Terrapin Rye Squared - Terrapin Beer Company

TheMarkE

California

4.36/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Excellent. Smooth, with a slight citrus presence. “Double the malt, double the hops, and double the flavor of the original Rye Pale Ale recipe. (Hence the name Rye Squared.) With its mammoth hop aroma, bitterness and flavor, this beer is not for the faint at heart. The Rye Squared clocks in at a hefty 8.5% ABV so double your pleasure and double your fun because Terrapin went a little crazy with this one!”

It's a shame they retired this, it was one of my favorites and the best rye I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:45:39 | More by TheMarkE

keanex

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel tulip from a bottle dated Vintage 2011.

A: Dark slightly hazy amber with a thin light tan head that maintains lacing and a coating on top.

S: Mostly rye with a malt sweetness that comes through and reminds me of a barley wine. Dark fruits and brown sugar on the nose as well, with slight medicinal aromas.

T: Slight rye, with a malt sweetness coming through, the beer finishes with a slight citrus bitterness and some alcohol coming through. Decent.

M: Full bodied with light carbonation.

O: Interesting, more like a barleywine than anything else I could compare it to. I wouldn't seek this out again, but it's worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 03:53:11 | More by keanex

Immortale25

Florida

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

Poured into a snifter. Label says Vintage 2011.

A- Pours a hazy dark copper color with a 1/2 inch head that rapidly flickers out to just a thin ring around the edge of the glass and extremely light surface foam. Nice lacing buildup around most of the glass's edge.

S- Dank, spicy hop aromas with a malt sweetness backing it up and a faint alcohol fume tying it together.

T- Sweet and strong upfront but mellows out into a controlled bitterness. Plenty of alcohol presence as multiple sips are taken and the warming begins, but it works well with the overall layout. Some cereal grain sweetness is always a pleasure. Other than that, a pretty solid Imperial IPA taste.

M- Tangy, slick and juicy. Medium carbonation.

O- One of the better Terrapin selections. Makes sense since I love Rye in beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 00:33:41 | More by Immortale25

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden/orange hue with a creamy white head. Tons of sticky lace. Nose is massive. Lots of herbal and earthy hops with a tiny bit of malt sneaking through.

Caramel sweetness up front which quickly washes away too a huge earthy and juicy hop presence. Finishes dry but not with a bitterness that builds up on you. Very clean and smooth. Slightly spicy aftertaste.

Not bad in the least. Definitely big and bold. A beer ya gotta be ready for, I know it sure did wake me up from my afterwork stupor.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 01:21:16 | More by jtierney89

ommegangpbr

New York

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The bottle says "Imperial Pale Ale" so don't go expecting a double IPA out of this fellow. Reminds me quite a bit of Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye. Big rye flavor stitched with hops. Smooth on the tongue that finishes with a pleasant texture.
Very good stuff. Tasty; scratches a variety of itches.
I would definitely be happy to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 09:58:32 | More by ommegangpbr

tobelerone

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A Hazy orange beer; semi opaque, with a smallish fast falling head and modest lacing. Aroma is noticeably malty, with faint citrus hop undertones. Sweet.

The taste is definitely on the sweet and malty side, without a lot in the way of rye flavor. Fortuitously lacking in the odd metallic aftertaste a lot of rye beers have. Hops are of the citrusy, grapefruit variety. Booze is noticed.

Mouthfeel is creamy with medium carbonation and a bit of bitterness in the finish.

This is a strong brew; alcoholic and sweet, with good balance between hops and malt. Can't say I tasted much of a rye presence but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 00:42:16 | More by tobelerone

cosmicevan

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

snagged this in NJ earlier today.

a - opened the bottle and filled my E snifter. poured a golden yellow that settled much more orange red in the glass. the typical ipa head was there but a little thinner than normal.

s - smell was very fresh with some boozy mentholation...brisk baby. some piny sticky sweaty hops are there, but not the highlight. bit of lemony citrus grapefruit as well.

t - flavor is nice. rye works well. lemon citrus grapefruit. bit of sweaty resin.

m - cool and crisp. finishes bready with a bit of an alc shine.

o - overall the rye ipa is really nice. wish terrapin was local. quite tasty and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 02:17:31 | More by cosmicevan

shanblur

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up on a trip to Atlanta. No date on bottle. Poured from 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A - Pours a very murky orange with a white head which leaves moderate lacing.

