Stone Brewing Co - 16th Anniversary IPA

Stone says: "This year our brewing team was inspired by some exotic-ish additions of the lemony persuasion. Yes, it's a Double IPA (can you really say you're surprised?), but as we strive to do with all our Stone Anniversary Ales of the let's-take-this-IPA-in-a-new-direction variety, we've brewed up a Stone-worthy divergence from tradition. The amount of rye malt we used isn't quite enough to warrant the appellation "Rye IPA," but it still adds hints of spiciness that contrast deliciously with the tropical fruit flavors and aromas of the Amarillo and Calypso hops. Add a few European specialty malts, some lemon verbena, and three more hop varieties to the mix, and you have a highly complex brew melding both bitter and fruity hop notes with rich toasted malt character punctuated by nuances of spicy rye and subtle lemon."

This DIPA is 10% ABV, distributed nationwide, and will be available basically until it sells out.

Appearance: The picture makes it look much more red than it actually is, but there still is a red hue to this beer that is more apparent than usual in IPAs. The head poured to about 1.5 fingers and dissipated, leaving no lacing or rings on the glass. It's slightly cloudy and overall color is probably amber, but with that slight red tone I mentioned earlier.

Smell: Spice and herbal notes are dominant on the nose, and some tropical fruit aromas from the hops come in toward the end. I'd say the additions (rye, lemon verbena) make up the majority of the smell of this beer.

Taste: Even though I'm sure Stone hopped the crap out of this beer, it's definitely a "different" IPA. Much like on the nose, herbal and spice characteristics are dominant here, making this appear to be a very yeast-forward beer (whereas most IPAs, especially double IPAs, are hop-forward.) I can almost taste what seems like flavors of sage and thyme, and the lemon definitely comes through as well. The hop notes are mostly tropical, like mango. There isn't a lot of sweetness from any perceptible malt backbone, but the beer does seem pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Slightly slick and oily, and medium bodied. This is a weaker aspect of the beer. My mouth feels a bit coated after I sip.

Overall: Stone hit it out of the park on two IPAs they released this summer: Ruination 10 and Enjoy By 9.21.12. I wouldn't say this is an "afterthought," since they definitely seem to have put some effort into making this a unique brew, but so soon after the former two, it pales in comparison. It's still a decent IPA, especially if you like herbal notes in your beer. I do think they achieved what they were going for: this is a deceptively strong DIPA (I didn't mention it before, but the alcohol is pretty well masked) that is unique and flavorful. As far as true IPA mastery goes, though, it's not my favorite.

3/5

Firestone Walker - Wookey Jack

Wookey Jack is Firestone's black rye IPA, which is made periodically, and it is 8.3% ABV. Firestone has good national distribution, and my understanding is that everyone in their normal distribution areas had access to this beer.

Appearance: This beer is dark brown, very nearly black, but not completely opaque. It pours off a tall, light tan head, that leaves dense lacing around the sides of the glass.

Smell: Floral and earthy hops, a touch of rye, slight hint of roasted character and chocolate.

Taste: The taste is primarily roast and rye at the foreground, but a grassy hop bitterness washes through in the mid-palate and persists in the finish. As the beer warms, the rye becomes more and more dominant throughout the whole body of flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied, and smooth. The bitterness from the hops adds a bit of perceived prickliness to cut the overall thickness.

Overall: This was a really tasty beer, and another really nice black IPA (with rye, which is a nice touch.) For some reason, this didn't really light my fire, but I certainly liked it, and it is definitely a solid beer I would recommend (particularly if you like black IPAs.)

3.5/5

Alpine - Nelson

Alpine says: "This golden IPA has the addition of rye to enhance the flavor profile and gives it that 'something special.' We use Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, prized for their white wine, fruity flavor. The scent of fresh grapefruit greets you each time you lift your glass." Nelson is a "single" 7% ABV IPA.

