Hop Rod Rye - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

kojevergas

California

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Saw the high ratings so I picked this one up. 8% confirmed. 12 oz bottle into conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in Los Feliz, CA. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof. I googled the Bear Republic bottle codes and discovered this was bottled 09/12/12; I'm a little pissed at my bottle shop but I'll give her a spin anyway.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger creamy frothy head of good thickness and great retention for the high ABV. Body colour is an unexpected dark copper; semitransparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Decent lacing as the head recedes, but it looks like it'll retain for a good five minutes. The colour is fantastic for an IPA; I'm already impressed.

Sm: Nectary hops are dominant, with some floral character and a bit of pine. Some oily hops. A bit of bitterness comes through, but just enough. Caramel. Sweeter malts than pale malts, but not quite amber or biscuit. Some grapefruit citrus zest and even a more herbal note; perhaps mint? Yes, natural mint leaf. No yeast is detectable, nor is any alcohol. I'm looking forward to trying it. An average strength aroma.

T: Mmm. Hoppy yet incredibly balanced; lots of nectary hop character, with perfect complementary floral and light pine character. A bit of herbal fermented mint leaf aids its refreshing feel. No hop bitterness whatsoever comes through. Shockingly well balanced. Light oily hop notes. Caramel and sweet malts form the simple yet effective foundation - which is more than merely a platform for the hop notes. Slight spice is also detectable. The rye works here beautifully, complementing and cooperating with the nectary hops to give it more depth. No yeast character. No alcohol comes through. Constructively, it's a bit too sweet and the hop character could be much more complex. Lacks subtlety. Still, it's tasty - and let's not forget it's four months old.

Mf: Slightly oily, very nectary, and smooth and wet. Soft and refreshing, yet a bit too thick. Perfect carbonation. Complements the flavour profile very well.

Dr: An incredibly drinkable and refreshing IPA, with a well hidden ABV that'll sneak up on you. $7.99 a four pack is quite fair for a beer of this quality. Bear republic has impressed me. For a four month old IPA, it's rather good. I intend to revisit it fresh; it deserves that respect.

Low B

I imagine it's best on draught.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:21:47 | More by kojevergas

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber of this from codysjb in a recent trade in Amsterdam. Fun hanging out man. Hope to see you again soon!

From a bomber into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger, thicker looking, tight, creamy off-white head with very good retention. Head slowly fades to a good, thick cap. A clear mahogany or rust orange color with no carbonation evident. A hazy with remains leaving some nice lacing down the sides of the glass. Great looking stuff.

SMELL: Lots of hops on the nose. Pale malts, caramel and honeydew melon there, with some nice pineapple, mango and a good dose of piney hops. Bolder as well. Nice stuff.

TASTE: Pale malts, rye malts, and lots of piney hops up front. Sweet mango and honeydew melon as well, leading into a bold and lingering finish. Piney hops, bitter floral notes, some spicy rye with a light caramel sweetness adding some balance to the brew. Very hoppy with a nice spicy element from the rye. Really good.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Enough weight on this one, creamy on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes dry. Some bitterness lingers.

OVERALL: This is excellent stuff. Piles of hops here, with a nice malt backbone and some spicy rye as well. Looks and feels good too. This is one I'd be glad to have regular access to, as it's a great example of the style. Cheers for this one Cody. Hope to hang out again!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 13:19:14 | More by Jeffo

One2Remeber

Florida

4.01/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Kickbacks.
A: cloudy, deep amber body. Thick, creamy as nitro off-white head. Lacey and retention remains as initial pour.

S: prune type caramel notes. Spiciness and berry fruit fight for attention. Clean aroma, water is pronounced.

T/M: Heavy body with a lucious creamy texture. Hops really come out in resiny, herbal flavor, bitterness is kept in check. Spicy/chewy taste lingers. Explosion of rich caramel malt on the palate.

O: most impressive selection from Bear Republic as it is new to market. Complexity of an Arrogant Bastard, raisin notes of a boont amber ale, drinkibility and hop profile of a well built imperial red.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2013 21:18:06 | More by One2Remeber

fox227

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A slightly aggressive pour yielded an impressive two fingered head, with off white foam, very nice lacing; the underlying liquid is very dark amber.

On the nose I get pine sap, grapefruit, a syrupy sweetness, and spicy rye.

On the palate I get everything described in the nose. The forward flavors are dominated by grapefruit and piney, resiny hops. Those flavors linger into a dry, sticky finish of caramel-syrup sweetness and a hint of spicy rye.

Mouthfeel is very hoppy, with high carbonation tickling the tongue long after swallowing.

