O'Ryely IPA - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

tuckermen

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very good beer. Really needed to pour hard to get about an inch of head, which disappeared rather quickly, leaving a nice lacing on the glass.
Smell was fantastic, very strong grapefruit.
Taste was similar, strong citrus notes, especially grapefruit which lasted all the way thru.
Slight malty, sticky finish. Somewhat similar to Drifter.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 20:39:38 | More by tuckermen

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a brilliant amber body with crystal clear clarity. 2 fingers of moundy off-white foam slowly sinks leaving heavy patterns of lacing.

S - Sweet grapefruit right off the top. Some rye and sweet malt malt in the background.

T - Sweet malt blankets over the tongue before citrus hops comes in right along with a spicy lavender rye, wicking most of the sweetness away. The hops are slow to build and seem to get stronger all the way through to the aftertaste. The caramel malt blends very well and holds it's ground. Finishes with a spicy bite.

M - Heavier body, low to medium carbonation.

Good flavor combinations that were layered very well. The flavors change nicely throughout the drink. Great usage of sweet and rye malts and a nice hop profile as well. This would go great with Pad Thai or Panang.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 00:00:44 | More by StaveHooks

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i think the beer community got this one wrong, this is (pardon my french) fucking sensational! pours a sturdy medium amber color with an expansive foamy cream colored head over an inch tall. smells luscious! earthy hop aroma with some english malt types. flavor is a shocker, much more fruity/citrus hops than the smell indicated to me. only very late in the palate does the excited rye complex enter the picture. a bit of cracked pepper and warmth comes through there, only to be tempered by a round grassy hop bouquet in the finish. this is one of the most complex and best balanced india pale ales i have tasted, and it ranks in the rye beers. this is easily the best widmer brew ive come across. mouthfeel is great, creamy rich feel over a medium plus body and perfect carbonation. this one goes down easy and is fairly strong, a lovely session if you want to tie one on. i could see this going well with food from the grill and plenty of herbs. really nice beer, solid, refreshing, addicting. ahhh

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 06:11:09 | More by StonedTrippin

Vancoubeer

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is awesome but it has its flaws.

It looks above average. Its a caramel / burnt orange color with a sticky white head. Its filtered and not bottle conditioned. Its not see through but as see though as a darker orange looking IPA can get. It has a sweet caramel note in the smell with the hops. Not able to tell what hops they are but I am thinking Nelson and Alchemy...that seems to be the hops of choice at Widmer at the moment. The taste is amazingly good. the best of the rotator. The rye is not strong but its there. The hops are well blended with the malt, which gives off a sweet caramel flavor. Very nice beer. The hops are citrus and no pine or bitterness. A very citrusy fruity IPA...awesome taste. Its got a flavor like no other IPA I have had. I have had rye IPAs but this is different in a very good way. Its got a decent mouthfeel that is medium. Its sticky but does not coat the mouth like others. Overall I would give it this a 4. Is a great beer but this is not bottle conditioned, its filtered and with the ingredients, it could be at least 7% or more. I looked into it. It has the alchemy, Nelson and Galaxy hops and like 5 different malts...so this could be more robust but in its final stage, the way they produced it this is great and I am glad I grabbed one at my local shop. I gotta find this on draft.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 06:20:49 | More by Vancoubeer

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This selection is in the Widmer Brothers Rotator Series. The beer pours a nice, hazy orange/amber into a pint. The head is small and off-white. Low carbonation.

Rye and lemon rind lead off the smell, a nice floral prefume at the finish. Floral hops, fresh cut grass and lemon start the taste. The rye spice shows up around the middle, not as noticable as the smell.

Very dry, balanced, but the malt profile is slight and in the background. Very smooth going down, a little watery.

A better offering than their Drifter IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 02:52:19 | More by ExtraStout

coldriver

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle pours a deep amber. Head dissapates rather quickly but good lacing. Aroma is fruity hops with biscuity malt. I like the hops, rye, and malt blend here, a bit on the sweet side, but interesting and flavorful profile. Mouthfeel has medium carbonation with fairly dry finish. Widmer Bros has a ways to go to get up to the best of the West Coast level, but it's great to see them experimenting with the rotator series.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:05:20 | More by coldriver

ccrida

Oregon

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

Pale burnt caramel color with an off-white head leaving nice lace.

