14 May 2012

Seasonal adjustment

Few tears were shed, I'm sure, when Sierra Nevada's execrable Wheat Ale went out of production, to be replaced by the superior Kellerweis. And I was not overly distraught when I read the news that the spring bock Glissade was being retired after only a couple of years to be replaced by the new Ruthless Rye IPA. Yes, another hop-forward beer from Sierra Nevada might seem a little boring, but it's a medium in which they work pretty consistently well. Rye, on the other hand, isn't usually my bag, beerwise. I'm slightly dismayed by the current fashion for it. Still, hop-confident I bought four bottles of the untasted newbie to bring home.

Alas and alack the rye is in the driving seat. The hops are in a binbag in the boot, hoping that if they stay quiet they'll get out of this alive -- just a light dusting of mandarins in the aroma and a hint of mangoes on tasting betrays their presence. The rest of the flavour shows everything I dislike about rye in a big way: the grassiness that's harsh at the start of the flavour and then lingers on the palate for ages as a sharp, dry sort of unpleasant tang.

I've no doubt there are people who like big rye flavours in a beer. There must be. But for me they just spoil an otherwise enjoyable hop party. I'm afraid I won't be crying at Ruthless Rye's funeral either.

10 comments:

  1. I was sad to hear of the demise of Glissade, having enjoyed plenty of it last spring. Haven't tried the Ruthless Rye yet, and unlikely to bother really, because I am a big fan of neither rye nor IPA.

    I realise that extrapolating out from my local supermarket is no indicator of sales generally, but they have had cases and cases of the stuff sitting there for weeks now, seems I am not alone in not being fussed to try it.

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  2. Why is this great thundering demand for rye beer that the brewers seem to think is out there? Could it be that there is actually an end to endless variety?

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  3. SN hasn't totally given up on the malt. They followed Ruthless with Summerfest—a decidedly milder Pilsner.

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  4. Yeah, enough already with the rye beers. This, on tap at the Rake a few years back, is about the only one we've ever enjoyed, and that's probably because it was Christmas and we were in a good mood.

    Alan -- and hops and grain aren't the only variable to play with, either -- why aren't more brewers testing the limits of their yeast with warmer or cooler fermentations? Blending yeasts? There are lots of subtle, pleasing variations to be found, I'm sure.

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  5. I don't think this existed a few years back.

    Funny, all the anti-rye sentiment is landing on this comments page while the pro-rye lobby is tweeting me.

    I think the only way to settle it is with a dance off.

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  6. Ah, yes, as per usual I'm confused: it was Sierra Nevada Unrivaled Rye we tried at the Rake -- a beer with no IPA element whatsoever. Do excuse me.

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  7. Does this mean you have 3 bottles looking for a home?
    Or did your better half wolf them down?

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  8. I enjoyed it, but there is only 11% rye in it supposably.

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