Overall: A strong hoppy IPA that is matched by its sweet malt with a rye kick. This is a beer that should satisfy all hop heads, but is supported by a deep malt backbone. This is a beer I'll have again and again, and have!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 20:01:23 | More by fox227

harrymel

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -29%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled: unk, but grabbed the one with the least sediment....

Pours a dark amber with a couple fingers of light cream foam and gobs of lace. Smells of pine, resin, grapefruit and tangerine - nice west coast style IPA nose here. I like. Malty flavor with hints of spice and a little sweet hop character (like in the bag hops). Not much in the way of complex IPA though. Sweet with a bit of hop character is what I'm getting. Medium bodied with lower than anticipated carb and a semi dry finish. Decent beer, nothing special.

1st review: 23FEB11: 3/2.5/2/2/2 -2.15
A: Pours dark, deep red with limited translucency. A few more SRM's and this one would qualify for a CDA/ABA. Single finger, peanut colored head dissipates quickly leaving fairly confluent foam sheet. Limited lacing.
S: Some citrus, but predominantly, this is very, very similar to their Red Rocket - maybe because the beer has been sitting on the shelf too long - but too bad, learn to date your product. Lots of malt, smells like a red or ESB.
T: Yep, about the same as the Red Rocket. Too bad. Getting low marks for this. If an IPA is to be had fresh, date your bottles!
M: Medium body with low carbonation.
D: This beer is drinkable as is, but very, very disappointing for an IPA. Huge fail, and if not for the reasons of dating, then the beer is a fail in the style in general.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 06:22:14 | More by harrymel

Moose90

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 10/02/12
Purchased 12/30/12
22oz Bomber into 20oz Tulip Pint

A - Deep amber, I have seen lighter amber ales. No huge head, leaves solid lacing.

S - Bread. Like some nice toasted rye.

T - Malt and rye up front, some good bitter hop in the middle and finishes with more hop.

M - Medium-Full body, good carbonation, refreshing, but the malt does linger.

O - Good. Not great. I expected more hop. There is a lot of malt to this, and rye. Its a good beer, I'd buy it again, and if I ever see it at a bar I'll order by the pitcher. Good value as well at <$5/22oz

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 22:02:32 | More by Moose90

yamar68

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gorgeous... glowing ruby body with a yellowish egg shell head that sticks to every edge of the glass. Looks like something out of a porno mag.

Rich rye profile layered with evergreen bitterness, sweet and smooth malts, incredibly balanced for a rye forward beer, everything melds together to form a one dimensional, easy aroma.

Earthy and herbal hops, dirty rye, a sharp bitterness dries up on the tail end of the palate, so smooth.

Delicious stuff.

ISO.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:51:02 | More by yamar68

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a pint glass. Purchased in wakefield ri.

A- pours a deep amber, clear body with a generous the off-white head that sticks around for a while and leaves chunky sticky lacing. A little settling at the bottom of the glass.

S-huge breadyness upfront, alpine, spices and resin notes.

T- upfront I get a biscuity, malty, sweet caramel flavor. This progresses into a resinous, piney flavor that leaves a subtle bitterness on the tongue. Slight rye zing on the finish.

M- thick body, medium-Low carbonation.

Overall I'd call this a decent beer, definitely not what I ea expecting though. It's more of a malt bomb with a medium hop characteristic. I prefer a more refreshing, easy drinker when I have an ipa.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:05:13 | More by gcamparone

denver10

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A nice deep caramel brown with just a slight off white head. A nice fruity aroma on top of a bready and caramel malt base and a little of the rye adding a nice twist. Sweet and bready, citrus, pine, and a nice hit of rye in the finish which seems to fill out and magnify that hit of bitterness. A medium bodied, active mouthfeel. Overall, a very solid brew that continues to get better each time I drink it.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:55:57 | More by denver10

sevenarts

New York

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brownish amber. Small off-white head with not much retention, but good lacing.

S: Citrusy, grapefruit hops, sweet caramel malts, and a good amount of rye spiciness.

T/M: Nice strong, bitter hops, a mix of pine and grapefruit/citrus notes. Blended into the hops is a peppery edge from the rye. Goes down with a sweet malty smoothness that coats the throat.

O: A very good IPA with a good amount of complexity from the rye, and a good balance between the up-front bitterness and the sweet malty followthrough.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 23:54:43 | More by sevenarts

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a deep amber with some dark brown and gold highlights. Head is white, dense, and fluffy. Drops to a chunky cap and bubbly loose collar in shorter order. Slight haze.

