Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale - Blue Point Brewing Company

elNopalero

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have a known rye-bias (ry-as?) that made me like this beer from the get go. Although I also have an aversion to names too clever for their own good. So I’m starting this review off on a clean slate.

This is a copper-amber colored beer with light foam. Good spicy hop aroma—the rye spice/zest coming across? It’s an easy drinker with a pretty mellow bitterness. Given the name I was expecting some over the top resiny hops—seems like the novelty name approach. But, to their credit, it’s just an all-around enjoyable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 06:04:44 | More by elNopalero

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Crabbapples in Cheektowaga NY.

A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light Through, White Head Ring, Good Lacing

S: Rye, Caramel

T: Rye, Bready, Caramel

M: Good Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Dry, Clean

Overall, a decent bready rye ale with a nice lingering taste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 02:55:04 | More by merc7186

kylehay2004

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Single finger head with a lot of lacing on a slightly hazy golden with crimson hues body. Aroma is very light and in comparison to others it is subpar. Mostly consists of citrus hops. For taste, there are more citrus hop flavors but also light. Licorice notes as well but no rye to speak of. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Drinkable overall and not a bad beer, just not one of my favorite rye beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 04:44:17 | More by kylehay2004

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a crystal clear copper/red color from a 1pt 6 fl oz bottle.
The ABV is printed on the label, but couldn't see a freshness date. Cool label though.
Nice one finger foamy head that dissipates very slowly and leaves some really nice lacing on it's way out. Very good carbonation.
Aroma upfront was more of the hoppier side (as soon as the bottle was cracked, that is), but slowly gives way to more maltier notes. Hints of spice coming through between the malt notes.
Taste upfront is very malty, giving way to bitter, hoppier notes in the middle and the spicy kick is felt in the finish. The presence of rye is not very overpowering, but there is just a hint of the rye spiciness that lingers in the aftertaste.
This is a very crisp and refreshing beer. Not a hop or a rye bomb by any means, but still quite flavorful. The alcohol is also masked very well. Easy drinking for a 7.5% ABV beer.
Overall, I think this is a good beer and I'm glad I gave it a try.
Definitely worth trying at least once.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 05:09:55 | More by CaptDavyJones

keanex

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 650ml bottle into a pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy pumpkin colored beer with carbonation bubbles rising to a very thin tan head.

S: Faint rye bread with a hint of a piney/tropical hops blend.

T: Clean but bland flavor overall, has a weak slight hops bite. As it warms up some sweetness comes out through the malts.

M: Medium body and fizzy carbonation.

O: I was expecting a lot more after this being recommended from me liking Hop Rod. I won't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 17:25:14 | More by keanex

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served into a flute.

Appearance: Pours a very clear amber, Almost a 1" head was quite bubbly but settles down within a minute of the pour.

Smell: Piney, almost floral like. Not bad at all but not the sticky type of smell which I like. I love inhaling a great beer...Rasta is good but little short form the best.

Taste: Slightly spicy just slightly like a touch of black peppers rubbing your tongue but very easy to drink. I love the piney feel to the beer kind of like your light IPA not lacking the alcohol.

Mouth: Easy and absolutely almost perfect texture, Medium+ carbonation which compliments is floral taste.

Overall: I really really like Rastafa Rye, definitely not tough to drink and a steady to keep in your fridge. Rastafa Rye has it's own identity you have the pine with a little spice and nothing to complain about. Cheers to all!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 07:13:04 | More by BlurryVisi0n

BrewerB

California

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sidebordz hooked me up with this beer some time ago. It was his first trade here on BA and he was quite generous. This arrived as an extra. Thanks again, Blake!

Pouring into a small Firestone Walker pint glass. Excellent clarity, orange in color with a thin, off-white foam that.s retaining well and leaving some lacing behind.

Spicy, inviting nose includes notes of pumpernickel, cracked black pepper, and a dash of oregano. Brief flash of a citrus hop didn't stick around long.

Forward spiciness includes a touch of clove. Floral hops help balance out the spicy, slightly sweet malt. Finishes dry with a longer lingering lavender-like floral essence.

Medium-light in body with a moderate level of carbonation.

This beer's got some character and a refreshing floral/spicy combo. That said, I'm not a repeat buyer. Glad I got a chance to sample it, none the less.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 05:20:56 | More by BrewerB

CaptJackHarkness

New York

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

Poured a bright orange-copper with a full creamy beige head. head lasts well and leaves a bit of spotty lacing. The taste is very citrusy as is the aroma; an orange/malt scent. The taste starts out mildly sweet with a bitter dry finish.

