Hop Rod Rye - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

merc7186

New York

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Brownish/Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Floral, Mild Citrus, Mild Rye

T: Floral, Citrus, Rye

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter, Semi Drying

Overall, a pretty solid hoppy rye beer...I thought the nose on mine was a little thin but the taste made up for it in a big way.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:06:48 | More by merc7186

hoppytobehere

Colorado

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

A: Pours a nice mahogany color with foamy head. Nice lacing along the glass.

S: Piney hops, citrus, rye malt. Great aroma.

T: Racer 5 loaded with rye. Hell yeah. Love the hop bite at the end.

M: Sticky. Good carbonation.

O: Excellent IIPA rye beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:32:54 | More by hoppytobehere

outdoor7or24

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from Highlands Wine and Cigar in Highlands, NC, poured in to pint glass

A: a nice caramel burnt orange color, frothy white head that fades to just a thin cover, heavy lacing that lasts til finish

S: Wow, this was the best part of the brew, the hop caracteristics come out, grapefruit, pine, caramel, rye. The aroma is really pleasing to the senses.

M: very smooth, the hop oils cover and coat the tongue.

T: Very smooth and balanced, some smooth hop flavor, grapefruit, pine resin, biscuit, rye at the end but not as drying as other rye brews I have had.

O: I am really impressed by this beer, just happened to pick this up as I had not tried it before and I am glad I did. This will be a must have in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 23:05:51 | More by outdoor7or24

Hopheadjnr

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into pilsner glass

A...Nice copper, slightly brown color. Did not produce much more than a 3/4" head but retained that height almost the entire beer. Some light lacing on the glass

S...Really nice earthy aroma with a little caramel

T...Malty right up front for me. There is a real nutty kind of dominant flavor with some caramel sweetness on the finish.

M...really nice body a bit heavier than I expected from looking at it.

O...I would have liked a little more hops presence in this beer since hop is in the name. That being said, it was very enjoyable. I really liked the nutty sweetness in this brew. Heavy alcohol (8%) was not noticable. Nicely balanced. I will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 03:11:28 | More by Hopheadjnr

scootny

New York

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Light brown head with a good lacing and a slightly hazy reddish amber fluid. Smell is very sweet with lots of caramel and toffee. A healthy amount of bakery bread and pine forrest along with a citrus grove spiciness. Light sweet alcohol. Taste is so big, malty and smooth at first. Then BAM hops hit like a velvet fist with a lovely grapefruit and hop oil finish. This is full of spicy rye bread and malt to give it a nice chewy flavor and overall feel. Finish is quite nice with dry graininess and a light minty grapefruit. Feel is lightly syrupy and chewy with a nice smooth carbonation. A great robust beer that rewards sipping but begs you to keep it up so seductively that the glass is empty before you know it. Very drinkable and no real notice of the abv so watch out. Simply one of the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 02:21:01 | More by scootny

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep copper amber with a very tall head. The head is dense and sticky with lots of lacing. It's extremely carbonated so I don't think the head is going anywhere.

Aroma finds a more reserved bouquet of oily hops grapefruit and tangerine. Malts have a caramel sweetness and a hint of rye.

Tastes great and well rounded. Malts are sweet yet have a spicy crispness. It counters the hops boldness perfectly. Hops are quite bitter with grapefruit seeming to be the dominate flavor. Tangerine too is present as is a floral background.
An incredibly easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 09:54:23 | More by micromaniac129

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Atlantic Liquors in Rehoboth Beach, DE

Poured into and reviewed from a DFH Pint Glass

A - Beer pours a deep amber/reddish copper color. A very fluffy, beige colored, one-finger head on the initial pour that gradually fades to a light skim. Huge amount of sticky lacing left on the glass.

S - An earthy aroma with hints of hops and caramel/toffee.

T - The beer hits you on several levels. The initial taste is rather hoppy, slightly bitter with a hint of citrus. Then you get a sweet caramel-like aftertaste. A spiciness is also present from the rye. The beer is well balanced and goes down really smooth. The ABV is barely detectable.

M - A medium consistency. A decent amount of carbonation the tingles the tongue.

O - I enjoyed this beer. Being a fan of hoppy beers, this gives you some great hop bitterness and spiciness with a nice sweetness to round things out. Well crafted. Nice brew, Bear Republic. Recommended!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:08:35 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours a light brown color but turns more deep amber when backlit. Two fingers worth of tightly packed tan foam forms on top after a rigorous pour. Slowly dissipates to a thin film leaving tight webs of lacing on the glass.

