Beer Forum

I'll keep it short. I poured half the 22-oz bottle down the drain. I've never had an 8% beer be so bitter. If this is a good example of a rye IPA, then, I guess I don't care for them. I like bitter IPAs, but, this is harsh.

you must have got a bad one because the 10 or so bombers of that beer I have had have been excellent, nothing like you explain...what are your usual IPAs that you are comparing it to?...does the bottle have a date stamped on it?...did you buy it from a reputable location?...rye can have a little tang to it...could that be what you were tasting?...

80 IBU's is moderately high for bigger IPAs, so it's possible you got something that was a bit off.... or you're just a wuss

It's worth giving another try if you like IPAs and have like other rye beers. Some people really don't like rye though, that could be it.

EL TIZZO wrote:you must have got a bad one because the 10 or so bombers of that beer I have had have been excellent, nothing like you explain...what are your usual IPAs that you are comparing it to?...does the bottle have a date stamped on it?...did you buy it from a reputable location?...rye can have a little tang to it...could that be what you were tasting?...

What he said... Hop Rod Rye is fantastic. In fact I thought it could have had more hoppy aroma but damn tasty brew.

Whilst I drank every bit of my bomber, I didn't find it as excellent as the reviews might lead you to believe (95% overall on BA, 4.28/5 with 1884 reviews). Here's what I thought of it:

Dark amber. Clear. Great head and lacing. Excellent appearance.

Smells piney and citrus/grapefruity with plenty of malts and bread crust on the side. I would say the hops take center stage, followed by malts, with an extra side portion of very bitter hops and plenty of citrus pungency. Garnished with floral aromas, bread crust, and notable alcohol.

The bitterness and malts don't seem to mesh as well as I was expecting. Everyone loves this beer but it didn't quite do it for me. It seems to clash some, as if it can't decide what it's supposed to be. I think there was a pretty darn good rye beer under there somewhere. Halfway through the bomber I was wishing it was just a simple red or rye beer so I could get on with drinking the rest of the bottle without further angst.

Tastes to me like a great red or rye beer that's been over-hopped to the point of being forced to classify it as an IPA or DIPA.

I gave it a 3.5/5.