RyePA Digested

Two weeks later, the RyePA is ready to drink. I like it. A lot. I wish I had a keg of this handy at all times. That would be delightful. I'll probably make this again, tweaking the recipe to include some interesting caramel type malts.



Appearance: Depending on the bottle and agitation, this can be a cloudy beer. The color might be described as "Brick Red", though I'm not a paint chip analyst. It pours a fine, creamy head, almost as if poured from a nitro tap/Guinness can (though this may be because I dropped the bottle on the ground before opening).

Smell: The aroma of the hops dominates. It's citrusy, especially orange zest, and a bit floral like Jasmine. I can't get much more out of it because I'm so bloody congested.

Taste: "mmmmm" seems to be a common descriptor in this section. The Rye gives this beer nice spicy flavors while the hops imparts a slightly tangy flavor. The chocolate malt, even though I only used an ounce, gives a really nice toasty feeling in the back of the tongue. There's also a slight carameliness to it.

Mouthfeel: Without a doubt, this is the baby bear beer. Not too heavy, not too light. Just right. I won't comment further on carbonation, unless future batches deviate from the norm, because they basically all have the fine champagney bubbles.

Drinkability: With a fairly average 5.2% alcohol level this won't put you out of commission, but, given time, it will catch up to you. Like most creations, this is slightly sweeter than I'd like, but I'll deal with it because it is quite delicious. Of the beers I've made, this is in the mid-range for drinkability. The flavor makes it go down smooth, but the sweetness would hold me back from drinking several bottles.

Prost!

Coming soon: Beer that didn't turn out so well