Ryedentity Crisis
Knee Deep Brewing Company

Ryedentity CrisisRyedentity Crisis
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From:
Knee Deep Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
8%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 14.77%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
38
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 30, 2015
Added:
May 19, 2011
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BrewerB:
Photo of BrewerB
Reviewed by BrewerB from North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up recently at Healthy Spirits.

Pouring into a Jester King tulip that arrived courtesy of miikezombie. It's a hazy, medium-golden color with a 1-2 finger white foam. Retention is lacking but this could be a non-beer clean glass. Sticky legs cling the glass.

Complex yeast-driven esters in the aroma. Clove-like spiciness, hint of vanilla. Sour lemon rind and shredded coconut. Alcohol is present but not overpowering.

More yeast-driven flavor coming through to the palette but an equally intriguing malty profile makes an entry, too. Sweet pastry dough, clove spice. Tartness prevailing over bitterness. Dry finish.

Light bodied with a moderately high, tingling carbonation. Smooth for its ABV presence.

Full disclosure here, when I grabbed this beer I thought two things - "I really liked their Hopstar IPA and want to try another offerings." and "Rye IPAs almost always sit well with me." Then I found out this is a Rye Saison…oops. None the less, it's an interesting experience for the glass. As a saison, it's definitely missing some of the complexity the best in the category bring and I'm having trouble finding the rye. But still a worthwhile beer that I'm glad to have sampled.
Dec 21, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of thepenguin
Reviewed by thepenguin from Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed 5/31/12

L: A golden copper color with some nice lacing and a white head.

S: Rye really comes forward in this one. Saison spiciness and rye aroma battle it out for dominance, yielding a delightfully spicy mix with some fruitlike hints. Also some bready maltiness. Very nice and unique smell.

T: Significantly more malty upfront than most saisons. Again, the rye is really coming through yielding a distinct tanginess. Doesn’t taste all that Belgiany; more like an American rye beer. But hoppiness is subdued and it finishes semi-dry.

F: For 8% abv and its maltiness, this has a pretty light body, I’d say medium. Medium carbonation. Not really any warmth from the alcohol or rye.

Overall: This is a pretty nice, interesting beer but it IS NOT really a saison by any stretch. Instead, it is a solid American rye beer. I love rye in a saison but this brew would be better if they tried harder to capture some of the classic elements of a saison. Notably, it wasn't bottle conditioned; there is no sediment at the bottom of the bottle so it was clearly force carbonated. Also not too sure about the yeast, didn’t seem saison-esque to me and the beer was bit more malty than most saisons. Not a bad beer, but definitely not true to style.
Sep 30, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brilliant gold with a 1” white foam cap. Spicy fruity nose. The palate has a Belgian character with fruit, light malts and rye spice gently bbalanced by hops. Refreshing and very easy to drink.
May 24, 2015
 
Rated: 2.81 by nathanmiller from New York

Mar 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by ncstateplaya from North Carolina

Sep 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GClarkage from California

Jul 07, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by LloydBobBoozehound from California

Apr 25, 2014
Photo of JerzDevl2000
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up a few weeks back at the Total Wine in West Orange. This looked intriguing and that level of interest carried over to the taste and feel of this beer as well. The dryness and spiciness that could be found in so many other examples of this beer was missing here but the fruit, yeast, and sweetness were all to be found here, ensuring that this beer had a shot at redemption. It's not a typical Saison or Farmhouse Ale but because the alcohol was well hidden and this was easygoing, this turned out to be the most mellow example of this style that I've ever had the opportunity to review.

The pour to this was a dark goldenrod with a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle that had to be swirled and poured out. Not a lot of head here and the lacing was even more faint than that. A lot of apple, pear, and mead-like aroma in the nose with lots of yeast to back that up in the mouthfeel. Almost no spice here as this beer reminded me more of a fermented Cider than anything else. The carbonation was weak, but present, and only did the sourness of a Saison come through in the aftertaste, which faded to reveal a slightly oily residue that coated my mouth.

To be fair, the alcohol was extremely well-hidden in this and I only felt it after downing nearly all of the contents of the bottle. While nowhere near as good as the top-rated examples of this style, there's enough rye here to balance this out and make it a lot more accessible than I first imagined. It's not a bad beer for the Summer or for someone who's never had one of these before though it could have been a bit more stylistically accurate when it came to the funk and spice aspects.
Jul 30, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Cory-WC from Florida

May 31, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by popery from California

Feb 11, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Trish from Florida

Feb 11, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by mixed_master7 from Florida

Feb 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by YoPo from New Jersey

Nov 13, 2012
Photo of KajII
Reviewed by KajII from North Carolina

3.32/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a cloudy amber orange with an average (1-2 finger) white creamy head that slowly receded, down to a thin film with a small collar and possessed very good streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a light bread malt and a musty Belgian yeast with notes of apple, pears, rye, a mild peppery spice and a slight tartness.

