Terrapin Rye Pale Ale - Terrapin Beer Company

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big props to Gabe for bringing this growler to share!

This rye ale pours from the growler a clear, medium amber color supporting a fluffy white head that quickly fizzles out, leaving moderate lace.

The aroma is nicely balanced between caramel malts and lovely citrus and floral hops. I don't really pick up any pine notes as others have in their reviews.

The flavor is even better than the nose and brimming w/ juicey grapefruit and tangerine, jasmine-like floral notes, caramel, and is generously hoppy. This has session written all over it.

The body is on the light side of medium and could use a little bulking up. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean and the finish is long and hoppy.

Serving type: growler

05-30-2005 16:44:55 | More by AlexJ

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle > Pint Glass

A - Pours out a nice gold color, about a finger off white head, sticks around for a while.
S - Not a real pungent aroma, but you get some rye, a little floral hop, and some very light caramel.
T - A nice balance of rye that goes well with a nice clean bite of some floral and grassy hop flavors. You definitely get some caramel malt but very light.
M - A tad clingy and somewhat creamy texture, but it finishes very nice.
O - This is a solid RyePA and wouldnt mind having again.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 20:40:03 | More by Omnium

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A bright clear orange yellow hue with a 1/4 inch of sticky white head. Seems to stick around for a while.
S - Not much in the smell, faint grapefruit hops, bready malts, and some spicy rye.
T - Quite refreshing the rye is subtle yet dry enough to add a level of spice to the hops. They are semi bitter, balanced with the pale malts, and a touch of caramel and sugar sweetness keeps it from being too hoppy. Not a bad pale.
M - Light to medium, on par with the style, enjoyable.

Overall I am surprised I never had this one but picking it up for a dollar possibly old it's quite a tasty pale ale. Worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 05:49:02 | More by DrDemento456

MRsojourner

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

aroma is sweet and malty and lightly citrus.

appearance is golden/copper color with a nice thick head that stays persistent throughout.

easy drinking super suitable for summer days and a beautiful use of rye in the midst of the flavor. peachy, sweet, malty, & spicy to even out the malt and hoppy flavor characteristics. some citrus and pine but finishes clean and dry. I feel the rye is noticeable in this beer witch is a welcoming surprise. enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:15:25 | More by MRsojourner

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

ST: 12oz poured into a pint glass.

A: Bronze, amber with a thin white head.

S: Spicy rye, grapefruit hops, lemon.

T: Spicy citrus, with a deep rye spice flavor, slight bitterness.

M: Smooth and creamy.

O: Easy to drink with a nice spicy addition of rye. While not very hoppy, the hops present are sophisticated and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 01:25:34 | More by ianjsullivan

schwemjw

Ohio

3.49/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: copper with a nice white foamy head. a little darker than I expected, but a good looking beer.

S: lots of caramel bananas nicely with an earthy hop. not much complexity but an enjoyable smell.

T: big semi sweet caramel malt in the front, the middle comes the earthy hop, with a bit of citrus bite. the finish is where the rye comes in and brings it all together. just enough spice to know you're drinking a rye

m: great carbonation! lighter body than most ryes, this goes down too easy!

o: is this my favorite rye? no. but I really enjoyed it. balanced perfectly. smooth and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 14:23:53 | More by schwemjw

socon67

New York

3.69/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Amber pour with slight carbonation and soapy lacing that paints the glass. slight cloudy appearance.

S - Some smell of rye with pale malt and grain. But nothing that stands out.

T - Really this is a pale ale with a spicy finish from the rye. Unfortuantely it isn't more noticeable in the initial taste.

M - Solid session rye beer that paired well with Chinese takeout. Leaves a a peppery kick on the palate. Good thrist quenching beer to go with food, and balance is good on it.

O - I'd call this one "rye-light" as it introduces the style of rye beer while holding true to its style. Worth having and a good Terrapin offering to give to your non-craft friends to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:08:31 | More by socon67

JG-90

New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into glass leaves a medium fizzy head that quickly dissipates to a few bubbles on top. Leaves a small amount of lacing. Color is a hazy, light golden/amber. The smell is not too noticable, but consists of orange with a bit of stale bread, hops, and spices.

Taste starts with spicy rye and pale but considerable malt presence, then hops with orange and lemon, finishes spicy. Has medium body with very high carbonation.

Tasty beer with some good, but maybe not exciting, flavor

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 00:45:42 | More by JG-90

csparace

Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Smell (3.75) - Smoky hops with hints of ginger

Appearance (4.25) - pours a golden orange with a one finger head of small bubbles that fades fast. small amounts of carbonation coming up. really beautiful clear golden color.

