O'Ryely IPA - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

yamar68

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear pumpkin gold with a finger or two off starch white head. Pretty good lacing and minimal beading.

Subtle earthy bits, rye... some wholesome, subdued citrus. Already this is far more appealing than the spiced IPA.

Some soft grapefruit pulls ahead on the tongue. Pretty tame, but still agreeable. Malts make a comfortable appearance that doesn't overwhelm the rest of the beer.

The feel is relatively thin, which boosts drinkability - perhaps the forte of this beer.

Not great, but good.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 04:53:36 | More by yamar68

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P: Clear copper body with decent rushing bubbles and no head at all. 

S:  Good rye bread aroma with sweet toasted malts.  Biscuity, grapefruit, timid citrus notes, floral and fruity. 

T/M:  Grains, slightly spicy with a rye bread background. Carbonation is nice and the body is medium.  Finish is dry with floral bitterness and a touch of grapefruit.  

O:  A decent IPA that has a good rue flavor but not overly impressive. A easy drinking beer that is good but not a favorite. Wider delivered a solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 17:03:17 | More by Hopswagger

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a light amber color with a white head. The aroma is very heavy on the rye with some biscuit and pine notes thrown in. The flavor is very similar. The rye notes are matched nicely with some orange and grass from the hops. I also get a medium amount of bitterness and the beer is quite drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:04:08 | More by Mora2000

Thickfreakness

New York

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep amber with some reddish/brown highlights into my DFH signature glass. Two fingers of tinted fluffy foam float atop this beautiful brew and leaves rings of sticky lacing dripping all over the glass.

S- A really nice blend of citrus punch and pop and malty sweetness and rye bread heartiness. Grapefruit, tangerine zest, nectarines and subtle hints of pineapple, black pepper, caraway, basil, whole grain toast and wet hay.

T- I really love the interplay of sweet, spicy and citrus fruit that this IPA displays. It's refreshing yet hearty and filling. Nice chewy rye grain with a wonderful sweet, citrus zing.

M- Nice prickly carbonation, spicy, hearty rye malts and a really nice bitter citrus finish. I'd describe this as a thick mouthfull for an IPA. Really nice chewiness.

O- This is a very nicely balanced IPA. I love what the spicy rye adds to this style. Really glad other brewers are hoping on this bandwagon.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 23:46:13 | More by Thickfreakness

Drinkerofales

California

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer is golden copper, with a big fluffy off-white head which lends to great lacing.

Smell is big orange citrus, a hint of the rye-malt comes through, but the citrus rides the driver seat.

Taste? How did this happen? It has a bit of the rye, but not much hops, or pretty much anything else. Even the rye isn't memorable, though it does come back for a second try in the aftertaste.

Texture is smooth, light, and easy to drink. No punch or sting to mention, and not much personality either.

What a disappointment this flavor is. Compared to the aroma, it's night and day. Never again.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 19:20:16 | More by Drinkerofales

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from tasting notes.

A. Clear coppery amber in color with a two finger cream-colored head that has decent lacing in concentric rings all around the glass.

S,T. Spicy both in the rye sense and in the cracked white pepper sense. Some toffee malt persists, more in the flavor than in the aroma. Excellent presence of citric peel and pine resin qualities throughout, earthy and herbal finish is nice and lengthy.

M. Heavier side of medium thickness, smooth and creamy texture. Medium carbonation. Finishes up semi-dry.

Pretty much just another well-made IPA only with a bit more spiciness and body heft from the addition of rye. Not that there is anything in particular wrong with it, but neither is anything in particular standing out for me. If only the rye was...well... raunchier or heavier in concentration it would have been a real head-turner of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 02:48:53 | More by WastingFreetime

TheSixthRing

California

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a fairly clear, golden straw with a slight orange hue. The white head is a little over a finger width, dissipates fairly quick, and leaves behind a decent, semi-sticky lacing.

Smell - Hops galore - pine with a bit of citrus, backed by a faint peppery rye character. Malts come through subtly as sweet caramel and bread.

