Wytchmaker Rye IPA - Jester King Craft Brewery

JMad

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured some of a bomber into a tulip glass...

It looks perfect. The liquid is is a murky brownish orange color with a towering, pillowy shite head.
Smells extremely hoppy, mostly spicy and piney hop aromas along with a bit of citrus and some sweetness. The taste is very smooth, first you get some bitter lemon followed by peppery hops, a touch of rye and a bitter citrusy aftertaste. The beer is thicker than I expected, almost creamy, it has low carbonation and a dry finish. I really look forward to trying more from Jester King. I heard about them when their brewery was just a concrete foundation so it's cool to finally drink their beer. This one is highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 02:36:50 | More by JMad

jasonycurtis

Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

06-05-2013 00:13:49 | More by jasonycurtis

csfcmitchell

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%

05-09-2013 17:12:38 | More by csfcmitchell

BeerRefugee

Oklahoma

4.21/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle. Pours a hazy medium orange. Thick foamy head with good retention. Strong aroma of tropical fruits and black pepper. Flavor is nice and spicy with rye and cracked pepper balanced by some citrus and tropical notes. Slightly dry finish. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:55:34 | More by BeerRefugee

htdoerge

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

03-06-2013 04:41:58 | More by htdoerge

bklynj

New York

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

01-15-2013 00:45:13 | More by bklynj

ShameAndFailure

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

12-21-2012 19:55:29 | More by ShameAndFailure

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

10-17-2012 01:53:16 | More by t0rin0

Cablejelly

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

09-18-2012 11:26:16 | More by Cablejelly

hoody711

Illinois

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

2 days, >50 oz of Jester King to review. This is the cross I bear. The bottle says nothing about "Farmhouse" Rye IPA, it just says "Rye India Pale Ale," but they do identify themselves as a farmhouse brewery. The bottle art is again fantastic, not as attractive as Noble King, but definitely darker and creepier.

A - 25 oz bomber into a goblet. HUGE off-white rocky head that has settled to 2 fingers over 5 minutes and still has very large globs of head. Great lace. The color is an Indian red/light brown and the beer is active in there. Again, a very pretty beer. As I write this, head is foaming out of the bottle on my table. Bizarre. (Still 5 minutes later, foaming out the top of bottle. This is getting a little ridiculous.)

S - a very interesting smelling "rye." There is some sweet tart farmhousy-ness in there, bananas and subtle fruit, and maybe a little spice, buried somewhere. I don't smell much rye or a ton of hops. I really can't put my finger on much more than that.

T - there's a little bit of rye in there, maybe, but for the most part I taste toned-down farmhouse, sweet and yeasty. This is not an IPA, and there is little to no hop flavor. Absolutely no bitterness.

M - light to medium feel. The carbonation is good. Spice lingers for a while. A little warming on the way down.

O - totally bizarre beer. I really wanted to like this, but I'm not sure it knows what it is. It's certainly not an IPA, and I wouldn't say it's farmhouse. It tries to be both, but is that even a thing. Seems like a strange idea to combine these two styles. The beer itself is ok, but in the IPA world, I would never think to recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 23:47:42 | More by hoody711

pixieskid

France

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%

08-15-2012 21:54:56 | More by pixieskid

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

07-13-2012 00:26:55 | More by CliffBrake

Abarhan

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -42.6%

07-07-2012 17:32:49 | More by Abarhan

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev +2%

06-19-2012 22:57:59 | More by Exiled

Durge

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

There's a ton of particulate in this hazy dark amber colored brew which brings a somewhat out of control white avalanche of white head and decent gobs of lace. The smell suggests a light, dry, wheat and politely sweet clove. A little milder than I would like in any IPA but not bad. The taste buds receive more wheat and gentle clove. It has a very frothy feel with a mdedium-light body and gentle but full carbonation. I get some tropical fruits and light yeast undercurrents. A subtle and loveable brew. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 21:41:59 | More by Durge

valkyre65

Texas

3/5  rDev -23.5%

05-07-2012 15:25:43 | More by valkyre65

mcallister

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark rye bread in color....go figure. Pours with a huge amount of carbonation and a glorious rocky head. The pour took about 10 minutes for both Duvel tulips.

