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.