I've written about Alpine IPAs before, but it's worth mentioning again that this brewery really excels at their hoppy offerings. Every Alpine IPA I've tried has been complex, balanced, and overall delicious. This is, actually, the first time I've ever tried Nelson! Being the small brewery that they are, Alpine's distribution is very limited, even in southern California, and it's become even more limited since the infamous "Expo incident" (essentially, the people at Alpine think that people from LA like to go out to Alpine, buy their beer, and put it on ebay, so they don't let too much of their beer go to LA or leave the brewery in general anymore.) I'm frustrated by their proclamation, myself, but who am I to tell them what to do with their beer?

Appearance: Nelson is golden orange, with an extremely dense, tall head that leaves tons of tightly-webbed lacing on the sides of the glass and a thin foam layer on top of the beer. The carbonation is visible, and the beer is mostly clear.

Smell: The scents of rye and citrus are front and center, and there is a sweetness present, but it seems to come more from the fruit and floral aromas than from any noticeable malt.

Taste: The first wave of flavor includes a pleasantly sharp punch from the hops, which contribute floral characteristics as well as orange and grapefruit flavors. Then the rye comes in and while the rye flavor is unmistakable, the immediate effect of the flavor is to "round the edges" on the hop profile, so to speak. If the hops are sharp or biting, the rye is smooth and creamy. The notes play together so well. Though flavors from the malt backbone never come to the forefront, there is a sturdiness behind the hops and the rye that comes from a perfect malt balance.

Mouthfeel: Nelson is medium bodied and very creamy, but not slick. I wouldn't say the beer has a dry finish, but a mild spiciness on the back of the palate cuts through the creamy feeling and prevents it from being overpowering or too rich.

Overall: I expect greatness when I'm drinking an Alpine IPA, and Nelson delivered. This is truly a great beer, particularly if you're a fan of rye. My one complaint would be that I would have liked a slightly brighter nose, but the taste and mouthfeel are dead-on. This is excellent.

4.5/5

Founders - Red's Rye Pale Ale

This was another beer I got in a trade from a beer drinker in the Midwest, since we don't get Founders here in CA. Red's Rye is a year-round rye-based pale ale that clocks in at 6.6% ABV.

Appearance: This beer is a deep reddish amber in color, with a moderate amount of head that doesn't leave too much lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: A heavy aroma of caramel malt, spicy rye, dark berries. The hop aroma is fading, as this bottle is a few months old, but I still get faint traces of pine.

Taste: It's Similar to the smell, I taste bready grain and rye character, with some spice and grassy pine. The fruit character, though, is more citrusy than it is berry-like.

Mouthfeel: A great medium creamy body, with a nice dry finish. I definitely appreciate this mouthfeel, as it is at once rich, light, and effervescent.

Overall: I wish I could have tried a more fresh bottle. The rye and yeast characteristics were very nice here, but the hops were fading and outside of the pine notes I mostly just tasted the characteristic heavy maltiness that is signature for an older pale ale or IPA. Even so, this was not a bad beer and I really enjoyed the mouthfeel, so that helped my overall impression of it. My final score, with a grain of salt:

3.5/5

Bootlegger's Brewing - Rustic Rye

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

Sierra Nevada - Ruthless Rye 2011

Rye IPA, 6.6% ABV
I picked up Ruthless Rye at Red Carpet in a 6-pack. It's a winter offering with pretty good availability.

Appearance: Medium amber, lightly carbonated, thick head with pretty decent retention and lacing.

Smell: Rye, grain, caramel malt and overall lots of bready character from the yeast.

Taste: Primarily earthy flavors -- grain, grass, bread, and some sweetness as well. The hops are present but not dominant. The flavor contribution from the hops seems to be primarily pine and earth. It tastes maybe more like a rye pale ale than an IPA.

Mouthfeel: Pretty nice, actually. Medium body and a nice, dry finish. It's very crisp and clean drinking.

Overall: Another drinkable, solid, reasonably priced offering from Sierra Nevada. It's a bit high in alcohol to be an all-day sipper, but it could drink just as well in the summer out on the beach as it does in the winter with a hearty dinner. My only disappointment is that it's not quite as hoppy as I would like it to be on top of the strong rye/grain flavors. Calling it an IPA had my expectations up a little bit for some strong hop flavor, but it didn't really deliver. Other than that, I really recommend this beer if you like the idea of a rye pale ale.

3.5/5