REVIEW: Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye

I think this beer was the first rye beer I had ever had. It was recommended to me by a bartender at Gordo's in Norwood. Gordo's has some of the best burgers in town with a great beer list. Well worth checking out, try the BPJ made with Fried Banana, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bacon. I know it sounds weird, it's so good. Hey, if you're a reader of this blog you're willing to try some weird and different beers, try some weird and different burgers too! But anyways, I'm rambling, this was my first rye beer. It was a hell of a one to start with. This beer is something special. With that in mind, I grabbed another to review for the blog. To the beer!

Hop Rod Rye pours a slightly hazy ruby red color. The bottle mentions that the hazy appearance is thanks to the intense hop additions. that's a very good sign. The beer is capped off by a robust layer of bubbly off white head. That read is resilient. It hangs on a good long time and leaves beautiful lacing all the way down the sides of the glass. A gorgeous beer indeed.

Those hazy hops that I mentioned are here again on the aroma. Tons of citrusy, floral, slightly spicy hop notes are backed by a little bit of roasted grain.

Hop Rod Rye comes out swinging with a full bodied bready caramel malt spine. Sweet with some additional toffee like flavors. The malt body on this beer is big, and it needs to be to balance out and stand up to the hop presence. Intense yet measured earthy, floral notes mix with a tart grapefruit like fruitiness. The spicy rye makes itself known toward the finish where it mingles really nicely with a strong lingering bitterness. The rye also imparts a great creaminess that seems to tie all of the malt and hop flavor together

This is a big, bold, flavorful beer. Everything that I look for in a brew. I could see myself drinking a whole lot of these. Just an outstanding beer. Make it a point to seek this one out.

HD