S - Sweet malts and hops both present in the aroma. Neither dominates.

T - Earthy hops dominate the palate on the taste with the malt presence there as well. Alcohol also readily apparent.

M - Medium body with a light carbonation.

A strong beer on the taste. A nice blend of malt and hops. Not the best or the worst.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 21:20:55 | More by shanblur

merc7186

New York

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a 2007 bottle into a pint glass.

The beer pours great with deep orange/amber hue to it, a nice foamy mildly off white one finger head and good lacing on the glass. The beer smells great with deep fruity, citrus, and piney blended scent. The beer tastes great with an orange, raisins, honey, citrus hoppiness that fades away slowly into a mild hoppy bitterness. The mouthfeel is decent as the beer is carbonated appropriately, the beer is full bodied, and leaves you with a mildly sweet bitterness lingering. Overall, a decent Imperial Pale Ale but very similar to most Imperial Pales I have tasted, nothing really stands out from this one but it doesnt mean this one wasnt good, well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:21:58 | More by merc7186

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: orange/cloudy tan body, finger head, nice lacing

S: big malt, candy/sugar, plums, grapefruits, pine

T: sweet fruit, pine, big malt, long bitter oily boozy finish

M: med/heavy body, oily/sticky mouth

O: Terrapin has delivered a fine brew.
I will get this again and recommend to others.
I am really enjoying their beers and heard
many good things about their seasonal releases.

VERY NICE, CHECK IT OUT!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 15:42:55 | More by BeerLover99

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Rich copper color, very cloudy. Not much head, but a fair amount of lacing, and the head that is there seems to stick to the surface of the beer for a long time.

S: Lots of malts, a biscuity sweetness. Strong smell of hops, and a nice peppery-ness. Very strong, rich smell, earthy.

T: Lots of caramel malts up front, given a very rich sweetness to the beer which pervades throughout, even once the piney hops take over and the rye brings a bit of spiciness. Tastes good, but isn't balanced enough to keep down the sweetness, which tends to get a little cloying.

M: Thick and chewy, slightly sticky and without much carbonation at all.

O: Much sweeter than expected, and also not nearly as spicy as I wish. It is, however, a good beer. Big flavors, and a lot of sticky sweetness that builds as you keep drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:19:55 | More by DaveBlack

Pete27lax

New York

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled this beer on 9/30/2011

Hazy orange color in the pour, very nice. Decent head with some retention. Very nice lacing as well.

Sweet smells, mostly consisting of fruity hopped aromas. Strong caramel malts in the smell as well.

Enjoyed the taste as well. Sweet caramel malts are definitely the highlight of this beer, toffee also present. Might have some age on it due to the lack of hop bitterness. Fruity hops are present but not up front.

The mouthfeel may have been my favorite part about this DIPA. Very smooth and thick which was nice and also surprising. Light carbonation as well.

Overall this was a very nice beer, could easily toss back one or two. Would have like to try it completely fresh to see how the hops would have tasted though.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 06:34:35 | More by Pete27lax

MikeyMikee

New York

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split with Pete27lax on 9/30/11. Served at fridge temp into a snifter.

The body was a hazy orange, almost a deep amber-copper color. Nice lacing with a descent carbonation.

Caramel malt upfront, with some toffee and light butter scotch. A faint orange, hoppy aroma.

Very malt foward beer, caramalized sugars with a little bit of honey. Descent hop character, some tropical fruityness on the finish.

Good bitterness for such a malt foward beer. Soft carbonation (low-medium). Very smooth finish with no alcohol at all. Slightly oily finish.

Very drinkable, a descent example of the style from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 06:32:21 | More by MikeyMikee

laituegonflable

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an earthy red colour, head is off-white with just whispy bubbles left behind. Lace is not exciting, just specks here and there. Nice colour but otherwise a bit meh.

Smell is sweet and malty with lots of banana notes on there. Caramel with peanut brittle, pecans and red toffee. Touch of raisins, molasses and figs at the back as well. Enjoyable aroma.

