Terrapin Rye Pale Ale - Terrapin Beer Company

Spider889

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Distillery.

A - Very bright golden/brass color with a foamy white head. Leaves good lacing, and has excellent clarity.

S - Very hoppy up front with strong citrus notes along with spicy pine and nettles.

T - Lots of citrussy lemon and fresh pine bough. Doughy malt underlies everything, but the rye creates a warm spiciness but not much else. Tastes like a really hoppy pale ale, but nothing outstanding.

M/O - Crisp and clean. The bitterness is a bit much for a pale ale. Worth a shot if you like hoppy rye beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2011 07:48:50 | More by Spider889

dankster

Colorado

3/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Jamie for this bottle.

A- clear hazy gold with small tight head and some sticky lacing.

S- spicy rye malt and herbal hops

T- subtal rye hits the tounge first followed by clean hops and citrus. orange and lemon flavors picked up

M- crisp and clean easy to session this one.

O- A very crisp easy drinking rye apa. I need to try more of this style to compare others.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 12:59:19 | More by dankster

cosmicevan

New York

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

picked this one up the other day in NC. poured into my duck rabbit snifter.

a - brew poured a straw yellow that settled as a yellow orange with a thin bubbly white head. brew was transparent and had semi sticky lacing as the head bubbled away.

s - nice citric hop with rye. good malt backbone. nice sweetness.

t - really nice flavor. the rye works in well with the hops. solid pale ale. floral. works really well.

m - medium to light bodied, subtle carbonation, cooling and refreshing.

o - overall, delicious. i'd buy this regularly if available locally. great pale ale with a nice rye kick. i've been finding that i really enjoy a rye beer. this one reminds me a bit of sixpoint's righteous rye which i love.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 05:05:06 | More by cosmicevan

kylehay2004

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed while at the brewery in Athens, ga. single finger rapidly dissipating head. Clear amber and golden mix. Lots of lacing. Very aromatous. One of the most aromatic rye ales I have had. Also some pine and citrus mixed in. Some hops as well. Nice hop character. The rye is actually well represented which is not often the case with this genre. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Drinkable for a rye and actually one of the better tasting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 22:41:50 | More by kylehay2004

riored4v

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured in to a tulip. Thin, white head. Faded quick. Slightly hazy, copper colored body.

Aroma had lots of citrus and floral hop aroma. Some good bitterness that resembled grapefruit. Some good maltiness. Subtle amount of rye. Fairly strong bready aroma.

Taste was very pleasant. Subtle amount of breadiness up front that turned a floral and fruity hop flavor. Some good citrus notes that turned towards a mild bitterness in the finish. Very drinkable. Subtle notes of spice from the rye.. wished it was bit stronger.

Medium body with a medium carb. Crisp finish.

Overall it was a good drinking beer. Nice blend of flavors and aroma. Very much a pale ale with a bit of a hoppy profile. No signs of abv.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 02:09:47 | More by riored4v

ToasterChef

Maine

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

A cellar temperature bottle is poured into a pint glass. The bottle tells me it is best enjoyed by the 5th week of February. A small off-white head rests atop a dark copper body that is filled with carbonation. There is a little bit of lacing, but not too much.

Big citrus and grassy aromas come off of this beer. It lets you know this is a hoppy pale ale.

This is a peppery, bitter beer. You can taste the generous portion of rye. A watery sweetness comes into play as I swallow; I like it. It provides a slight break before the bitter hoppy aftertaste makes itself known.

This beer has more of a coat and more carbonation than I expected. It has a slick coat, but it doesn't feel like it is caused by an excess of hop oils.

