Rustic Rye IPA is a 6.2% ABV year-round treat from Bootlegger's in Fullerton, CA. I picked this bottle up from a local bottle shop here in LA around the winter. Even though this beer is produced year-round, I don't see it making its way up to LA on an extremely consistent basis, so if you're interested in trying it I would recommend grabbing it when you see it.
Appearance: A dull coppery red with a full thick head that recedes down to a minimal foam layer. There is lacing left on the sides of the glass. The beer is mostly opaque, with visible carbonation.
Smell: Rye notes come to the forefront here, there are also characteristics of sweet bread and a hint of spice. I don't get a lot of hop character here. The overall impression on the nose is warm and rich.
Taste: Rye is also the predominant taste characteristic, offering spice and earthy, sweet grain. The hops are much more present on the palate than on the nose: resin and pine pair nicely with the rye notes. There is a little bit of a buttery finish, but not in an infected way; it's just a side-quality of rich breadiness from the yeast.
Mouthfeel: The beer is medium-bodied, pleasant enough but somewhat unremarkable.
Overall: A nice, drinkable rye IPA. The flavors here were well balanced and tasty, but I was not too impressed with the nose and I wouldn't have minded a more dry, light finish on the tongue. This might be a nice beer for an IPA novice since the bitterness isn't overwhelming, and the rye and yeast character is pretty forward.
3.5/5
Appearance: A dull coppery red with a full thick head that recedes down to a minimal foam layer. There is lacing left on the sides of the glass. The beer is mostly opaque, with visible carbonation.
Smell: Rye notes come to the forefront here, there are also characteristics of sweet bread and a hint of spice. I don't get a lot of hop character here. The overall impression on the nose is warm and rich.
Taste: Rye is also the predominant taste characteristic, offering spice and earthy, sweet grain. The hops are much more present on the palate than on the nose: resin and pine pair nicely with the rye notes. There is a little bit of a buttery finish, but not in an infected way; it's just a side-quality of rich breadiness from the yeast.
Mouthfeel: The beer is medium-bodied, pleasant enough but somewhat unremarkable.
Overall: A nice, drinkable rye IPA. The flavors here were well balanced and tasty, but I was not too impressed with the nose and I wouldn't have minded a more dry, light finish on the tongue. This might be a nice beer for an IPA novice since the bitterness isn't overwhelming, and the rye and yeast character is pretty forward.
3.5/5
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