S - aroma is very balanced. Strong notes of bitter orange peel against a firm backdrop of nuts, milk chocolate,  cereal, and that grainy almost spicy hint of rye.

T - nutty almost like an extremely light roast of coffee up front. Bright citric hops enter mid palate while a dark grainy bread character provides balance along with some vague hints of dried fruit esters in the form of raisins. More bitterness on the backend which lingers well past the finish.

M - medium bodied. Creamy with a slightly watery edge. Medium carbonation.

O - great beer. Complex yet some how remains very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 04:38:17 | More by Teleweizen2

kylehay2004

Florida

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

No head really with nice lacing on a brownish amber with slight golden hues. Aroma is a little light with caramel, citrus hops and candied orange. Flavor is actually pretty complex with both toasted and caramel malts, rye breads, orange peel, red apples, candied fruits, earthy hops and a mild pine presence. Medium body and moderate carbonation. I like the Fruitness which isn't too sweet with and excellent base malt and rye character.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 00:33:59 | More by kylehay2004

RussBecker1

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Beautiful deepness and complexity of colors. The body is a deep mahogany which is only made prettier by the white head that sits atop the glass. Both colors play off of each other in a nicely distinct way.

S- Delicious smell. The rye strand is apparent but does not overpower the hops, which in turn does not over power the citrus and other spices that compliment the beer. It is pretty remarkable to have such a smooth distinction between each flavor without one overshadowing the other.

M-Crisp and effervescent, but still able to coat the taste buds and prepare them for the complexities of the beer.

T-Wow. Consistantly one of my favorite tastes as it is unequivocally the best balanced rye beer I have ever tasted. I could drink hop rod all day and still beg for more.

O-Not just the best rye beer I have ever had, but one of the best period.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 18:30:24 | More by RussBecker1

bkeach

California

4.93/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Favorite Rye Beer thus far. Smell is very bready and floral. Smells like a brewery (In a good way). Taste is very much the same. Rye comes through nicely, well balanced pretty drinkable. Just delicious. Great mouthfeel and color as well. If you have not tried it just go get it.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 18:12:25 | More by bkeach

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy deep amber with a thin skein of light tan foam. Not much lacing.

Smells of citrus and pine forests, tropical mangos and papaya with earthy undertones.

Taste, this is one of the best balanced brews I've ever had. Loads of hop flavor..citrus, resin, papaya, mango..enormous mango..earthy, spicy..bitterness a plenty..but balanced right across the board by a toasty, caramelly malt backbone that never ever asserts itself. Sweetness..not a chance.

Medium and firm mouthfeel is creamy and velvety.

Very, very good. Lucious, tasty, wet, delicious.

Serving type: growler

08-27-2012 03:12:36 | More by JackieTH

socon67

New York

3.8/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Amber pour with some red notes. Rusty foam is hearty. Slight carbonation.

S - Nice blend of herbs and fresh rye. Scent is like walking through a spice garden. It lingers.

T - Crisp spicy rye flavor with a nice malty base. This is a full bodied beer for sure, but balanced and hides its potency well.

M - Easy to have a couple and enjoy. For the style and ABV% it is surprisingly smooth.

O - Getting a fix of rye beers, and this one is just as enjoyable. Perfect change-up to all the IPA & APA's on the taps.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 23:05:46 | More by socon67

viverlee

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Why I don’t drink this more often is still a mystery to me. The first time, it was ludicrous, barley pancakes and hoppy syrup. Once or twice in between, buttered flowers on toasted rye bread. Today, I’m nearly out of worthy descriptors.

I’m in my 30s now, having missed the sexting and DTF foam party generation. The silver lining, maybe, is that I get to experience the craft revolution at a time in my life when I have some bills to spare. And this Down To Quaff beer is a tastegasm worth enjoying now.

STYLE: Rye Beer

ABV: 8%

LOOK: Forest brown, copper highlights. The glass sweats, my mouth waters. It’s thick, rich, sturdy. Most importantly, it has structural integrity. A half-finger head could easily be confused with a protein shake. It moves with the beer, like pudding, without thinking. It’s just built that way – it has no choice.

NOSE: Strong hoppy nose. Herb butter, grapefruit, lemon peel, pine. Honey and subtle spices, I’m not sure what, pop in to say hello.