Taste - Piney hops. Stale bread. Faint rye peppery spice in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Decent carbonation.

Overall - Better than the last time I had it, but I'm still not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:59:36 | More by TheSixthRing

Bung

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz. Light amber pour, maybe a finger of white head.

Aroma, Avery green piney aroma. This is 5 months old and still not bad. Don't get much of the rye.

Taste, A little more malt and toffee here. Also the rye spice is here. Finishes with herbal pine and pretty dry. Also some citrus zest.

To the right of light bodied, a nice carbonation tickles. Has a bit if that rye imparted creaminess as well. Drinks just fine.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 01:19:08 | More by Bung

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

With a plethora of beers utilizing the often disregarded rye grain, many of the best complement of its use is with highly hopped beers. Widmer Bros. puts hops on display but also with the sweet and spicy support to give a uniqueness to their roggen-influenced ale.

Pouring a very bright, yet deep amber color- the beer shows great clarity and an almost bronze hue. Carbonation is pulled from the bottom of the glass to build a creamy off white head of moderate structure, formidable staying power, and sticky lace upon the glass. A classy look throughout.

Sweet molasses, brown sugar, and savory bread crust flavor and aroma from malt share the stage and work toward providing a firm base to support hops and earthy rye spice. Sweetness is balanced by citursy American hops that provide flavors of white grapefruit, orange peel, and mild pine resin especially as the beer develops it's spicy bitterness heading into finish. The sweetness is also accompanied by the flavor of rye that carries a mild tobacco-like flavor. But as the beer's sweetness evades and the bitterness sets in, the earthiness turns spicy in a mild peppery, grassy, and earthy taste similar to English hops.

Medium bodied throughout, the beer starts with a creamy sweetness of carbonation and unresolved sweetness. As the beer develops, any transition to dryness and fleeting maltiness is hindered by the barley sweetness and milder hopping rates. Still a mildly dry finish is provided by the supple warmth of alcohol.

O'Ryely IPA is a more balanced IPA, in a style where hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness should dominate, and accented by rye earthy spice. The one-dimensional and lingering sweetness along with the timid hopping rates restrict the base beer and prevent the earthy rye spice to add the complexities that are intended. Still, a tasty beer that's sure to appease many a beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 16:55:29 | More by BEERchitect

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Moderate orange and darker orange color bordering on light brown, pretty dark for an ipa, nice small 1/2" head on top, mostly white. Aroma was mostly bitter, for being a nelson sauvin hopped beer, this one is either old, or just not as impressive as their other nelson beers, like 'nelson' or drifter.

Malt bill also heavier than expected, seems to be rye, but just really disappointed that all the hops seem to impart is just bitterness, that is not usually how Widmer does things. Its decent and all, but with Sierra Nevada making a (better, cheaper) rye ipa, this one will have a hard time finding its niche, which I guess is maltier, bitter, less hop mouthfeel rye ipa. . . which I don't know how popular that would be.

Probably better named a rye ale. Hops just aren't there to be a west coast ipa. Not going to bump FiftyFifty, Sierra Nevada or Bear Republic's rye offerings from the top tier anytime soon, but its also good enough that I would repeat another purchase if I saw it fresh and for $8 a 6er.

EDIT: Geez, these things are so all over the place, bought another 6 pack, was less than 30 days old, something we rarely see in my neck of the woods, why not take another chance. 4 were good, 1 was bad, 1 was just off, but not bad, not good. I'm telling you, its not me, I have no idea what the deal is. My score is an average of about 12 bottles of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 23:44:54 | More by Beerandraiderfan

vkv822

Oregon

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle intp tulip pint.
bottled in November. . .

Pours a clear orange-brown with a thin, foamy off white head.

Despite the age it still possesses a pleasant fruity, citric and piney hop character.

Less hops in the taste, and more of a balance with caramel malts and a light rye spiciness.

A medium to full body, with average carbonatin.

