Tag Archives: rye ale

HARPOON RICH & DAN’S RYE IPA

Hardened hop-heads will delight in sharp citric-spiced bittering and resinous hop pining as lemony orange-peeled grapefruit prickle stays firm. But caramelized rye profile and sugary caraway-seeded Vienna malting lack resolve and get washed out. Tertiary pineapple, tangerine and citron illusions undone by minor metal astringency. 2012 version retained dry-spiced citric hop perfuming and fresher piney spruce crispness.

BLUE POINT RASTAFA-RYE ALE

Snazzy Jamaican Rastafarian motif, label, and theme saddle ‘deep copper ale.’ Sweet rye-malted caramel toasting and almond-pasted cherry-orange tang juxtapose bright floral-spiced orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering. Biscuit-y mineral-grained peat-smoked cornmeal backdrop seeps into wheat base. Minus the fruity kick, Blue Point’s original version of Toasted Lager benefited from the same wheat-cracked almond-marzipan roast.

BROOKLYN MANHATTAN PROJECT

On tap, heady vermouth-bourbon radiance and sweet whiskey warmth bring about boozy Manhattan cocktail theme that goes way beyond understated rye ale categorization. Lustrous raisin-cherry pureed richness, sweet orange-bruised banana-clove fruiting, and pumpkin-pied cinnamon-nutmeg spicing intensify syrupy medicinal cough-drop finish. Spiced rum, brandy, and sherry illusions run amuck. Simply fantastic ’09 offering.

O’HANLON’S RYE BEER

Dry prune overtones ripen above middling rye influence and herbal hop persistence, fading quickly to grassy-hopped mineral grain earthiness. Mild lemon pucker and nutty bitterness counter tertiary honeyed malt sweetness, but mild acidity and watery consistency obstruct sinewy yeast effervescence indicative of thick rust turbidity and copper penny hue.