Wytchmaker Farmhouse Rye IPA - Jester King Craft Brewery

lnashsig

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been so excited about this release, and pleased to grab a bottle today at HEB Bunker Hill. Poured from bottle into my Jester King Farmhouse glass. Pours a nearly transparent dark orange color, about a finger of white fluffy head. VERY different from the previous Wytchmaker version in appearance and carbonation. Smell- wet grass, barnyard funk! juicy fruit, almost a candied orange smell. Tropical mango. A marraige of funky and tropical hops. Beautiful. Giving smell alone a 5. Taste- wet cut grass, some barnyard funk and some bitterness- a complex blend of flavor. Lovely malt sweetness and tropical hops- mango, orange rind all over my teeth. This is tremendously more complex and clean with flavors than the original Wytchmaker. Just an amazing brew. Bravo.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 01:23:41 | More by lnashsig

codysjb

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into a pint glass.
A: Orange and yellow cloudy beer with a small head. The head doesnt dissipate.
S: A mix of IPA and saison, some minor hop and pine notes combine with an earthy lemon flavor, very cool.
T: A minor hoppy beer on the front blends into an saison on the end. Some hop notes but not too many ending with a perfect saison. Very few if any malt notes.
M: A lot more hops, perfectly balanced and some minor lemon notes on the end.
O: Really good and interesting. I think this is the most interesting beer Ive had this year and Im very excited to try other JK beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:22:55 | More by codysjb

srhoadsy

Florida

4.24/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served chilled into a fluted tulip.

Pours a hazy copper color with 2+ inches of airy beige head even with a gentle pour. Head slowly fades leaving a heavy surface layer and heavy lacing.

Aromas of caramelized sugar, tropical fruit with a slightly musty background.

Tastes of caramelized sugars, peaches, mango and other tropical fruit with a mildly spicy and musty follow through.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and crisp finish. Very mild alcohol burn and lingering aftertaste.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. I was surprised to see some of the low scores. To me, this is exactly what a rye IPA should taste like. Plus it's packaged in one of the coolest, creepiest bottles ever "her eyes are still following me around the room".

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 22:24:53 | More by srhoadsy

rtepiak

Poland

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

really nice and fresh bottle. a hybrid beer of rye IPA and saison. american hops with a beligan yeast. tinker of beligan undertone and particularly in the aftertaste. would say that this is the best made texas rye i've had from the best saision brewery in texas. but i haven't had many of either down here. wonderful nose of a pine floral boutique. interesting citronella hints which really seem to be the end of the palate as well in feel. lemon balm bitter, so case in point, has a dominant side but also lingers in minerality and a bit oily. smooth feel. good balance. american characteristic well suited. rather unexpectedly dry which wasn't a disappointment. wasn't particularly sweet or as malt driven as some of the midwest rye beers that i like. but rather in a realm. this sort of thing is just not happening around here and i'm glad someones doing it.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 19:46:12 | More by rtepiak

secondtooth

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Cloudy golden, with a plus-size head of off-white carbonation. Lovely lace.

Nose is oddly tangy -- the rye adds a sharp, spicy aroma. Actually, I get this more than a hoppy scent. Not a bad thing.

Taste is a weird mix of spicy malts and citrus hoppiness. Actually, this drinks very smooth, with a sharp and almost sour finish. A definite unique flavor profile for a rye pale ale, and a very tasty, enjoyable brew. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 20:05:35 | More by secondtooth

paperbackfoster

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle served into Jester King goblet, for full justice.

Pours out a stereotypical Texas orange, completely opaque but vibrant. The head just won't quit. Leaves a serious creamy dollop from entry, with head barely receding less than a finger. Extreme foamy lacing, very attractive.

Smells a little funky, with notes of tropical fruit and green apple.

The taste is sharp, a slight nutty malt giving way to big peppery rye and fresh piney hops. I had the good fortune of trying a round of this beer before they moved to make it a farmhouse, and I can say that the natural yeast only benefitted this beer. The slightly wild taste underlines the hop and rye flavor, making it that much bolder.

A big bright beer, light and sudsy in the mouth and almost hiding its bite.

A staple of Jester King's lineup, this one's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:45:35 | More by paperbackfoster

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Los Altos, CA.

As soon as it's uncapped, I can smell the funk. This is going to be an interesting beer. Pours a deep amber-hued bronze colour, with a filmy, but partially speckled head of white. Lacing is patchy, slightly sudsy, but certainly present. Body is full, carbonation is fine. Looks good.

Nose is unabashedly weird. Strong funk gives a hay-like ripeness, that mingles with a generic green hoppy character giving hints of crushed leaves and earth. The funk also gives off sweeter characters, like coconut and bruised peppers. It's a thoroughly fascinating aroma.