Taste (3.50) - shit. i got an old bottle. 3 weeks past the best by date. there is a mild hop crunch. grapefruit is prevalent. not a huge front but the finish is quite nice.

Mouthfeel (3.75) - smooth - possibly due to age. carbonation is sufficient but not outstanding. still has the refreshing quality I like in hoppy pale ales.

Overall (3.75) - A good pale ale. I'm not sure about "rye pale ale". There is a quality about it that makes it seem different from the standard IPA.

I really wish I would have checked the date. I assumed it was fresh because the demand is usually pretty high for Terrapin. Oops.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 16:43:20 | More by csparace

tomgeorgia

Georgia

2.85/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

not really my favorite from a great brewery. tastes a bit to bitter, even for a rye beer. I've had it served at different temperatures and recently had it at terrapin itself. rye beers are difficult to pull off but this one leaves quite a bit to be desired,

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 18:14:55 | More by tomgeorgia

patre_tim

China

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Orange yellow/ yellow ocher, no head, foam disappeared faster than a sprite but was a yellowish color. Bubbles cling to the inside of the glass. Some cloud, well carbonated.

S: Linseed oil, spicy, orange candy, some sort of chemical like in an oil, Das.

T: Follows the nose. Linseed oil, orange, spice, oil chemical scent. Lemon peel.

M: Medium bready body, medium high carbonation, dry finnish.

O: Very unique, worth a try. I like its dry quality, and it has a cool bottle. Would go well with lemon desserts, lemon merangue, lemon squares, etc.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:01:08 | More by patre_tim

richj1970

Alabama

3.49/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pilsner glass at restaurant.

A: Poured amber almost red in color with small white head that dissipated quite quickly. Some lacing.

S: Very little nose to this one. Maybe some small citrus and hops, but fairly neutral overall.

T: Some malts and nice spiciness from the rye. Very balanced flavor but nothing that really stands out much.

M: Nice level of carbonation and easy drinking.

O: A fairly good beer but nothing really special. Today it was one of the better choices on a restaurant menu.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:48:53 | More by richj1970

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.74/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance- very little head ruddy light orange. good lacing despite the lack of a head.

Aroma- butter citrus pine and vanilla

Taste-mellow roasted malts on the front give way to a peppery kick of rye. The somewhat citrusy hops round it out but it has more of a malty than a hoppy finish. In fact, i am reminded a touch on an orange creamsicle in the finish.

Mouthfeel- generous fizz with a medium body the finish lingers its not sticky but a little slick on the
tongue.

Overall- Let me first say that i sought out this beer because I have been known to pick a banjo or two. Thanks to a person on the boards i was able to obtain it. I like this beer, I may have had this one a bit out of its prime, but i think that if i was introducing someone to a beer with rye in it for the first time i would choose this. The Rye is there but it plays well with the other elements in the beer. I don't know why but i think it would pair will with bacon and creamy foods like ice cream or mac and cheese. That peppery kick would cut through the cream. It would also because of the rye pair well with cured meats !

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:34:36 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle poured into an over sized wine glass.
A- Golden brown 2 finger head that went to a 1/2 inch with good retention and some good lacing.
S- Citrus, hops, malts, smelled sugar....
T-Sweet at first then grainy....the rye....Pine hop at the end.
M-light to medium, good carbonation, dry finish
O-Not bad, enjoyable, would get again.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:08:51 | More by Damian74Shensky

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.36/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle from Total Wine Tampa FL for 2$

Appearance - Hazy light copper colour with a small size fizzy off white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 2 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts,, caramel

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel and malts mixed with some hops. There is also an earthiness and some light rye. It ends with a malty aftertaste.

Overall – My bottle isn't expired but this one tastes a little off. It's a tad flat and there aren't really any vibrant flavours. I'll have to try this again.. because based on the other reviews this should be much better.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:50:54 | More by spinrsx

FungusBrewer

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Since terrapins are well known banjo virtuosos, alcohol production assuming comes natural. After a sip, my expectations are confirmed.

Taste: Sweet malty, citrus beeswax smack in the first 1/4 second. Quickly followed by a recognized but relaxed spiciness resembling hot pepper and sharp honey. Rye seems to take the bitter hop place leaving lupulin to balance the teeter inconspicuously for a bright -can't wait to sip again- taste.

Appearance: Dusty goldenrod, pale, lighter for RPA's. Thin head, light lacing.

Mouthfeel: Drinkable. Not too viscus, not a bit watery.

