Hop Rod Rye - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume II, Issue II:

The brewery describes it as a strong American IPA, not a Double IPA. You have to love the gray area within American styles. Very tiny bubbles are slow to rise but do form a sufficient head that drops stellar lacing on the glass after each sip. Deep brownish-amber color has a slight haze from the hops. Massive hop aroma of sweet citric peel, wild flowers, hint of grapefruit, pine and fresh mint. Lavish creamy smoothness from a deep-seated carbonation and a full body to boot. You'd swear the mouthfeel was massaging your taste buds. Both the spiciness of the rye and hops battle it out with a thick malt character. Hop bitterness never becomes excessively sharp and lays down a stodgy blanket of citric rind flavor. This beer is 7.5 percent ABV? Deceiving for sure. Spiciness of the rye peaks right in the middle, at the same time a heavy hand of caramel and bready malt sweetness flaunts its sturdy foundation. Finishes bittersweet, certainly more bitter, but it never clouds out the malt all the way.

Hop Rod Rye throws the gloves off and comes out swinging with flavor, certainly a snapshot of what American craft beer is about, and we love it.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 19:03:23 | More by BeerAdvocate

Jason

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Anam Cara, stated that it was 7.7% abv … I have seen people say that it is 7.5%-8.0%.

Superb frothy head with an unyielding retention. Perfect clarity showing a deep reddish mahogany colour. Massive hop aroma, clean and pungent going from piney to grapefruit rind. A hint of spicy rye in the nose as well.

Lush crispness with a creamy back in the full body … I swear it was massaging my tongue. I felt the malt covering the palate but the hops are too much to handle … in a good way. So much hop flavour and the bitterness was spot on, when the beer warmed up a bit the spiciness of the rye came through as well as some caramel maltiness.

By far one of the best west coast beers I have had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2003 17:05:44 | More by Jason

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Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

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Oregon

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Thailand

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4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

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Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -18%

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