Taste is a lot more subdued, but it still feels pleasantly coherent and tight. Clear malt opens up with a slightly funkified grain character, before a generic hop bitterness hands off some cedar-like bitterness. There are some earthy notes on the finish which are not necessarily all that welcome, but these seem to pleasantly morph into a spicy rye note on the very finish (the first hint of the rye as its own entity). Feel is smooth, with a tickle from the hint of acidity.

Overall, nice stuff. They manage to keep all the elements close enough together to be coherent and balanced, even though they're some really weird stuff going on here. That's a good effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:10:47 | More by lacqueredmouse

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into tulip 24/9/12

A hazed orange amber without many visible bubbles but still has an enormous off white head that sticks around for along enough to leave lots of random lace

S large amounts of saison yeast with some peppery bubble gum and faint funk, the hops are floral, citric and have a touch of spruce. Awesome nose with a great mix of many things, the yeast takes center stage but spicy notes and various hops help out a great deal

T spicy notes are stronger and I get a little orange filled marmalade on top of what I smell, the yeast is mellowed and the malt profiles interesting but the nose has more going on. perhaps a combo of spicy hops, rye malt, and peppery yeast but it has a little kick no matter how you look at it

M has some body and a little bite with a spicy lingering aftertaste, the foam didn't eat up all the bubbles because there's more then enough too give it some life

O something different and a interesting mix of several different things, I was expecting a RyePA but this is more like a decent spicy Farmhouse ale and I'm feeling the 7% but that's the only proof it exists

This one would score much higher if was listed as a Saison, Rye beer or whatever... not what most people would look for in an IPA but what many people would look for in a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 04:10:29 | More by wordemupg

avalon07

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a cloudy consistency. There was a two inch, foamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A sweet, hoppy, slightly malty aroma. Nicely done.

T: Tasted of hops, a bit of pine, malt, a little citrus element, and the advertised rye. A slightly different type of for an IPA, but certainly sharp and tasty. The hops aren't overpowering and the rye is just present enough to make it interesting.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a super dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well made, somewhat unusual IPA. Definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 01:45:23 | More by avalon07

chocosushi

Oklahoma

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hennepin Chalice
A ~ Not a gusher! That makes this beer that much better than its former incarnate. Pours the same murky light-chestnut brown color, but with a touch less hazyness. Beautiful head that I let recede before getting a good whiff. Fantastic lace.

S ~ Citrus, Pine, & with Farmhouse yeast sweeping things up at the end. Medicine/plasticity linger. Sweet Wheat. There are notes of mango. Rye spice is less prevalent than the former, but it's there.

T ~ Clean citrus notes (orange/clementine) & Wheatbread with peppery farmhouse yeast in a more clean form. Slightly gummy, but no bandaid! A punch of Rye, Pineneedles, & pepper on the finish with a lingering lychee note. Improvement of flavors. Much more focus to detail here.

M ~ Citrus is more vividly expressed on the palette with the Farmhouse yeast. Finish has a peppery finesse with lingering hop flavors. Dry & spicy finish. Mild heat.

D ~ What a beer. Overall this was simply a great move. The previous Wytchmaker was great, but somewhat of a yeast-bomb which lowered drinkability. This Wytch knows what she's doing & wants to be drank NOW...so I will.
Check 'er out. Cheers JK on the tweaked brews!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 02:43:48 | More by chocosushi

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a stemmed tulip glass.

A-Pours a dark and dirty golden color, cloudy. A Massive fluffy off-white colored head that tapers to a very thick film, lace drapery.

S-Piney hops and spicy aromas, lemmony and floral farmhouse notes as it warms.

T- Spicy IPA and fruity saison blend of tastes.

M- Full body with an ultra-smooth finish. Semi-dry and yeasty.

O-I cannot easily detect malted rye, but I know that it's in there. It's more yeasty to me. Nice blend, drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:08:27 | More by NiceTaps

wethorseblanket

California

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden with a thin white head which fades to the rim leaving scant lace.

N: Grassy and herbal and floral, slightly spicy and yeasty, trace cherry fruit bubblegum notes.

T: Herbal, spicy rye malts combined with biscuity yeast. Slightly funky and musty but mainly saison-like. Some floral hops on the finish.

M: Medium carbonation and body. Semi-dry finish.

O: Interesting melding of rye, hops, and yeast makes this a unique and interesting offering.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 17:52:01 | More by wethorseblanket

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Draught House 43rd Anniversary Party. I really have no idea which category to put this in. It is the standard Wytchmaker recipe, with the only difference being they use a French saison yeast rather than their standard ale yeast.

The beer pours a slightly hazy copper to amber color with a white head. The aroma has some nice orange citrus and resinous pine notes, as well as some biscuit malt, Belgian yeast and spice notes. It smells about like I expected, a rye IPA blended with a saison.