This is my first tasting of a rye beer, very nice, but absolutely not what I expected!

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 19:28:05 | More by CaptJackHarkness

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: mild cloudy tan/orange body, finger head,
great lacing

S: caramel, nuts, rye, lemon grass

T: hint of caramel/nuts, mild malt/rye, light oily bitter finish

M: med/light body, mild oily mouth
hint of semi-dry

O: Fine beer, could be a little more forceful
on every level. Good rye intro beer; think
I will pass on this beer in the future.
ABV is very well hidden.

SOLID, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 19:04:00 | More by BeerLover99

gc4hokies

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A = copper golden color with a nice slightly off-white head
S = Rye spiciness with pine aromas from the hops
T = Again, nice Rye spiciness. As others have mentioned, this has a big Rye component to it. It's also more bitter tasting than the 48 IBU would indicate. Very nice
M = Medium body with good carbonation

Overall, this is a really good beer. This is a Rye beer that IPA fans will like. The Rye gives it a crispness that's hard to characterize. Definitely will buy again!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 00:21:15 | More by gc4hokies

bonkers

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured from a bomber into a SA perfect pint glass, clear copper pour with huge, white, long lasting white head,lots of lacing. The aroma is fruity, bready. The flavor is more of the same, sweet fruit, floral hops, lingering finish. The body is medium, good carbonation, well hidden carbonation. Not what I was expecting from a rye beer, but it was easy drinking and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 00:47:37 | More by bonkers

Brent

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer mever seemed to find a direction - started out a bit malty and sweet, closely followed by rather nondescript hops bittering, then a touch of spicy bite from the rye, but not reallly enought to make a statement that this is a rye beer. None of the flavors seemed to play well together, and the whole was not greater than the sum of the parts.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 16:07:19 | More by Brent

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from bottle into a Samuel Smith imperial pint. Poured a light red-orange with a fluffy four finger off-white head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, caramel, BIG rye, and spices. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, rye, metallic, and spices. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I thought I had smelled rye in a beer before, but this one kicked me in the face with it. Definitely one of the most intense rye smelling brews I have had to-date. The flavor was a little more subtle on the rye execution allowing more complex flavors to come out. While it was more complex it wasn't necessarily blended very well. The metallic flavor was killed the flavor on the brew for me if I had to pick one. Worth trying, but that is about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 14:52:39 | More by thagr81us

npmike2

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Rich dark malty colors, small head. No lacing to really be spoken of.

S- Caraway coming through in smell, clove and other spices add to the complexity of the aroma.

T- Dense malted flavors, rich aftertones of hops and light yeast taste.

M- Noting spectacular or poor to go on ranting about. Just a smooth brew.

O- Four overall, really solid beer with great taste. Reminds me of my ex.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 04:44:06 | More by npmike2

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I immediately noticed the nice appearance of this beer, carbonation seemed to be flowing, and the head was just right.
Love the way it looked.

Hops were strong but not overpowering.

Could definitely taste the rye, and liked it.

I recently have become a fan of rye beers, and this is a good example of one.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 23:34:20 | More by davewlfpckfan29

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm a rye beer fan and finally tried this one after passing over it on the shelves for a while. Very happy I did!

Great looking beer. Dark amber color with an excellent head that has both retention and attractive lacing in its wake. Clear. A steady stream of tiny bubbles makes its way to the top during the entire duration. Aroma is good, smells like grassy hops with that faintly metallic rye note, plus a little malt and spice, in the background.

Delicious. Very hoppy, it's basically an IPA with rye..taste is dominated by grassy, floral hops, but you get the rye in there too and particularly in the finish, where that slightly metallic but not unpleasant rye flavor really pops out. Nicely spicey. You get a bit of the malt in there as well; just enough of the bready sweetness to give this beer nice balance...at least to a hophead. Definitely a hop forward brew! Alcohol is completely hidden.

Good carbonation, somewhat creamy mouthfeel, pleasingly full..refreshing, delightful to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 14:40:13 | More by tobelerone

abgba121

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours a light amber with almost no head or lace

S: smells very much like wheat and rye as expected, some maltyness and a slight hop prescence

T: sweet up front followed by some fruitiness and then the wheat

M: normal body and carbonation

O: a good beer, nice change of pace

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 04:31:23 | More by abgba121

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours a copper amber color with a white lacing that retains quite well.