A nice IPA, enjoyable hop character with a pleasant caramel malt balance. Also glad the rye is able to come through a bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 09:41:02 | More by vkv822

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled date of 4 Oct 11

Pours an effervescent caramel with 3+ fingers of cream colored head. Stellar lacing & average head retention

S: Peppery & lemony hops

T: Orange peel, piney & woody hops, a touch of peppery rye & a touch of grainyness up front. More peppery rye notes as this warms, a touch of green apple & caramel too. Finishes dry, crisp with a hint of caramel, grassy hops & apple skin, almost pulled a 4.0, a little boozeyness at the end didn't help the cause

MF: Medium bodied, subtle carbonation, pretty nice balance

Drinks pretty easy, not bad at all despite this being over 5 months old. The rye is fairly dominant, would like to try fresher just to see how the hops presented when younger, the perils of waiting for beers to move to the mixer sixer aisle..

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 22:04:27 | More by russpowell

Bfarr

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear amber, light red highlights, and a tan foamy/frothy head with good retention. Light citrus and earthy spice aroma. Sweet caramel and spice and grapefruit citrus resin. Moderate low hop finish and linger. Full bodied and smooth with a tacky dry sensation.

A sweet IPA with subtle rye spice and light hops. The rye is lost in the other malt sugars and hop bitterness so there’s really no standout in any category. An easy drinking beer that offers a slight departure for an IPA but not what I look for in a rye IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 00:55:22 | More by Bfarr

rms61moparman

4.75/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful dark golden amber with a fine white head that gently laces the glass as the beer is consumed.
Not overly fruity but with a BRILLIANT bold hop character.
One of the nicest IPA's I've experienced.
This is definitely a buy again beer.
Goes down very well as an after work beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 01:11:10 | More by rms61moparman

Beaver13

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, dated 9/27/11. Pours a slightly hazy copper amber with a medium creamy off white head that goes to a thin film and laces the glass.

The aroma is tropical fruits and rye with some bready malt.

The flavor is sweet tropical fruits and some cardboard notes with some slightly spicy rye and a medium grassy bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with slightly sharp carbonation.

Overall, an OK IPA. The flavors didn't mesh well to me and it seemed slightly off.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:53:31 | More by Beaver13

barczar

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear copper color with a solid 2 finger cream head that lingers, leaving lots of lacing as it eventually dissipates.

Floral hop, grapefruit, and dank marijuana resin comprise the initial aroma, followed by onion. A supporting caramel malt character is somewhat hidden.

Caramel malt sweetness opens the flavor profile, with lemon and grapefruit pith lingering far beyond mid palate. A pine resin character surfaces late, rounded out by a peppery rye flavor and a fairly bitter herbal hop/rye finish.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation.

Overall, the aroma was phenomenal, but the malt was a bit overbearing in the flavor. Would definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:29:41 | More by barczar

womencantsail

California

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rather dark for an IPA; a dark shade of amber with an off-white head. Spicy hops and rye with some citrus notes. Grapefruit and orange peel with a hint of pine. Sweet caramel malt in there as well. The flavor is a bit sweeter/maltier than I'd like. Quite a bit of rye character to it. Spicy hops and rye with bitter pine and a bit of orange peel and grapefruit on the finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 06:03:58 | More by womencantsail

gkunkle

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber color with a two finger cream head. Small traces of carbonation are visible rising in the body. Head recedes to a thick film across the surface, slight lacing. Smell is of floral hops, rye malts, and toast. Edit: drinking another warmer bottle and i am getting some chocolatey scents. Taste starts with spicy rye malts, then I get a touch of floral hops and a bit of pine. The taste is sort of dry. Mouthfeel is just under average, with pleasant carbonation. Overall the rye makes this is a fun and different IPA. As usual the Rotator series gives us another enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 03:03:07 | More by gkunkle

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a really nice clear looking copper color. The head was fluffy and white. The lacing on the glass wasn't too bad and neither was the retention. The smell of the beer gives of a really nice balanced aroma of rye and hops. The taste of the beer does the same, it's hoppy upfront then fades into a really nice rye finish. The mouthfeel has a good medium body to it with a pleasant carbonation. Overall this beer was really enjoyable, I would drink this one again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:32:00 | More by Knapp85

Bockrules

New Mexico

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

poured from the bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a nice mildly hazy coppery orange. A few bubbles rise to the dense, off-white, two finger head. Head stays intact all the way down the glass. Leaves behind several large splotches of lacing.