The flavor is also about what I expected. The biscuit malt and rye are complimented by nicely by the hop flavors of citrus and pine. The saison yeast really drys out the beer and adds some crispness to it. There is a slight bit of funk from the yeast, which I expected from a beer with farmhouse in the name. Overall, an interesting combination of flavors that I think works quite well.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 21:22:59 | More by Mora2000

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear copper-ruby color with a finger of super frothy off-white head. The head fades down at a very slow pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of spicy rye, citrus hops, grapefruit, some sweet bready malts, and some farmhouse yeasts.

T - Starts off with some spicy rye with some tropical and citrus hops, grapefruit flavor, and some bitterness. Through the middle, some sweet bready malts come through with some farmhouse yeasts, and a bit more bitterness and spice. The finish is a mix of citrus hops, spicy rye, some belgian yeast flavors, pepper, and some light sweet bready malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a spicy, dry, and lightly sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. A bit on the mild side, but the rye flavor is really nice with the Belgian yeast and IPA base.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 04:41:47 | More by ngeunit1

TX-Badger

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An offering from Jester King Craft Brewery, a 750mL bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A - Farmhouse Wytchmaker Rye IPA has a cloudy amber appearance to it, similar to the Mad Meg, it has nice amount of off-white foam head that lingers for a little while.

S - I really get a good amount of spice and rye from this IPA, but I also smell notes of citrus and pine.

T - on the palate I mainly get earthy rye and piny-hopiness notes on the palate. This beer finishes with interesting peppery and citrusy notes that actually combine quite well to give this beer nice complexity. It is a well balanced IPA, between the malt and hops.

M - full-bodied and a bit chewy since it's unfiltered. The carbonation is just right.

O - a very good farmhouse style IPA. It's a bit more alcoholic than other IPAs I like, i.e., the 7.0% ABV is not noticeable. Like the Mad Meg, I have another bottle that I plan on letting rest for a few months. Should be interesting to see how this changes with some age.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:49:57 | More by TX-Badger

DavidST

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass. This pours a very hazy yellow near the top and sides with a darker almost golden middle, with a massive long lived off white head. The smells are of of a little barn funk, some bubble gum, some floral hops, a barn yard IPA. The feel is medium with high carbonation. The taste is as I expected, a large amount of hop bitterness followed by a funky barnyard saison taste, different but good.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:24:05 | More by DavidST

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into wine glass at the recommended 45-50 degrees.

Pours with a large, 3F of tightly-bubbled off-white head over a cloudy amber body. Tons of thick lacing.

Aromas are spicy, floral, and fruity. Mango sweetness, orange peel bitterness, Belgian yeast, and white pepper.

Mouthfeel is delicate and dry. Flavors are prominently floral, with a dry rye bitterness in the finish. Orange peel comes through along with some lemon zest. Tight, dry finish.

Why is this listed as an American IPA? Everything about it screams Belgian IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:09:54 | More by BeerImmediately

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to SliverX for bringing this bottle to our beer tasting.

I had this beer poued from a bomber into a snifter glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw/Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, Great White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Earthy, Mild Spicy, Mild Citrus

T: Malty, Black Pepper, Mild Rye, Mild Lemon

M: Great Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Neutral Based, Semi Spicy, Semi Drying

Overall, a nice well balanced beer that doesnt blow you away or burn you out. Has some spicy and earthy notes.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 14:22:22 | More by merc7186

SHODriver

California

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a cloudy and hazed yellowish brown with a two finger rocky off white head
S: smells sweet with notes of grapefruit, pine, and some spice from the rye malt. a little bit of peppery yeastyness comes through as well
T: rye up front with some nice citrus and pine hop yeast as well with a nice floral hop kick in the finish with some yeast flavor
M: medium body with slightly prickly carb
O: a nice rye IPA with good flavors that dares to be a little bit different. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 07:31:52 | More by SHODriver

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Fun drinkable mixture of saison yeast, citrus,bold hops and some rye. Interesting spicy (and a bit funky) aroma. An enormous head on cloudy yellow body.Smooth mouthfeel, good drinkability.Suitably carbonated.Overall something different but for summer sure why not.
John's bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 23:28:54 | More by northyorksammy

fmccormi

New York

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from a 750ml pry-off champagne bottle to my nice little Belgian Independence Day stemmed tulip. No bottle dating visible, but this was brought to me by a Texan friend about three weeks prior, so I imagine it’s relatively fresh.

Appearance (4.5): Nice, very hazy dark honey-colored body with a light tan head of fine bubbles that just doesn’t die down. Starts at two fingers, and takes forever going down. Some thick lacing on the sides, very nice appearance.

