Wytchmaker Farmhouse Rye IPA - Jester King Craft Brewery

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

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

For whatever reason, I quip upon a first gaze at the label- I feel as if I'm being scolded by the wychmaker on in the bottle art. But with rye being the historical bastard child of the brewer's grain family, maybe I cower because I'm certainly guilty of liking this beer.

With a murky rust appearance, it seems that the dull earthiness of the rye is playing also on its appearance. But capped with a dense blanket of foam, the eggshell froth laces up the glass with both isolated pockets and connected rings in formidable fashion. It's a great looking beer from the meniscus upward, but below the line it could be more appealing to the eye.

A very spicy scent springs from the nonic with a blend of hops, phenols, and unmistakable rye. Grounded with malty aspects of starch, caramelized barley, and light toast; its the hops that command most of the attention because of their grapefruity and sprucy notes. But then there's the complementary aromas of spicy rye and earthen leaf matter that covers all the bases.

Likewise, the flavors of malt coat the palate with the dry malt taste of terse caramel, biscuity toast, and whole grain (whether barley or rye). But a quick step into the middle palate brings a lot of complex spiciness that leads to bitterness in finish. Freshly grated grapefruit, muddled grasses, tea-like herbs, pine sap and bark, and a spicy grainy taste that stops shy of fresh cracked peppercorn- this spicy dry matrix hits the palate all at once; some attributes are sharp, others are dull but all point toward a strong hop-derived bitterness in the end.

Medium bodied to start, the beer's strong carbonation keeps the beer creamy which furthers the impression of fullness. But the carbonation recedes as the spiciness builds and allows the beer to finish dry, peppery, warm, and with spicy rye astringencies.

What's what's worth mentioning is that this is likely the beer that best represents both roggenbiers and ipas. Neither pulls so far ahead of the other that its counterpart gets lost. Still, rye is a tricky grain and can dampen some flavors while amplifying others. Jester King's attempt brings light to the struggles of rye in beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 03:44:50 | More by BEERchitect

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

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy dark yellow in color and poured with a finger high frothy white head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a short head covering the surface along with lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of earthy yeast in the nose along with hints of rye.
T: like the smell, the taste is very earthy and has some notes of caramel malts and hints of bitterness from the hops and spiciness from the rye.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is an interesting farmhouse beer that tastes like a hybrid between a saison and a rye beer. It is also a nice choice if you like earthy aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 16:05:40 | More by metter98

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle. More creepy label imagery from this brewery, with the titular witch seemingly following me with her malevalent eyes.

This beer pours a glassy, medium golden amber hue, with two fingers of foamy, effervescent off-white head, which leaves a nice array of cloudform lace rings around the glass as it slowly recedes.

It smells of mildly sour, peppery rye grain, dried orchard fruit, tart citrus and pine hop notes, and a further dank leafiness. The taste is bitter citrus pith, pine needles, somewhat funky yeast, spicy rye malt, a general sugary sweetness, and more earthy mustiness. The extra few points of booze do well to stay entirely under the radar.

The carbonation is a tad edgy, but softens as it goes, the body just on the light side of medium weight, and actually pretty smooth. It finishes sweet, but with a still pungent melange of bitter hop, spicy grain, and musty, funky earthiness.

A decent yeast-altered Yankee IPA, so much so, that I feel the American theme becoming washed out, as the Belgian character of the yeast outshines the rye malt. Ipso facto, Belgian IPA would likely be a better classification for this offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 02:24:12 | More by biboergosum

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

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

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

champ103

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Petrol Station in Houston.

A: Pours a murky copper orange color. A minimal white head forms, and recedes in a second. Not much lace.
S: Orange, citrus, lemony. Bitter pine resin in the nose. Light spice with a lingering bitterness.
T: More of the same. Orange, citrus, bitter pine resin lingers. Where did the great balance and bread rye go that was in the base? I don't detect any sort of farmhouse/Belgian yeast either.
M/D: A medium body that has good carbonation. Crisp and dry. Not something I am coming back to often.

