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12 oz stubby bottle into a nonic glass. Big thanks to the friend who snagged this for me while in Iowa.

A- Deep mahogany / brown with translucent ruby edges.~2 fingers of light brown head, which fades slowly to a thin, incomplete cap. Fair amount of sticky lacing.

S- Slightly funky amalgam of roasty malts, earthy hops, and Belgian yeast.

T- A solid amount of burnt/smoky roastiness, with hints of chocolate and coffee. Fair amount of slightly fruity sweetness. The flavor profile is considerably more pleasing than my nose predicted.

M- Moderate/moderately high carbonation. Medium feel.

D- Solid. Good flavor and a light touch in the feel would make it enjoyable to kick back a few.

Future outlook: Not as good as their Hop Wrangler 3 that I tried, but still quite solid. Nevertheless, not available here, and not one spectacular enough to merit seeking....definitely worthy of a try if you happen upon it though.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 02:56:37 | More by DoctorDog

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep hazy brown with a medium head. The aroma is chocolate and a lot of intense earthy character, kind of reminds me of the aroma of tree roots. There is some nice roastyness and some toast in there as well. The flavor follows with some deep earthy tones and some rye bitterness, some chocolate sweetness works pretty well in unison with all the other stuff, this is one really different beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 21:06:03 | More by BieresDesMoines

dbossman

Nebraska

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown with a red tint; thin light brown head that fades quickly leaving a minimal film; the lacing is minimal and fights to cling to the glass

S: Slightly burnt rye malts with hints of coffee, vanilla bean, and chocolate; a faint musty earthiness sits on the back of the aromas

T: Rye bready quality mixed with chocolate and caramel; this is pretty bready, a little spicey, and just a touch salty

F: Way thinner than I was expecting but it does sit on the tongue relatively well

D: I was hoping for a bit more but all in all it's a solid little brew; I particularly like the bready rye quality but the lack of depth, complexity, and breadth grew tiresome

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 23:51:43 | More by dbossman

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours deep brown/black with a sandy head that behaves at first like Guinness, with bubbles sinking into the liquid. The beer is pretty opaque but a flashlight shows it to be true clear. The head slowly settles in a creamy top with bits of active carbonation on the inside. Maybe a little too much head, this almost stout like. 4/5

S: Aromas of roasted grain, particularly a strong Rye smell dominate. Very dry, burnt aromas as well. I don't really get any alcohol or caramel or yeast or anything but the burnt/roasted grain and perhaps a bit of hops, but they're really struggling for their place. Overall, I think for a porter, this beer is too sharp, but as a Rye beer, it's quite nice. Burnt Popcorn comes to mind, though not in that bad of a way. 4/5

T: Still the sharp rye taste persists. I'd really appreciate a little more body to go with this, but overall it's not too bad. A very interesting beer. I'm getting more coffee roast as well. The more of this beer I drink, the more rounded it gets, but I think the rye in this case steers it too far away from a porter. It's not just a medium bodied dark roasty beer any more, it's a different beast entirely. The hops I think also take away. I'm not getting really anything of the Belgian yeast they use though. 3.5/5

M: Hmm, it's about right in body density, but the sharp bight of the rye isn't doing anything for me here. 4/5

D: It's alright, better for a coffee drinker for sure, but even then it wouldn't quite be right. Perhaps something I'll buy again, perhaps not. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 13:55:41 | More by mdwalsh

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

dark garnet brown with a huge tan head on top. Slow receding left tons of lacing down the sides of the glass and really gave it a very nice and very complete look. Aroma is huge, lots of spice at first, caramel, molasses, hints of brown sugar and earth, deep hops. Warming brings out some touches of dark fig like fruit notes but nothing like that warm rye touch that really adds to it. As I take the first sip a really wave of caramel and light peppery rye hit the tongue. Light notes of chocolate that come over it wave after wave. Really quite complex and I have to admit not at all what I was expecting. Still very well done. Warming brings out much more sweetness and balance but at the same time it maintains a big profile. Light booziness kicking in now and the sweet finish has a night light hop bite to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 01:52:28 | More by mikesgroove