While driving keep a sharp eye out for turtles, we want this Rye Pale Ale around much longer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 05:56:24 | More by FungusBrewer

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Best by 3rd week of January 2013 is notched in label.

Pours a clear yellow amber color with a half finger of foam that fades quickly. Aroma is quite hoppy, with citrus and floral notes.

First sip has a nice rush of hop flavor and a spicy rye finish. Bitterness is nicely subdued, but present. Nice munich-like malt sweetness. I'm really digging this beer. Amazing balance of flavor, sweetness, and bitterness. Very drinkable.

This is a really well rounded and interesting beer. I'd certainly buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 02:35:44 | More by FickleBeast

beercitydude

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a nice, almost hoppy tasting beer, which has a nice, more mellow effect than many IPAs ... I was looking for a beer that had a bit of the IPA hoppiness, but with less alcohol ... this does nicely.
I paired the beer with pink beans and rice on my home made pretzel honey bread. This part I share to get to 250 characters.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:15:17 | More by beercitydude

Tone

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy, amber color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and good lacing. Smells of pine, hop oil, sweet malt, hint of earthy malt, hint of citrus hops, and a hint of rye. Fits the style of an American Pale Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hop oils, pine, hint of citrus hops, and a hint of earthy malt. Overall, decent appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 13:26:14 | More by Tone

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by: Month 12 Week 5 Year 12

A= Pours a hazy orange color with a nice thicker off white head on it that holds steady retention and spotty lacing.

S= The smell is a nice floral citrus punch in it as well as a little tiny amount of spicy rye but not too much.

T= The taste is an excellent hop punch of nice citrus and pine hops again with just a kiss of rye to add an extra complement to the hop character.

M= A nice solid mouth. Very drinkable.

O= This is a solid beer. I could see myself drinking this a lot in the spring/fall transition weather. Try this if it's near you!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 04:47:19 | More by jjanega08

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orange amber color and is slightly hazy. A frothy head sits on top, it's small and white and leaves some lacing. Gently carbonated with small bubbles.

Aroma fins sweet malts and spicy rye with a hint of orange hops. Interesting aromatics here.

Taste is good but I'm not really picking up much in way of spicy rye malts. It's there but rather subdued.
Hops have a citrus blend and finishes bready.
Drinks smooth and crisp with a semi bitter finish.
Really quite good with a nice depth of flavor one would find typically in higher ABV beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 11:32:28 | More by micromaniac129

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Barcade in Jersey City, NJ

A: Pours a clear medium golden yellow in color with some light orange highlights and minimal amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a quarter finger tall creamy light beige head that reduces to thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a couple of small thicker patches of large bubbles and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of pale and caramel malts with some rye spiciness. There is a light presence of orange/citrus hops with a lighter presence of pine/resin hops.

T: Very similar to the smell with an initial taste of pale and caramel malts with light sweetness. That is followed by some rye spiciness and finishes with an orange/citrus and pine/resin hops that contribute some light bitterness.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: An easy to drink American Pale Ale with the nice addition of rye giving it some light amount of spiciness. Enjoyable and definitely one to try if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 16:46:36 | More by dbrauneis

scvance

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy pale golden color. Very nice aroma, citrus and earthy hops, with a light background sweet malt smell. Taste follows suite, very nice citrus hop character with a little earthiness to it, nice crisp finish. The rye character comes through somewhat subtly, but it is noticeable. Medium high carbonation with a light to medium body. This beer is very refreshing, and I will definitely be having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 20:59:05 | More by scvance

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I opened this beer for a pizza night. I thought the light hopping woudl work well.

The coloring out of the bottle was light yellow with about two fingers of foam. I really appreciate how this head stuck well to the glass.

The hop preseance in the nose and flavor was flowery, however, a little understated. I had trace amounts of malt in each sip.

Overall a decent beer, but there really wasn't much to it. It is a good example of an APA.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:32:25 | More by ummswimmin

KajII

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Shaker Glass]

The pour was a clear straw yellow with an average (1-2 finger) white frothy head that reduced to a thin film with a small collar and did possess some excellent streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a light a bread malt, floral hops and a sweet doughy yeast with notes of toffee, rye, citrus (orange), caramel an a mild fruity ester.

The taste was lightly malty sweet with a touch of caramel and a slight fruitiness from the start with a hint of rye, a bit of toffee and a mild citrus bitterness towards the finish. The flavor hung on for a little while with the sweet bitter taste fading slowly into the background.

Mouthfeel was light in body and a tad watery in texture with a mild carbonation.

Overall a Pale Ale that was rather easy going down, and had a very nice malty, sweet and mildly bitter taste that left you craving another...

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Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:10:30 | More by KajII