I find this to be an enjoyable APA. Fans of rye should take note; this is one to seek out. If rye isn't your thing, you may be better served with a different pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 02:12:20 | More by ToasterChef

bbeane

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Poured into an oversized tulip... starts with a nice finger thick somewhat rocky head with nice retention and lacing. Beer is a crisp light orange in color

S- First wiff is sweeter than I expected, but after some swirls of the glass some hoppy notes are also evident

T- Pretty bland in my opinion. The hops seem weak and don't linger around much, as do the other flavors. It tastes as if it's watered down

M- Thin, light bodied with light carbonation

O- Pretty weak. I like most Terrapin offerings, but this was far from enjoyable

CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 01:43:00 | More by bbeane

david18

New York

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

I had a draft of this at World of Beers in Orlando where I was thrilled to see numerous beers I can't get in New York, including Terrapin. I was not as impressed with this beer as I had hoped but I did enjoy it.

Appearance was a light copper, hazy with a good amount of carbonation.

Aroma was spicy, like Rye, but not as hoppy as I had hoped. Some light bready, biscuity aroma as well. Not bad but I was hoping for more.

Flavor was similar to the aroma. Spicy rye but not enough hops and a little thin on all accounts.

Overall a decent beer, I'm glad I tried it but it was not one of my favorites.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 20:26:15 | More by david18

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass, this is a decent looking beer. Good light copper color, half finger of off-white head, not much retention.

The smell is decently strong, and smells mildly of hops... but then there's a strange fruity spiciness to it, almost like a sour smell. And maybe I'm crazy, but banana cream? Very interesting.

The front of the taste is pretty much like your average IPA. It's surprisingly not too hop forward. The malt comes out in the middle, and then surprise! The rye aftertaste is quite nice. It adds a little something to make this otherwise average beer. Mouthfeel is also quite good. Maybe a bit too thin for me, but the carbonation is just right.

I enjoyed Terrapin's take of the RyePA. I'll have to continue sampling examples of the style to decide how it stacks up.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 03:20:34 | More by troysoy2

uustal

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy pale yellow with a slight white head. Aroma of citrus zest, pale malts and a bit of rye. Nice sweet and compact flavor. Good bready sweetness which includes the rye profile. A touch of citrus hops goes well with this solid pale. The rye is subtle, but present throughout the entire flavor trip. Good, simple, but original take on this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:56:46 | More by uustal

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly hazy gold with a minimal white head and little lacing down the glass.

A little bit of malt and some spiciness from the rye. Not a ton of hop character.

Starts out with a slight pine hop taste, but really not much there. A bit of sweet malt comes through then finishes with a spicy rye flavor.

Mouthfeel and carb are pretty good.

A pretty underwhelming brew. The flavors don't quite meld together and there's just nothing that makes this stand out.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 18:12:27 | More by jmarsh123

dataskatt

North Carolina

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

Pours a hazy golden color. Two inch head that dissipates fairly quickly. Nice lacing. This is my first "rye beer", and I like it! Smells hoppy, a touch of pine, and something mildly sweet...maple? Taste is pale ale all the way...hops, pine, "different" taste with the rye...spicy! Yum, hard to describe. Medium carbonation and body. Would make a nice session beer. Very drinkable. I like this one a lot! Will definitely buy again. Different!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 22:11:10 | More by dataskatt

Jerone

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - amber color with a one finger head that leaves decent lacing and some tiny bubbles coming up.

S - Spiciness from the rye and hops with some sweet malt backbone in there too.

T - The spice of the rye and sweet malt play very well together but the hops don't quite match, still good, but not a perfect marriage. Slight bitterness in the end.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation.

O - A good beer but needs a bit of refining.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2011 00:56:40 | More by Jerone

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.03/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tepid take on a Rye Pale Ale

Presentation: 12 oz capped brow bottle. Rural Terrapin illustration with the turtle playing the banjo in a rye field. Brief side paragraph talks about intent/style. Shows best by notched… Second week of January? Served in a tulip glass.

A - Clear medium amber pour, 1"+ frothy head, medium retention, small surface memory, and some lacing.

S - Tamed generic nose, sweet touch with soft hoppy hint...