S - A fair amount of pine and grapefruit notes.

T - Grape fruit upfront. The body has an array of pine and grapefruit hop flavors with plenty of peppy bitterness. Caramel and rye malt struggle to keep up and end up being a foot note in the flavor profile. Flash of hop bitterness as the beer passes over the back of the tongue leads to a bitter grapefruit with a hint of rye spices.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Has the requisite chewyness I expect from a solid IPA.

I don't really notice the rye until the finish on this one. The idea of rye-PA's always me excited because I love both rye and IPAs, but none to date have met my admittedly high expectations. Nonetheless O'Reilly IPA is a solid beer that I probably wouldn't seek out alone, but would welcome in a Widmer brothers variety pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 05:15:31 | More by Bockrules

maximum12

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up two singles, one for me & one for my wife, always up for a new rye, especially one that shows up locally. Date of 10/31/11 on the 12 oz. bottle.

Poured into my favorite & only chalice, a very clear amber, readily evident carbonation. Nose bounces all over creation, from baked sugar bread to slight spiciness to earthy hops. Plenty going on in the olfactory department.

O'Ryely IPA is hard rye, just like I enjoy. The rye shows as a cinnamon spiced breadiness that arches up & over everything else in the beer: more rye beer than IPA, certainly. Surprising amount of citrus & earthy hops for its ancientness. Floral notes. Plenty of zing & zest on the end, more & different rye notes. Lovely to drink, this one glides down like raw egg (except it tastes better).

This is one damn fine example of a rye beer. The hops are still purty after three plus months, & the rye is flexed like that guy who grunts at Bally's Fitness. I hope this one Rotates back around. I'd love to try it fresher. Again & again. This one might be a staple if it were available frequently.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 03:53:34 | More by maximum12

Jason

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Faint hazed, orange amber. Thick layer of lace.

SMELL: Spicy, citric rind, faintly catty, toasted bread, grassy, mild tropical fruit

TASTE: Ultra smooth, bready, spicy rye, orangey hops, ripe persimmons, warming alcohol, dried hay, biscuity, drying finish

A solid IPA with a few twists, the hops right away I could tell that it was an unusual blend and the obvious use of rye ... both of which make this beer very interested and more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:58:50 | More by Jason

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another Rotator IPA from Widmer? Hell yes. Poured from bottle to pint glass. The beer pours a slightly hazy amber orange color with a finger's width off-white head. Some retention and nice lacing. The aroma is a pleasant blend of rye spiciness and citrusy lemon character together with a floral essence at the end. The taste is very similar with an initial rush of rye with a more subdued floral citrus hops with a medium bitterness. Very dry. Little malt character. Finishes with a lingering rye and a hint of lemon. Somewhat watered down in a sense. Makes for a drinkable beer, but not my favorite for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 13:52:51 | More by hopfacebrew

morimech

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear bronze color with two fingers of head that settled to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Nice combination of aromas. Grapefruit aroma from the hops that compliments the spice from the rye.

Happy to see that Widmer Brothers did not pussyfoot around the rye. If you are going to use rye, then bring it and this beer definately brought it. The citrus hops really compliments the rye. Slightly sweet malt base underlines the flavors. Bitterness comes off as being moderate.

A little bit of a lighter bodied IPA. Nice lively carbonation that is not harsh.

A really nice rye beer. It is better than Sierra Nevada's Ruthless. I would put it in the top 5 for rye IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 23:58:48 | More by morimech

hopwave

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz. Bottle poured into my large Duvel goblet... pours a bright amber/orange colour with a thin white head.

Smell is straight up blood orange... Very nice.

Taste follows the nose again, blood orange... No rye... A little strange... Reminds me a bit of V8 Fusion.

Overall a nice IPA worth picing up a Sixer if you see it around.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 03:14:17 | More by hopwave