Smell: Citrus. Orange rind. Solid malt sweetness. Slightly overcooked and caramelized. Biscuit dough. Underlying rye spiciness. Vaguely floral with some damp resinous pine in the back. A nice overall balance. As it warms some more malt sweetness jumps out and the rye becomes a little more aggressive.

Taste: Citrus, undercooked biscuits. Grapefruit rind mixed with pine needles. Solid overall bitterness builds with each sip. Rye is pretty mellow to start, but gets a little more pronounced as the beer warms. Nice backing rye spiciness. Malts run sweet, but not overly so. Some caramel malt and caramelized sugars. Herbal and spicy. Big sweetness balanced by big bitter hop bite.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy medium body. Carbonation is moderate. Slightly dry.

Overall: Wait, Bear Republic can make an aggressively flavored yet balanced beer? Impossible!

Another drinkable beer from Bear Republic. Nice overall compliment of hop and malt flavors. Sweet and bitter and spicy. Hits everywhere it should and makes winter warmers cry. They wish they were this good.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 19:53:52 | More by Goblinmunkey7

heygeebee

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can't really add anything to all these reviews, now can i?

In short, for someone who does not particularly like Rye IPAs, nor hop bombs, this is going down really well indeed.

Methink the hops have faded across the Pacific, but never mind, what is left is really well made beer, with treacle notes the most dominant(!) - yes the hops are still there but integrated in the background as are the rye notes.

Smooth as....

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 08:38:09 | More by heygeebee

Braz

Washington

4.16/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark burnt sugar/caramel color with a rocky cream head. Head retracts to a frothy cap. Aromatics are quite floral and sweet. Tastes of white wine and general woody notes. Also pick up hints of toast followed by spicy hop finish. Aftertase lingers for a while and is bitter. Mouthfeel is a little pungent but smooth and creamy. Great IPA. Leans toward the bitter opposed to being truly balanced, but it works well with the other flavor characteristics here.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 15:55:09 | More by Braz

n2185

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly murky copper with a finger of off-white head that fades into a thin ring with little lacing.

S: Citrus hop notes up front with grapefruit and pine aromas. Caramel malt comes through as well with an earthy finish.

T: More of the caramel malts come through here, but with citrus and earthy pine hop flavors kicking in before a lightly bitter finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer feels a little sticky in the mouth, but is otherwise nicely carbonated.

O: A pretty decent beer, overall. This bottle might be a bit past its prime, but it was stored cold at the store. It's a little heavy and sticky feeling for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 03:34:43 | More by n2185

Vec2267

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - hazy, caramel, big tan head, superb lacing

S - hops, grapefruit, pine, fruit

T - hops - grapefruit, orange peel, pine - all there - tons of caramel and then a spicy rye zing

M - rich and lush but not in the least bit syrupy

O - outstanding hop bomb with tremendous balance and depth

I had this on tap in LA about 5 years ago - wonderful. Found a bottle at Total Wine last night. Please, oh please, stock more of this!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:52:03 | More by Vec2267

SassieCassie

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is one tasty beer.

Pours a dark red color, slight head served in a pint glass. The scent is not over bearing but you definitely smell hops with little floral notes mixed in.

The carbonation is strong, lighting up the taste buds. The taste is not too sweet with a very light syrupy feel. It's definitely hoppy, and it finishes nicely with a small hint of rye.

It's simple and strait to the point. My kind of beer. You can't beat the flavor for the price, and heck... the abv :)

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 21:35:30 | More by SassieCassie

Philousa

California

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark red, nearly brown, with a thick tan head that dwindles to only stick to the glass. Laing is moderate. Caramel, slight chocolate, and spicy, sweet rye. Smells like fermentation ended a bit earlier than most IPAs (read: sweet). Definitely a good dose of piney, slightly citrusy hops. Spicy flavor in the rye is up front and lasting, accompanied by dark chocolate and thick, sweet caramel. Lots of specialty malt additions in this one. The sweetness sticks in the back if the throat a bit, pungent and annoying. There is an alcohol aftertaste that cuts this feel a bit, it's welcome. The bitterness from the hops cut it a bit, with some grapefruit rind. Feel is solid, middling, and appropriate for the style. 

This is a wild beer. Lots of flavors are battling it out on the palate. It's a little too much, but it's also intriguing. Although I'm not thinking of drinking this every day, it's a fun one once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:21:18 | More by Philousa

Triglycerides

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz pour into a pint glass at ~45-50degrees F:

Appearance: Pours a dark amber with sediment floating throughout the glass and along the bottom. a 1" head which dissipates to a thin film at the surface. Leaves a brilliant lacing pattern

Smell: Citrusy and piney, like a hoppy beer would be. A bit of malt comes through.