Smell (4.0): Very interesting mix of light fruit and wet hay—classic musty brett character, not particularly strong but well-defined. Not an IPA aroma, but definitely a farmhouse aroma.

Taste (4.0): Malt character is actually pretty subtle, but the rye character is clear. Beyond that, the flavor is mainly dominated by the brett character, which is well-proportioned—not too musty, not too pungent, just a straight-forward presentation of basic wet hay and a mild sour character. Some grassy, slightly fruity hops come through, too. Finish is slightly sour, but very mildly so. Grows on me as it warms.

Mouthfeel (3.0): Surprisingly light body with a very mild carbonation that tingles very lightly. Dry finish, not bad. Nothing objectionable, but nothing notable for either a farmhouse or an IPA mouthfeel. Wild ale maybe, but neither farmhouse or IPA.

Overall (3.5): This is a good beer and I’m glad to have gotten the chance to try it, and I definitely want to get some more Jester King in my life. Still, I’m not sure this bottle hit the mark for either a farmhouse beer or an IPA—but it’s a decent hybrid, either way. I think a fresher hop profile (IPA), a dryer and more active body (farmhouse / saison), and a deeper funk (brett) would benefit this beer, but the state it was in tonight was not far enough in any of those directions to really be memorable.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:35:59 | More by fmccormi

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a nice cloudy peach/amber with a MASSIVE off-white head. The foam take forever to settle, leaving some serious lacing behind as it drinks.

S: The nose is really intriguing. It's sweet and slightly tart with a good helping of spice mixed in. I get some great citrus notes in there mixed with herbal tea.

T: The taste basically follows the nose. It's sweet up front with tart bite. Lemons mix with rye spice, and saison yeast in the middle. The finish is a melange of lemon, spice, and tea. It's really solid.

M: Medium bodied beer. This beer goes down pretty easy, but it has a good amount of heft to it. The flavors transition well on the palate. The finish is slightly dry with spice and citrus shining through.

O: I like this beer, but it's not something I'd want to drink all the time. It's like a mix of a rye with a saison, which are two of my favorite styles, but I prefer them separately. I'm really pleased to have tried this brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 23:22:36 | More by trxxpaxxs

claspada

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy copper to amber color with a fluffy, semi-sticky looking white head. Spotty, soapy, sticky lacing (thanks to the rye malt) is left along the sides of the glass as the head recedes.

Aromas begin quite balanced overall with equal amounts of spicy rye malt, some lesser toasted breadiness and light citrus, pine and earthy hoppiness. As it warms I get more of the Farmhouse yeast semi-funky esters and more spice notes which could be more rye or from the phenolic Belgian Yeast.

The tastes begin with the same toasty, bready, biscuit maltiness and the more predominant spicy rye maltiness. Generic citrus and earthy hop flavor combines with the Farmhouse yeast induced earthy, slight hay-like flavors. The saison yeast really drys out the beer and adds some crispness to the finish. There is a slight bit of funk from the yeast, which I expected from a beer with farmhouse in the name.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is semi-dry thanks the yeast ans semi-spicy thanks to the rye malt.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. Perfect blend of Rye IPA and Belgian Farmhouse flavors. The yeast esters or spicy rye flavors could easily over power each other or not work well together, but here they do and it makes it a well balanced winner I wouldn't mind having in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 23:30:05 | More by claspada

gtermi

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a dark clear golden body with a thick creamy light tan head that slowly fades away and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

S: I am picking up a strong amount of spicy and floral hops, some grain and a strong amount of rye.

T: This is a really strange flavor IPA. I get a nice amount of hops and it tastes really good at first, but the farmhouse yeast starts to come in and really changes the flavor. The flavor goes from sweet to just a weird funk that I cant really describe. The rye flavor is there too and I just dont really know what to think about the flavor of this beer.

M: The beer is super easy to drink and has a good amount of carbonation. There is a strong amount of crispness on the back of the throat.

O: This is just one of those weird beers I cant really get my mind around. BUT that is how Jester King does things. They are not afraid to try anything and I give them mad respect for that... On the other hand, I think they took a major step back on this IPA because the original recipe was much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 04:42:56 | More by gtermi

GregSVT

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours murky yellowish brown with a nice eggshell white head that fades to a small layering and leaves some good lacing on the glass.

S: The nose at first is big pine and grapefruit then the Belgian yeast kicks in with notes of cloves and candied plums.

T: The taste kicks you in the mouth with piney hops and the finish is dominated by the sweet malt and Belgian yeast.

M: The feel is creamy and medium bodied.

O: The new yeast changes this one just enough to be intersting but it's not much different. I almost expected a belgian IPA after hearing they turned this into a farmhouse beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:58:18 | More by GregSVT