Taste fills the mouth from the get-go. Lots of nutty malt, with caramelised peanut, almond and fig pasted on there. Slight fresh fruity notes midway but still very sweet, so ultimately sherry-esque. Mild hop note late just cleanses it slightly. Nice palate, with good balance for the most part; slightly flabby on the back though.

Smooth, decent body. Bit flat with not a lot of texture, but good malt presence glides it down easily.

Big, bold malty flavour, very enjoyable and would be well-paired with a fruit plate or a sharp blue cheese.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 01:51:53 | More by laituegonflable

cvm4

Mississippi

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Poured this bottle into a pint glass. It was a nice hazy orange with a one finger off white head. There was not much lacing at all.

S - I gathered some citrus hops, malt and a little rye.

T - This is a sweet DIPA. The hops are very pronounced with a lingering taste of bitter then malt.

M - Hearty and just right for me. Not over or under carbonated.

O - Very unique DIPA. I like it for a nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 22:07:52 | More by cvm4

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from New Beer Distributors in New York, cracked open in Sydney with @LaitueGonflable and @tobeerornottobe to celebrate bottling our IPA and Imperial Stout.

Pours a hazy golden orange colour, quite murky in its depths, with a filmy and patchy head of off-white. Big full body gives it a syrupy texture, but there's minimal carbonation to make this obvious, nor lacing to stick to the sides of the glass.

Nose is pretty delicious, with sweet fruity hops mingling with a syrupy malt base, giving it the aroma of thick, fresh marmalade. Depths of character give it a slightly bready, slightly roasted or baked character. It's a lovely nose, in any case.

Taste is surprisingly not as hoppy or bitter as I expected—indeed the marmalade sweetness is almost a bit too pronounced on the palate, giving it a stickiness and a slightly cloying flavour that feels like it needs more hops to clear out. Rye characters are noticeable, giving a darkly sour twinge to the basis.

Not a bad beer by any means, but it's super sweet on the palate, and feels unbalanced in that one direction. An interesting brew, and one that I was happy to drink—just not necessarily one I'll go out of my way to seek again.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 04:59:08 | More by lacqueredmouse

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I poured this into a pint glass. It is a really nice coppery color. The foam was minimal and left a ring shortly after the pour. The remaining foam did leave some really nice lacing on the glass.

There was a decent amount of hop smell off the top. I also got the smell of the rye beer pretty strong from the top.

The taste is very similar to the smell. The rye provides a pretty decent change of flavor from the typical double IPA.

The bitterness is pretty decent (not surprising from the hopping), and it stays behind for quite a while.

Overall it is a pretty good DIPA. I would recommend trying it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 00:35:51 | More by ummswimmin

oline73

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy reddish amber with a half finger of off white head that goes away quickly.

Smell: Sweet malt with some dark fruit and brown sugar. Mild citrus hops in there as well.

Taste: Quite sweet again, but there are more hops here then in the smell. Some rye spice, but not a huge amount. The sweetness reminds me of dark fruit and brown sugar. The finish is bitter from citrus peel hops.

Mouthfeel: On the thick side of medium body with a good amount of tingly carbonation and a slightly slick finish.

Overall: Enjoyed the sweetness and the hops, but I wish they would have blended a little bit better. Sweetness dominates at first and then the bitterness takes over. Would have liked more overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 04:22:04 | More by oline73

avaldivia

California

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received in trade from Woodchopper. 2011 Vintage poured into a pint glass.

A: Orange color. Nice white head with good lacing.

S: Floral hop aroma. The rye is prevalent.

T: A bit of a spice on the front. Very floral hop flavor. Rye on the finish.

M: Heavy and thick. A bit of dry finish.

O: Intriguing. I would be interested to see how this ages.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 06:14:04 | More by avaldivia

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.53/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a cloudy orange with almost no head what so ever and minimal lacing.

Smells like bread and yeast with a rye spiciness. Hardly any hop presence in the nose.

Some spicy rye hits the palate initially and it quickly rounds into a very sweet bread flavor. Again hardly any hop presence here which is kind of surprising. Just a touch of bitterness at the finish.

Fairly thick and a little syrupy. Decent carbonation levels. The alcohol is not terribly well hidden in this beer.

A bit too much of a malt bomb. The sweetness overpowers the rye flavors and if I didn't know better wouldn't guess from the taste there was rye in here at all. It was hard to get through the bottle because it got a bit cloying.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 00:12:51 | More by jmarsh123

Netdigger2

South Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a clover-honey amber with a white head. No lacing.