Smell is lots of sweet malt, some rye spice, and some citrus hops. Earthier as it warms.

Taste is similar, a malt focus with a prominent rye spice, the hop flavor is pretty big and fruity, with modest bitterness.

Mouthfeel is on the drier side, medium light bodied, slick.

Drinkability is pretty good. A great showcase for rye, well complimented by the west coast hop profile.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 02:08:28 | More by ccrida

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Widmer Brothers Rotator IPA Series, Profile: "O'Ryely IPA". "A wry take on IPA. Rye spiciness, distinctly hopped."

Clear, dark amber coloring, off-white cloud of foam. Looks nice.

Aroma: spicy, bready malt notes, herbal/mineral, tropical fruits. Fruit salad on rye bread, heavy on the rye. Hops are kind of hidden, but they're there.

Taste: Hop bitterness starts it off, warm, even hot, matched well with spicy malt. A friendly tug of war. Here's a little bitter, here's a bit of spicy/ sweet (small on the sweet). Toasty. Certainly unlike anything you'd expect from an IPA. In fact, I wouldn't call this an IPA, if they hadn't already established it as one. I'd be hard pressed to categorize it, and since I don't have to, I won't. But they did.

However, to really call it an IPA, I've got to be able to feel the hops more than the malt. For an IPA, the hop presence is rather mild.

Other than that, I like it. Drinks down nice and easy, provides plenty of pleasure. Decent sessioner. Good for that. And that is all.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 09:19:26 | More by feloniousmonk

HopHeadRyan

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Crystal clear, decent head, and great lacing

S - Awesome dank-citrus-pine aroma with a little spice and bready malt grain

T - Clean and crisp spice from the rye, mild-balanced citrus bitterness, all balanced by the malt

M - medium-light body, good smooth carbonation, clean and crisp

Overall - A very nice rye ipa...each rye IPA I've had is a little bit different and therefore difficult to compare...and that's what I love about them...every brewery has its own take. I would definitely love to have this on draft...maybe even on cask. I'm a big fan of Widmer Bros beer...but so far they have always tasted best from the tap. Give this one a try.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 21:39:53 | More by HopHeadRyan

MasterSki

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Chris (spycow) for indulging my curiosity with this one. Served in a Cigar City snifter. Dated October 31st, 2011.

A - A quarter-finger of white foam settles to a thin skim cap, some big-bubbled patches, medium collar, and spotty lacing. Transparent golden body with a few streams of tiny bubbles.

S - Yep, it's a RyePA. Plenty of rye malt mingles with sugar cookie, and perhaps a light touch of earthy and fruity hops. It has been nearly 3 months since this was bottled so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's mostly malt at this stage.

T - Taste is again rye-forward, with some light tropical fruit sweetness, as well as a shot of sugary and bready malts. But yeah, mostly rye flavor and some mild hop bitterness in the finish.

M - Medium body, lower carbonation, chewy and very dry. No alcohol presence is detectable.

D - Perhaps this was better back in November when it was fresh, but it's currently a fairly middling rye beer with a mild hop presence. I woudn't bother with this again unless it was right off the truck.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 07:33:15 | More by MasterSki

HalfFull

California

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a 12 oz. bottle of this seasonal and poured into a pint glass. Pours a deep golden/light orange with a firm pour and offers a one finger slightly off white cap. Moderate retention and lacing.

Citric hops on the nose are dominant and decent. Touch of pine as well. Rye notes are absent.

Pleasant flavor and with a touch of spice and bittermess vs. the X114 which this seems to be a slight derivative of. Bit more bready and with a whole grain spicy depth to it, but otherwise exhibiting similar citric malt notes and with a bit more of a lightly harsh bitter character. particularly with a bit of warming.