T - Malty with a generic bitterness, lagerish hint… Sweetness lingers before that blah bitterness completing the finish. Rye might be there in the bitterness but it is difficult to discern either in the grain texture or any added spiciness.

M - Medium-light body with medium carbonation, dull bitter finish.

O - Quaffable… but pretty boring, short on the rye edge, and a bit bland as a PA.

Notes: Very much run of the mill pale ale… Terrapin can do better than this. True, I might be too keen on the rye and the softness here is not to my palate, but even as a pale ale it feels pretty nondescript and generic. I tried this first socially on tap in Atlanta a while back and had not much of a memory of it… So I was really looking forward to try it again, but sometimes things are better left in those bland memories.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 19:56:11 | More by Daniellobo

hmf05

Florida

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear straw gold with a two finger head. Smells mostly of sweet caramel and pine. Not a very aromatic brew, but it smells nice. Taste is more of the same. Sweet malts balance out the pine. Pretty light tasting beer with good carbonation. Overall, very pleasant APA. Perfect lawnmower beer. Well balanced and tasty!

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 23:17:08 | More by hmf05

tubacharlie

Michigan

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

Pleasant, fruity hop aroma. Short off-white head with good retention and light lacing. The "best if enjoyed by" date is the first week of February, but there is no brew year listed, which is a little problematic if cellared.

The brew is a hazy gold color, evenly translucent. A rush of hop bitterness hits the palate first, with muted grapefruit and other citrus notes following. The overall flavor is much like an IPA, but with a little twist in the malt profile and not as much alcohol content. Well developed carbonation in the mouth, the rye adds some depth and body to the mix. Mellow and refreshing at the same time, this was a nice surprise for a beer from Georgia, which is not known for its craft beer industry.

Definitely a good value, this is a nice session beer and well suited for a hot summer day down south (or up north if you can find it).

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 01:10:39 | More by tubacharlie

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Light Amber colored beer with maybe a finger's width of off-white head. The retention on the head is fairly decent, but there is hardly any lacing.

S: Sweet malts, cereal grains, and the spiciness from the rye. A pretty good smelling beer, though I wish that it was stronger.

T: Sweet caramel malts are up front, but quickly give way to the spiciness of the rye. The aftertaste is unfortunate. It is grainy and kind of acridly bitter. It's a good beer as long as you keep drinking it, but as soon as the main wave of flavor is past I find it to be fairly unpleasant.

M: Medium bodied and slightly sticky and viscous, but there is a fair amount of carbonation to cut through that.

O: Not the best rye beer that I've ever had by a long shot. The rye is definitely there, but it's not the star like I wish it was, and the aftertaste is not good. It's decent, but not worth seeking out.

I've heard that Terrapin tends to be a "sloppy" brewery, and this beer leads me to believe that it is probably true: good in conception, but the execution leaves something to be desired.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 22:35:36 | More by DaveBlack

Luigi

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a clear amber color. Two finger foamy head at first then settles down to blanket on top of the ale. Nice lacing that stays with the life of the ale.

The aroma is a mix of toasted malt, (Obviously) rye grain, and piney citrus hop.

The taste is classic American pale ale with the twist of the rye grain. With the addition of rye a wheat bread flavor can be detected. The hops are the classic mixture of pine and citrus, but not so strong to over power the ale. Finishes dry with a lingering pine hop.

What can I say, a wonderful Pale Ale with a twist of rye grain yet balanced. Satisfied customer

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 04:49:15 | More by Luigi

brewcore

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

IMO the best APA in the South

Poured from a bottle into a Terrapin pint glass

A: Crystal clear golden orange. Medium white head that fades to a pencil thin ring. Plenty of lacing.

S: This ale has a lot going for it, but smell sets it above other APAs. All the hop fragrance you could ever want from a pale ale. Grapefruit: check. Floral: check. Unique hop "funk": check. Very fragrant for an APA.