Smell is a bunch of rye, bread, slight low alpha hops, lager yeast.

This tastes amazingly like a mid level lager, very dry. It resembles a blend between Heineken and Boston Lager. Incredibly strange for a Pale Ale. I get a pilsner malt flavor with mixes of rye, bread, sourdough, pine hops.

It's highly carbonated like a domestic lager and is thin on the palate.

Just strange, not bad, but strange.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2011 21:38:19 | More by Netdigger2

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adam's Perfect Pint.

Vintage 2011.

A - Pours a golden orange color, with a cloudy and hazy appearance. Not completely opaque, but not very translucent. A 1.5-fingered head composed of big soapy bubbles lingers just long enough for it to take shape, but then steadily rises to leave bubbly mountains rest on top of the beer. Lacing is streaky but plentiful, like a hanging shower curtain.

S - For an imperial pale ale, this beer definitely showcases the rye and malt in here. I am not incredibly sure about the age on this beer, but I don't think the hops shine here at all. Not bad from an overall style-neutral perspective, but the spiciness of the rye definitely upstages the hops here. I can get some citrus at the end, but it's so muted it's difficult to pull out.

T - I would venture to say the taste is slightly more focused on the hops than the aroma, but it's not like that would be very hard. It begins with a big cut of rye spice and other syrupy malts, before drifting towards a nice orange middle that even has hints of honey. This hop influence lasts well throughout the finish, where it's met by a warming alcohol heat that isn't off-putting. Now and then the rye resurges just to let you know it's not finished.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately-heavy with medium to low carbonation. It's certainly thick and syrupy and finishes slick and oily. The rye definitely leaves a spicy impression on the palate.

D - Drinkability is moderately high. Honestly I'd be hard-pressed to interpret this bottle as an imperial pale ale; rather, I'd feel pretty comfortable in viewing this is a hoppy rye barleywine. Perhaps the age transformed this one, as apparently it's released every February, putting this bottle at around 6 months of so. Still pretty delicious though, but don't come in expecting the malt side of the bill to be timid!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 02:44:51 | More by nhindian

Gushue3

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Nice 1 finger head that's a little bit off white and has very nice retention. The body is a hazy copper orange hue that looks pretty nice. Decent lacing left around the glass from the pour and swirling.

S- Nice malty backbone that carries from front to back as well as bready yeast and sweeter fruits from the hops. This could possibly be from a tiny cold i have and a stuffed nose, but that's what I'm getting.

T- Malts are sweeter upfront that settle down toward the middle where the hops become more prominent. nice balance on the finish.

M- feels somewhat heavier for a DIPA, and slightly syrupy with medium carbonation coming for the ride.

O- I like this beer but is not really what I expected. Good beer either way

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 20:04:44 | More by Gushue3

Duff27

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"Vintage: 2011"

A- One inch light tan head atop a nice ruby red hued beer. Quite a few streams of effervescence float upward. Clumptastic lacing and decent head retention.

S- The smell of spicy rye can't be mistaken.

T- Rye is borderline overpowering. Big hop presence as well alongside a strong caramel malt backbone. Slight boozyness is noticeable.

M- Very full, smooth mouthfeel. Medium carbonation.

D/O- Very unique with the rye/DIPA combo...is there a higher ABV rye beer? Point me in that direction for comparisons sake. Hope to have again somewhere down the line. Thanks TATURBO.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:26:07 | More by Duff27

mactrail

California

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Has that classic DIPA look-- orange-amber and slightly hazed, and nice lacing. Invitingly viscous in the Orval chalice. Yeasty, baking bread aroma. Hops fill in the profile but the bitterness is much less than others of the style. The malt is so sweet I suspect a blind tasting would show this up as a big Tripel, as the rye gives it a grainy, astringent touch that tastes so much like the big Belgians.

I think the Imperial Pale Ale is a great style for amping up the malt to more efectively balance the hops. It's like a barley wine, though it tastes stronger than it is. This is one of my favorites for the huge, rich flavor. There are two forks in the road and I like the path through the sweet malt fields. But I stop to smell the hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 05:06:14 | More by mactrail