The taste was lightly sweet with a mild tartness and a nice fruity presence from the start, and then became rather yeasty with a mild taste of rye and a slightly spicy ending. The flavor lasted an average duration after the swallow, with a lightly tart spicy taste left hanging on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was a bit past light in body and watery in texture with a nice lively carbonation.

Overall this is a brew with a very interesting taste. Not exactly sure what to think of it, but I do know it is rather tasty and really grows on you the more you drink...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews
Oct 08, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by mhaugo from California

Aug 26, 2012
Photo of NoLeafClover44
Reviewed by NoLeafClover44 from Delaware

2.73/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
22 oz. bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. Batch 351, 1/16/12 printed on the bottle.

A - Pours a dull golden color with significant haze. About a half finger of head fizzles to a halo. The lacing is pretty good.

S - Smells of pear, belgian yeast, black pepper, and cheap wine. Sweet with a bit of a bready malt character. None of the rye I expected from the name. The aroma is too rich for the style in my opinion.

T - Starts with a sour apple tartness that fades to a malty center. Some out of place rye bread follows. Finishes with a strange corn flavor mixed with lemon and dates. There is a lot going on but the flavors never come together. Cloying on the palate.

M - Carbonation is adequate, but the body is a bit thick for a saison.

O - I picked this one up a Total Wines because I was intrigued at the prospect of a rye saison and the price was right. I was disappointed by pretty much every facet of this beer. I don't recommend it all, even with the low price.
Aug 10, 2012
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

1.67/5  rDev -52.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Rye Saison? Sure, sign me up for that. Bomber purchased from Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA.

Pours a very clear deep yellow colour, with a very fizzy and insubstantial head of white, that expends itself after very little time. No lacing, very light body. Overall, it looks really quite weak and insipid. Not impressed.

Grainy, adjuncty, corny on the nose. Oddly sweet lager characters, and no hint of funk, spice, organics or anything truly saison-y. No, perhaps untrue: there is a hint of peppery spice to it, but it's the only notable thing in an otherwise very, very forgettable aroma.

Taste is similar, indeed—I feel like it might actually be worse. Here the adjunct character really comes to the fore, leading with a strong grainy corny character, with cooked green veggies and only a hint of that spice on the back. The only contrast comes from the overzealous carbonation, which is not helpful except that it makes you forget the cloying vaguely unpleasant sweetness.

Far from pleasant: I feel like this used an unusual amount of rye, which is where that unpleasant adjunct character comes from. Overall, it comes across as bland, unfortunate and unnecessary. Really not a good saison, really not a good rye beer.
Jun 18, 2012
Photo of facundoCNB
Reviewed by facundoCNB from New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
a slightly hazy golden yellow pour with 2 fingers white foamy head, nice sticky lacing. smells bready, lemon citrus, pepper, grassy. taste is pretty much exactly like the smell, a bit of bitterness coming from the rye. light to medium body, mild creamy feel, nicely carbonated - very refreshing.

overall, this is a very modestly priced ($5 a bomber) refreshingly delicious saison. i didn't really know what to expect with rye in the mix since i've never seen that done before (not saying they're the first, just the first i've seen/had). it's pretty much a traditional saison style, with a slight amount of bitter toasty flavor that i assume is being let off from the rye - that;s the only difference i can notice form other saisons i've had. very tasty, and a perfect summer brew.. may have to invest in a few more bottles before it's gone from the shelves.
Jun 02, 2012
Photo of Cyberkedi
Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Aroma is yeasty and a little fruity, not strong but still inviting. It pours a nice clear amber with a fairly thick and somewhat persistent pale golden head that leaves a little lacing. Flavor is definitely better than the aroma - not quite full-bodied, but enjoyable, malty, fruity (apple plus a little pear) and yeasty, just a tad sweet and just a tad hoppy. Smooth texture has plenty of fizz and firm body. No crisis here - just a good sippin’ brew.
May 25, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by aleslover from Tennessee

May 19, 2012
Ryedentity Crisis from Knee Deep Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 38 ratings