MOUTH: Bold statement time: It might be the most balanced beer I’ve ever had. In a different way, I think Allagash Curieux would give it a good run, and maybe prevail. But that’s another review for another time. This one, oh my. Sweet, bitter, malty, floral, distinctive. Three things happen with each sip. First, my nose swells with aroma, mostly buttered hops. Next, a soft soft blanket slowly coats the inside, then the outside, of my mouth, tongue to cheeks to lips to throat. Finally, the perfect astringent bite, a special reminder of who’s the boss. Rye, Cascade hops, and definitely DTQ.

Beeradvocate Rating: 95

ratebeer Rating: 100

Hayward Abbey Rating: 98

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 04:47:13 | More by viverlee

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.73/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a enormous 6-finger cream-colored bubbly and pillowy head. Awesome retention and lacing. Clear with a moderate amount of bubbles.

S – Toasted malts, spicy rye, and a generous dose of hops with orange, grapefruit, mango, peach, pineapple, and some grassy, herbal aromas. Smells terrific.

T – Starts with sweet and toasty malts but rapidly shifts toward the earthy, smoky, spicy taste of rye. Bitter hops gradually work their way into the forefront with grapefruit, orange, mango, grassy, and herbal notes. Delicious.

F – Medium-to-full-bodied with good carbonation, a sticky, chewy, and spicy mouthfeel, and a spicy, bitter, and dry finish. Hop bitterness and fruitness lingers for a little while, but the spicy and earthy rye works its way back in and lingers for longer. There’s a very subtle throat-warming sensation from the alcohol that makes an appearance at the finish as well.

O – This beer is outstanding. It’s like a good DIPA, but the added rye makes it more unique. This beer really has very few flaws. It looks and smells amazing, tastes great, and has a terrific mouthfeel. Add the fact that it is insanely drinkable for a hop-loaded rye beer at 8% ABV and you have yourself a winner. Awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 00:06:21 | More by BlackBelt5112203

Treebs

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Blue's BBQ in Mt. Prospect. Served in a shaker pint.

A: Pours a dark amber color, almost brown, with a frothy, light mocha colored head forming on the pour. The retention is wonderful and it leaves some sticky sheets of lace is follows down the glass.

S: Definite rye spice up front with a dried grain note from the rye as well. A touch of sweet malt and light grass sneaks in as well once the beer warms a bit.

T: Earthy rye with a little spice in the periphery. A little sweetness from the malts is also present. The hops are there with light citrus and grassy notes. The finish is slightly bitter, but definitely has some clean, pale malts.

M: Medium bodied, but leaning towards the fuller side of the spectrum. The carbonation is medium as well.

O: I would have like a touch more hops in there to balance out the sweetness of the malts and the spiciness of the rye, but overall it is a nicely crafted rye beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2012 19:15:54 | More by Treebs

ddean

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A pretty, dark amber/red color. A pour from bottle to pint glass gives some intense bubbles on the side of the glass that dissipate over a couple of minutes and a thin but nice foam lacing. I would give a chance for the beer to warm up a bit so as to get a solid feel for its complex scent and flavor.

And what a sensory experience. The aroma was not as hoppy or citrusy or strong to me as others report for them, but some hops right up front, followed by a pleasant combination of roasted malt and brown sugar as the glass warmed up. Delicious taste, with sweet malt, dark cherries, a nice, balanced bite from the hops and rye. Mouthfeel is perfect, a smooth followup to the taste with a lingering, yummy hint of cherries, chocolate, and red grapefruit. (Interesting to me how reviewers will often report some similar flavors to one another, but in different orders.)

So in short, another excellent, dynamic, but well-balanced beer from The Republic of Bear. Definitely check it out if you are a fan of big but well-balanced beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 21:38:19 | More by ddean

vinhgoh

4.83/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Though pricey, this IPA is well balanced. Strong hoppy taste that is not too bitter to a point where it takes you awhile to get through one. Citrus apple accents? Won't pretend that I am that much of a connoisseur, but I do love beer. Definitely try this, especially if you love IPAs... you will not regret it.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:50:58 | More by vinhgoh

dontpanic5

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The beer pours with a generous off-white head and a dark amber body. Before I even stuck my nose in the glass I could smell the beer, it's pugnant and fruity. As soon as the beer touches your lips, you are overwhelmed with the distinctive rye taste. Despite this strong taste, the aftertaste of the beer is pleasantly smooth and even. The mouthfeel is great and very palpable.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 02:37:03 | More by dontpanic5

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber with a light tan head - good retention and lacing.

Bitter grapefruit & ruby red grapefruit notes, backed by rye and slight floral - slight caramel notes.