I hope they are not permanently replacing the regular Wytchmaker with this. Just bitter hops with no balance. The rye that I loved is all gone, and the new yeast does not add much if anything. Really nothing I would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 14:00:33 | More by champ103

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

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

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle opened on 1.11.13.

A - Pours a clear dark orange with an active two inch cream-colored head with good retention.

S - Rye, malty, pine, grass, slight citrus.

T - Lots of rye and malt, with a little pine and citrus in the finish.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Light rye with a touch of pine hops and citrus.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 06:48:40 | More by HuskyinPDX

Sean9689

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle purchased at WLV Liquors.

A - Pours a mirky orange color, white head, thin collar.

S - Citrus, spicy yeast, rye notes, herbal. A bit of this and that, which really doesn't come together as good as I would liked.

T - Light rye notes, herbal, yeast, light bitter hops. More yeast-forward then anything and the rye and hops take a back seat. Not super-excited by this one.

M - Light body, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - Not one that I liked all that much. The yeast notes really overpower the rest of the beer and it really doesn't come together like I would have hoped for. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 14:35:05 | More by Sean9689

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

Florida9

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Slightly cloudy dark amber in color. Forms an enormous off-white head that has pretty good retention. Leaves lots of lacing on the way down.

S: Aromatic and hoppy. Citrus, grapefruit, and lots of peppery spice.

T: Definitely hop forward with an appreciable bitterness. Grapefruit, citrus, and lots of spicy hops. Pine and pine resin. A slight bit of yeastiness in the background. Finishes earthy and piney with even more spice.

M: This is where this beer really doesn't work for me: medium bodied with good carbonation and an aggressive, soapy, bitterness that coats the tongue with a persistently unpleasant aftertaste.

O: As a hop head, I can say I like the hops in this one, but the bitterness is more than just bitterness - it is borderline astringency that makes this beer less than enjoyable. Lots of potential, but misses the mark.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 00:21:36 | More by Florida9

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

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jester King
Farmhouse Rye Wytchmaker (lime green label)
750ml into NB Globe
No bottle date, but purchased from the brewery recently

A: Pours a cloudy orange amber color.  Almost a finger of off white head that drops fairly quickly.  Sticky lacing bits.

S: Farmhouse barnyard funk. Also, some of those spicy rye notes. This combination really cuts in on the amount of hops that you'd get normally from an IPA.

T: Much like the nose, the taste is dominated by the Farmhouse strand.  You get that spicy rye notes as well, but the hop profile is masked by these almost totally. I wish I could taste more of the IPA hints. Seeing the hops used in the recipe on the label, you should be able to pick them out but I can't.

M: Medium bodied with a nice spicy mouth coating

O: Solid beer from a small up and comer, but s little tweaking might help this one a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 16:39:58 | More by inlimbo77

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: dirty orange/cloudy tan, trace white head,
mild lacing

S: rye, lemon peel, yeast,

T: clove, yeast, malt, solid pine, bitter/sour
rye finish

M: med body, mild sticky/oily mouth

O: My 1st Rare Beer of the Month selection!
Thanks to my loving wife. Never heard of this
brewery before, not bad. Fascinating twist,
on Rye IPA, almost tastes like Hefe/Rye IPA.

QUITE GOOD, WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 19:37:46 | More by BeerLover99

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

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

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

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

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

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a slightly hazy orange-amber with moderate carbonation producing a 2-3 inch cream-colored head.
S: Spicy rye and hops predominate. Some black pepper and citrus. An herbal note with a hint of mint too.
T: Hops, hops, and more hops (pine, citrus, and herbal). Overly done. Drowns out the rest--spicy rye and hint of black pepper. Perhaps some time will allow this one to settle down a bit.
M: Sharp and bitter hops. Spicy hops and rye. Light-medium body.
D: Drinkable if you love an absolute truckload of hops...which I don't. A bit of a disappointment from an otherwise solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 03:37:36 | More by mwilbur

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