Lots of resiny pine riddles hop aromas at the forefront with some rye spicy character and some other bread esters. Hints of citrus on the end of the aromas with earthy notes as well.

Nice and way to easy to drink. Nice amount of hop bitterness on the finish and showing some toffee on the finish as well. Caramel is in the middle and intermingled with nice rye flavors and piney hops. Resiny oily hops throughout. Some citrus notes or maybe stone fruit, almost more peachy with some apricot. A nice beer with a light to medium body.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 20:04:36 | More by mcallister

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Bell's tulip.

A- pours a nice copper with an insane head (near full glass), effervescence is incredible.

S- spicy rye, nice citrus, and sweet toast.

T- dry, sweet malts, ry and heavy with spices.

M- medium body, high carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O- good rye beer. The high carbonation takes away from the beer a little.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 03:36:32 | More by kawilliams81

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Pours a slightly hazy honey orange with a 2 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, rye, pepper, and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is very much the same with a slight alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer and I am happy I was able to pick up a bottle here in California.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 02:33:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

smakawhat

Maryland

2.65/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

ooop.. didn't realize they were not making this anymore. I am not seeing any bottle dating. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

Overly carbonated head which is off white actually forms very uniform but too much. Styrofoamy consistency and very large bubbles. Body color is a chestnut brown amber, kind of opaque and lifeless. Laces well when it takes forever to settle down.

Nose feels fairly spiced rye malt going, clean with a noticeable pine push. Is that brett I smell? Mushy over ripe sense of sour orange bitter slightly. Not too bad, but I am wondering where this is going?

Palate is incredibly sharp and jagged. Tin and metallic tasting rye spice, and a very fleeting palate. Body is very weak and wet with virtually no finish except some faint tobasco quick hot hop sense. Heavily fizzy also matching the appearance and greatly exaggerating the metal and ferrous angle.

Overall it starts off tolerable, but as it continues it becomes more and more undrinkable. This didn't get it done for me, seems like a strange saison hybrid more than anything.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 02:35:49 | More by smakawhat

millerbuffoon

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

04-16-2012 21:50:43 | More by millerbuffoon

AgentMunky

California

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass. Stamped 0007066.

A: Quite a hiss when I crack the cap. Huge head takes up half the glass, then churns, and begins to overflow. The beer is full of bubbles and amber-clear.

S: Hard to smell through the head, but some citrus, pine, and yeast.

T: Citrus and light fruit. There is some farmhouseish influence even in this regular edition of Wytchmaker, evident in some of the funkier/yeastier flavours. The rye manifests primarily as a dryness with a touch of pepper. The maintaste is rather light, but the end/aftertaste showcases some nice hops.

M: Fruity-dry; spicy-sweet. Pretty good.

O: An interesting beer, but not a great one. I'd have another, but I wouldn't recommend it too strongly. Drinkable.

Notes
Style: Rye India Pale Ale
OG: 1.062
ABV: 6.8%
Malt: Two-row, rye, carapils, debittered black
Hops: Warrior, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe
Yeast: English Dry Ale

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:34:42 | More by AgentMunky

peacebone116

California

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the 750-mL bottle into a tulip. (Number on the pic of the barrel is 0008022.) Bottle actually lists the brew at 6.8%, 1.0625 OG.

A: Hazy dark copper body with prolific, soapy head.

N: Citrus and sour-apple...like old homebrew.

T/M: The taste is good with lots of citrus and pine notes (but they are somewhat faded...not sure if this is an older bottle). Their is the taste of wild yeast, like funky homebrew, with this one. I do not really pick up any of the rye flavor. This beer is dry with a light to medium mouthfeel with heavy carbonation.

Overall, I understand that this is a bottle conditioned beer and that I may have an older version of what should be an IPA. But, I am just not that stoked with this beer. The hop flavors are good, the body is where it should be, but the yeast really took off and is a bit wild here. The beer is very carbonated and prickly on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 02:22:40 | More by peacebone116

depechemode1983

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

04-09-2012 01:13:38 | More by depechemode1983

sliverX

S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

04-07-2012 22:07:42 | More by sliverX