Still a bit sweet on the tongue and with a viscous feel. Pleasant though a bit too candied in sweetness, and with a rather unilateral approach of hops. Bitterness is present though light. A seqeue IPA. Or more accurately, a citrusy APA.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 05:41:26 | More by HalfFull

flexabull

California

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another rye IPA, a new trend?

Pours a dark amber color with a pretty nice white head, good lacing too.

Aromas are spicy, with some earthiness, nectarines, and resin hops. This smells pretty nice.

Taste is pretty rye forward, grainy and spicy up front. Light creaminess, some subtle sweetness, and an earthy and citrus hoppiness on the finish,

Mouthfeel is smooth, a touch light though.

Overall this is another nice offering from Widmer, in general they seem to be putting out some above average offerings lately.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 01:08:40 | More by flexabull

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

On tap at Max's.

The beer pours a copper amber color wiht good head retention and lacing. On the nose, I get a considerable amount of rye, with some sweet malt and light dry citrus. Given the aroma profile, it's difficutl to know what to expect on the nose (other than I know there will be some serious rye in it). In fact, there is a LOT of rye in this beer, and as much as I like rye in my IPA's, this is really too much of a good thing. There is a considerable amount of sweet malt as well, and the beer has some decent hoppy bitterness (which really dries this beer out on the finish), the rye flavor really dominates in this beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied at most, and it's impressive how much flavor this beer delivers for the abv., but the rye flavor is just too much for me.

A good beer, no doubt, but I really think they need to tone down the rye flavor a bit in this beer. I found myelf looking around for the pastrami and hot mustard mid way through my glass.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2012 20:47:33 | More by johnmichaelsen

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into half glass. Pours translucent copper with a moderate, frothy tan head along with decent lacing that lasts throughout. Aroma is spicy rye notes, spicy hops, earthy hops and light floral notes. Taste is caramel and sweet malt blurred between spicy hops, rye notes, floral hops and pine. Medium bodied with a creamy carbonation, lingering bitterness and slight oily feel. Ends with more spicy hops, earthy notes, floral hops, rye, caramel, chewy malt and pine. I wouldn't go for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 17:40:12 | More by CuriousMonk

DovaliHops

California

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

Pours a clear, copper-amber color with a large off-white/beige head that hangs around for a bit. Scent is immediately strong hop resin with some nice floral notes. I also get a hint of cat piss and rye. Taste is spicy at first from the rye...nice spice blended with hoppy citrus and floral notes. Very tasty. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp in the finish. Drinkability is very high. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with this tasty IPA from Widmer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 06:22:59 | More by DovaliHops

patpbr

Ohio

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

A- copper color with about an inch head

S- Rye

T- hops and rye a nice combination going on here.

M- not to heavy, crisp for an ipa, clean finish

O- This is my first rye IPA and first bottle by widmer brothers. I like the rotator ipa series idea. try one.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 00:59:31 | More by patpbr

kjritt

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

served from a bottle into a glass.

a. darker than a lot of ipas i have had. red almost to brown and clear. two fingers of head with an aggressive pour and damn good lacing. a very attractive, but unusually dark, ipa.

s. the weakest part of this beer. not the same hop aroma of many ipas but maltier than others. a somewhat reflection of the taste as well.

t. a real doosey. bitter on the tip of the tongue and finishes very smooth with some bitter aftertaste. the dark malt is very interesting and one which is usually lacking in others. an ipa unlike most others. very enjoyable.

m. spritely on the tongue and stimulates all areas of the mouth.

o. another strong brew from widmer brothers. the only reason i do not have it rated above 3.5 overall is because of the superior brews of racer 5 and lagunitas ipa. ipas are tough competetion.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 00:50:27 | More by kjritt

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle ... tannish head ... good lacing ... the brew is crystal clear amber.

Nose shows plenty of fruity hoppiness ... something that I associate with pink bubblegum ...

Flavor has nice bitter bite up front ... quickly a toasty bready quality emerges ... fruity hop flavor, melon, citrus, pineapple?

Good body and carbonation for the style.

I will pick this one up again.

4/3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 02:11:41 | More by JohnGalt1

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with a bottled date of Oct 04 11. Pours a crystal clear copper color with a large, fluffy off-white head. Nice retention and lacing.