Taste: Absolutely delicious. Fairly sweet and malty, with quite a bit of rye coming through. The hops definitely come through throughout the sip, but do not overpower all that's going on in this brew. Leaves a bit of a hoppy finish, too.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy on the palette. Modest carbonation comes through and the alcohol is very nicely hidden, but not entirely so.

Overall: Definitely tasty and a fine brew to kick back and relax with. Don't expect a ton of complexity with it, but it definitely does a good job at what it is. It's also a dangerously drinkable beer at ~8% ABV. Sessionable? I think so.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 03:21:25 | More by Triglycerides

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Pours a clear dark brown reddish color with some sendiment towards the bottom of the bottle. A light head with medium lacing.

Smell – A very nice hoppy smell with a bit of pine and a nice floral scent. Also a hint of sweet lemon and malt.

Taste – Taste is somewhat similar to the smell with a touch of rye.

Mouthfeel – Carbonation went away shortly after the pour. A thin syrupy texture. The 8%abv is very well hidden in the taste.

Drinkability – This is a really nice very easy to drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 10:21:25 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

macrosmatic

Florida

4.23/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a Tampa Bay Brewing Company pint glass.

A: A deep rich brown, with a small off-white head to quickly fades to foam. A medium amount of visible carbonation.

S: Rye bread and top of lemony citrus hops.

T: Follows nicely. Rye grainy malt profile with citrus and grassy hops. Hop bitterness in the hang.

M: Medium to heavy body, good carbonation sensation, alcohol well-hidden.

O: Tasty brew, although isn't a complex beer to be sure. Solid, glad to have it around.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 19:49:04 | More by macrosmatic

babaracas

Florida

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

Pours a clear red-orange with one finger khaki colored head, a few rings of lace stick to the glass. Smell: grapefruit, resinous pine, caramel, lightly spicy and grainy back, orange citrus note. Taste: caramel, grapefruit rind, orange, spiciness and soft graininess. Creamy feel, medium bodied, juicy, semi-drying finish. This is a killer impy red with a decent rye hit.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 04:16:00 | More by babaracas

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Clear, oily, sticky lacing, clearly this one is hopped to holy hell. Light beige head, dark amber in color. Aroma is loaded with hop juiciness, mainly pine and grass and some nice malt sweetness as well. Taste is very smooth, bitter throughout, some grapefruit and nice sweetness in the background on the back end. Insanely drinkable for a high abv, no alcohol anywhere in the tasting. This must be an expensive beer to make, it's clearly loaded up with malt and hops. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 06:20:36 | More by KickbacksSteve

shand

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hop Rod Rye pours a hazy red-brown color with a smaller head. The aroma is outstanding, citrusy hops and spicy rye rule here, along with some caramel malts. The taste is just about tailor made for me - it's got a huge hop kick along with a massive amount of rye spiciness. There's a bit more of a pine flavor in the hops than the nose let on, which works excellently with the rye. This is a big and brash beer, which is perfect for me. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has that hop dryness that can only come from a massive amount of hops. The drinkability is superb. Overall, Hop Rod Rye is really a beer that's just about tailor-made for me. I love rye beers and huge IPAs. This is an excellent beer that really offers the best of both worlds there.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 23:25:02 | More by shand

Mavigo

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"If you wanna get the honey, you'll have to deal with the sting" my buddy just said, and its spot on for this beer. Served in a pint.

A: Pours a cloudy, amber red, light tan head, very short, doesnt last long, has nice rings of lacing, good lacing.

S: Hops, Flowers, rye

T: Straight up honey, sweetest beer I've ever had, with probably the strongest after taste I've ever had, like an IPA, strong hops, rye

M: light carbonation, the way I like it, light feel, warm, after tastes is very strong

O: It's really good, extremely sweet, yet so bitter, it balances its self out, very sweet, very bitter, should be on your want list if it isn't already.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 05:36:44 | More by Mavigo

DavidST

Texas

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

Opened a 22oz bottle, I can smell the hops from here pre-pour. Poured into a tulip glass, unknown bottled date. This pours a hazy yeast filled mahogany brown with a large tan head which has good retention and leaves a lacing. The smells are of nice caramel malts, rye, fruit. The feel is medium to thicker. The taste is good, nice balance of hops and malts, you get a spicy amount of rye, some bitter hops followed by a nice semi sweet caramel finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 03:49:38 | More by DavidST