T: Crisp with a dry finish. Hop flavors step up but do not overwhelm. Asertive hoppiness but definitely not a hop bomb IPA. Hops are floral, citrusy, and very piney. The rye is subdued. I have to look for it. Not too much malt character going on, but present in enough force to balance.

M: Light to medium.

O: High drinkability, making it a fantastic session beer. I go back to this one over and over.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 18:58:58 | More by brewcore

merzeone

Iowa

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

12 oz Bottle Tasted after Lunch(Chicken Sandwich) Purchased 10/11

A: Light Golden small Head minimal lacing

AR: Spicy/Sweet Rye Aroma, Minimal Floral Hops

T: Rye spice, Bread, Biscuit little hop flavor other than bitterness at the end.Very malt forward the rye is definitely the focus on this apa.

M: light good carbonation Dry Finish for a rye that is weird expected it to be a little more sticky.

O: First Impression not a huge fan the more it warms up the better it actually gets still refreshing. Its main focus seems to be the Rye(which it is a Rye Pale Ale) however was expecting it to be a touch more balanced with hops. Not my favorite Rye Pale but still very drinkable wouldn't complain if someone handed me one.
Cheers

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 18:39:18 | More by merzeone

KMcG

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is a clear light amber with a 1/4" rich white head. The smell was a grassy, like a meadow and floral hops, with some sweetness. The flavor is very well balanced between the hops and the sweet rye malts. Slight pine tones with a little caramel sweetness. There is a little peppery background. The brew is effervescent and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 00:54:27 | More by KMcG

secondtooth

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear amber/gold, with a medium head. Admirable and attractive lace, too.

Nose is subtle, I get some floral hops, but little else.

Taste is hops-forward, followed up by a smooth, malty presence. A little rye and hops twang ends the tasting experience well.

Overall, an enjoyable beer -- not overly memorable but certainly worthy.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 17:13:39 | More by secondtooth

PCampbell

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Pours a nice light amber, very clear, with a thin off-white head.

Has a very sweet rye malt scent to it, with some nice citrus hops to go along with it. The malt taste is right up front with some light bready and light citrus notes as well. The balance seems to be more towards the malt. Has a medium mouthfeel to it with some nice carbonation.

A nice twist on the pale ale with the rye malt. Not much hops to it but it is very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 16:01:41 | More by PCampbell

AgentZero

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Ppours an amber golden color with a huge frothy head that had really nice retentnio. Some random splotches left on the side.

S - Smells like an APA with a decent malt backbone, a bit of citrus, and some good rye spice.

T - Really easy to drink. Citrus with a bit of pine and a decent rye backbone. Fairly refreshing with a little taste on the end that ends up a bit woody.

M - Surprisingly low carbonation considering the massive head that bubbled up on this one. Lighter side of medium bodied.

O - Refreshing and good beer that is quite easy to drink. Taste is nice, and the rye is a good addition to a solid APA. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:36:49 | More by AgentZero

TheIronHammer

Alabama

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a beer glass.

A: The beer is clear gold in color, and is inviting. I cannot comment on the head or lacing because of the way I poured it.

S: There is a strong but not overpowering hops aroma which is pleasant. In the background there is a fruit aroma, maybe apple. It isn't the kind of upfront scent one gets from a fruit beer.

T: The beer has some hops to it. It is very pleasant and well incorporated. I'm getting a slight fruit taste on the backside, very pleasant as well. The rye does influence the taste, but I'm not sure how to describe it. It is pleasant as well however. The influences on the taste are well balanced.

Mf: This beer has a medium body, which I think goes with the pale ale style well. The carbonation is a little bit more than I expected, but it doesn't detract. Overall, this beer has good mouthfeel.

Overall: This beer is pretty well crafted. There's decent complexity and the balance is pretty good. It was enjoyable to drink and I'll buy it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 18:07:06 | More by TheIronHammer