Nose is juicy, citric and tropical hops with a bready, biscuity grain aroma. Rye is not really all that noticeable, as the malt base smells very similar to most of the other Rotator offerings.

Theres the rye...zesty and bready on the flavor. Plenty of hops are there, from flavoring through to the bitterness. Not sweet at all and the lighter body shows it. Rye gives this one a little more balance than the other IPAs in this series, guess it depends on your preference whether that is a good thing or bad. For me, I think Id like to see a little touch of honey-sweetness and more flavoring hops. But overall this is another nice addition to the lineup, and showcases the rye pretty well. I think the Falconer's is still my favorite though.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 23:50:40 | More by twiggamortis420

JEdmund

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Garnet and clear, ok head formation but it settles out; does leaves some lacing.

Smell is really nice. Big floral and fruity aroma that makes me think either Amarillo or Centennial hops.

No hint of rye in the nose but it's there from the start in flavor. That rye adds another layer to an otherwise solid IPA. Big hop character and a strong bitter finish. This beer packs in a lot of malt as well, as evidenced by the full body and rich, velvety texture. As it warms, I'm getting just a bit of chocolate in the finish as well.

As expected, the rye adds a characteristic spice and it makes for a rich and complex IPA. Widmer did a nice job with this one.

*Learned from their website this beer is hopped with Galaxy, Alchemy, and Nelson Sauvin hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 13:53:24 | More by JEdmund

babaracas

Florida

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark amber with two fingers of off-white colored foam, settles to a thin ring but leaves a nice sheet of lace down the glass. Smell: lightly bready, soft graininess, fruity spicy and citrus peel notes. Very sparse. Taste: spicy, citrus peel, pineapple note, soft graininess, milk caramel. Fluffy feel but overcarbonated. Rye coming through towards the finish is complemented nicely by the citrus flavors. Aroma is really weak, even if it dropped off quickly (bottled Oct 31). Otherwise a nice rye IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 02:20:38 | More by babaracas

Zorro

California

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

Clear copper colored ale with a small tan colored head. This being a rye beer it is a darker shade than a regular IPA.

Smell sour and spicy rye with Strong hit of C type hops.Strong grapefruit and orange scents. Other strong scents of wood, tea and ash.

Starts out bittersweet and a little astringent with an oak aftertaste. Flavor doesn't change much this on the higher hopped end of rye beers. Right on the edge of over hopped but it doesn't quite go there.

Mouthfeel is good and full.

Overall a tasty beer. On problem is Sierra Nevada also released a Rye IPA at the same time as this beer. Problem is the Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA is the better beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 00:17:00 | More by Zorro

PerHops

California

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one was bottled September 29th so I am reviewing it accordingly, as it has lost some of it's hop freshness. The appearance is a dark copper with a thin white head. The smell is better than I expected given the age. A good amount of citrus and pine and an interesting spice character. The taste is very well balanced. The malt is definitely there, but doesn't dominate. There is a little less citrus than I like, but I think it would come out more if this were more fresh. Not overwhelmingly bitter. Drinks exceptionally well. This is the second beer I've had from the rotator series and I have been impressed by both. Keep 'em coming Widmer!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:45:00 | More by PerHops

djbreezy

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured into a pint glass

appearance - pours amber, clear, white head, not much lacing

smell - floral hop profile

taste - floral and citrus hops up front with some rye and malt to round things out, but hop forward

mouthfeel - medium body and average/good carbonation

overall - nice work by Widmer, with this and the X-114 IPA i've been enjoying the series, worth a try

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 03:22:22 | More by djbreezy

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a single from Princeton's Liquors. Poured a clear orange with a short white head. The aroma opens with a clean rye bread with hint of citrus rind and floral hops. The hops pick up in the flavor, matching the spicy grains with biting grapefruit. There should be a little more hops in the aroma, but this is a tasty, fairly drinkable rye beer. It's a little big for a pale ale, but I'm not too concerned. A beer doesn't need a style to be delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 05:12:33 | More by tempest