Bitter grapefruit and bitter rye followed by the sweet ruby red notes flowing into sweet caramel notes with a biscuity mouth feel pulling back to a dry finish with some sweetness lingering. A nice big flavor-packed beer that keeps a sense of balance despite its aggressive hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 00:14:38 | More by Chickenhawk9932

plumcrazyfx

Minnesota

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

First of all, I'm not sure how old this bottle is. Got it in WI and that's a ways from CA, so who knows. Pours a dark red/brown, lots of clarity; sticky head. Smell is sweet rye with faint hops. Taste - first thing that struck me was a definate note of buckwheat honey. This is probably the mix of the sweet malt and darker rye malt but if you've ever had buckwheat honey, it has a very distinct flavor that is what this beer reminds me of. Also notes of toffee and very nicely balanced hops. Mouthfeel is slick and coating, goes down smooth. Rated the best Rye beer for a reason. Wide distribution and reasonable price point makes this one that I think will be a constant in the cooler.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 20:46:12 | More by plumcrazyfx

dmatsui

4.7/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Tulip from a bottle, aggressive pour yields a tight, off-white three finger head which dissipates quickly leaving gorgeous, soapy lacing after each sip. Pours a dark Mahogany brown with lovely little hop floaties.

Smell: Heavy hop presence, but not particularly bright or citrusy. Aroma is mostly dominated by the malt base which smells sweet, biscuity and has a distinct spice and earthiness from the rye addition. Not the most aromatic beer, but I believe that the lighter hop aroma allows the rye to be showcased.

Taste: Very complex. First the hops come through, again more bittering hops than citrus (chinook, citra, etc) but distinctly Norcal IPA character. The hops are nicely supported by the rye addition which brings more earthiness and spice, hints of cinnamon and lemongrass come through mid-palate. Hop Rod Rye rounds out and finishes nicely with a caramel maltiness that goes very well with the rye, with just a touch of warm alcohol at the end.

Mouthfeel: slightly sticky, oily and full-bodied. Again, that rye addition provides for some spice. Nice, tight carbonation and a dry finish really satisfies. Not exactly a session brew but at the same time very drinkable.

The careful marriage of hops, malt and rye provide for an interesting and unique experience, another winner from Bear Republic.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:58:37 | More by dmatsui

SmashPants

Australia

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle: solid 355mL brown bottle. Funky (and perhaps a bit tacky) label. A very U.S. package.

Appearance: Pours a dark and hazy amber colour. Dense and creamy light tan head, similar to an English ale. Nice.

Aroma: Sweet malt aroma - caramel and brown sugar. Pine and grapefruit hops. Strong, almost pungent in its heavily hopped nature.

Taste: Very, very big flavours, true to U.S. IPA style. Again, caramel and brown sugar, grapefruit and pine hop flavours. Very well combined, super smooth for an 8% ale.

Aftertaste: That big hop flavour dissipates slightly to be replaced with a calm bitterness. Lingers for quite a while - very nice.

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, complements the beer nicely. Medium-bodied.

Overall: A nicely made American IPA, addition of rye makes for a very interesting beer. Unfortunately in Australia, the price is far too high at AU$130 a case (2012). An occasional indulgence.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 07:24:21 | More by SmashPants

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

12 Oz poured into a snifter

A- A murky dark orange amber. A large light tan head with extremely foamy tight bubbles.

S- A nice big citrus punch up front. A sugary sweet malt bill. Some caramel and burn sugars. A dark grainyness. A light fruit yeast. An interesting and nice smelling beer.

T- A modest bitterness up front. There is a nice citrus hop bill with grapefruit, lemon and mango. There is some rye flavors in here as well. A burnt sugar, light caramel malt profile that is superbly balanced. This beer is very well crafted.

M- Bitter but not quite IPA bitter. The beer manages to have a complex malt profile but keep a light character.

O- This is an awesome rye based beer. Almost IPA. Very well made and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 20:16:42 | More by TwelveOunces

BostonHops

Massachusetts

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

22oz bottle served in a pint glass.

pours a cloudy, deep amber / copper shade while yielding a frothy 1"+ of a light tan head that has no plans on going anywhere. lots of lacing. relatively fragrant nose offers doses of citric hops, some bready / toasty malt, and rye.

flavor follows the nose pretty closely. leads with that citrus hoppy presence, quickly followed by rye and caramel malt. finishes with some bitter hoppiness. flavorful. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall rye beer is not one of my favorite styles but this one is really good. i wouldn't quite say world class myself, but a very tasty beer nonetheless.

(originally reviewed: 01-10-2012)

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 02:32:59 | More by BostonHops