Smells of noticeable rye and floral hops.

Tastes of rye, semi-sweet malt, floral hoppiness and hop bitterness.

Medium body with some carbonation over the tongue.

Pretty darn good IPA-like rye ale, although not quite as hoppy as an IPA. A treat for rye fans looking for a good medium ale with some bite. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 02:16:01 | More by Cylinsier

tzieser

Arizona

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured into a Buzzard's Bay pint glass. thanks for the extra, JoeyBeerBelly!

a: clear amber in color with a fairly thick white head. sticks well.

s: floral and pine hop aroma with noticeable sweet malt character. nothing crazy, but still solid.

t: floral and pine hop flavor with a subtle sweet malt backbone. spicy notes of tobacco (rye malt). enjoyable.

m: good mouthfeel.

what a good beer. most rye beers don't do it for me, but this was great. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 02:02:52 | More by tzieser

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Honey-amber, looks almost syrupy. Cloudy white head, good streaks of lacing.

S: Delicate earthy grains, sweet bread, touch of hop bitterness.

T: Probably an old bottle at the bar, but just a slight citrus hop bite. Mostly malt dominant, has some rye-heat spice, quite yeasty. A lot of bready notes.

M: Lively carbonation from the light-medium body. Spicy.

O/D: An enjoyable beer, I wish it were more fresh, but has some good bread-like qualities.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 15:13:58 | More by mostpoetsdo

Imsothirsty

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours light copper, thin head, pretty nice lacing, much clearer and lighter color than expected

Nose is very sweet malts, a little spicy and citrus hops

Taste: Pretty 1 dimensional citrus hops, toffee and brown sugar malts make up the bulk of the flavor. Just a teeny tiny bit of rye in the finish.

Mouthfeel is fairly light, carbonation is quite minimal, leaves a little slick on the tongue.

Overall a decent beer, but barely qualifies as a rye beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 23:35:10 | More by Imsothirsty

chinchill

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle served in a Sierra Nevada pint glass.

It pours a hazy reddish amber with a rather thin but durable off-white head. Ample, mostly fine carbonation can be seen.

Aroma: plenty of caramel with some baked bread, light toasted grains, and hints of hops and rye. Nice if rather subdued.

The taste is pretty balanced between sweet and bitter, with a good amount of hop flavor mid-taste, and leaving a mildly bitter and hoppy aftertaste. Rye is evident too. Not too complex but well done and with more than adequately rich flavor for style and some light fruitiness.

Medium bodied; excellent carbonation; rather smooth with a hint of dryness. Mouthfeel is the only dimension where the higher ABV is evident.

O - a fine session beer. Easily recommended to fans of rye beers. ... wait, I see the ABV is 7.5; it is well hidden in both aroma and taste, so be careful.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 01:23:47 | More by chinchill

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a crystal mug, the beer has a clear amber red color. The creamy off white head builds two fingers high and holds for a while. Leaves nice lacing on the glass.
Smelling the beer , I detect fruit like peach and apricot, honey and rye.
Tasting the beer, up front there are the fruity notes, kept in check by this rye taste which was not as dominant in the smell.
In the middle some caramel and malty notes are again controlled by this rye background. At the end some slightly bitter hops balance the beer nicely.
This beer is more complex as I originally thought. Certainly a good buy!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 03:46:45 | More by Hopfenpeter

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of hops, some spices, a touch of citrus. Taste is good, hops, spice, some rye are all present, very easy drinking. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is a high quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 15:28:04 | More by tone77

jettjon

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 22 oz. bomber with no obvious freshness markings into a pint glass. Coppery clear color with slim threads of carbonation. One finger tan head fades to half and holds; good lacing. Nose is sweet with a hint of hops and not much else. Rye? Perhaps something grainy/grassy is there. In the mouth, surprisingly tasty compared to nose. Malt up front, slightly bready, with a definite spiciness. A friend said it tasted of unprocessed wheat but I didn’t get much “rye.” Definitely a pleasant, semi-sweet spiced flavor that is enjoyable. Moderate hops presence evens things out. Mouth his smooth and viscous, fitting to this beer’s character. Overall, pretty tasty in its own right. This is my first “rye” ale so I’m not sure what to make of it. It’s spicy and malty yet with a nice hops bite. Good; recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 22:25:46 | More by jettjon