Boulevard Brewing Rye-on-Rye
As you can see by this and the previous beer review, I went on a bit of a Boulevard Brewing run. When the opportunity to snag the aforementioned Harvest Dance and this bottle of their Rye-on-Rye, it just wasn’t something that I could pass up. And given that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed just about every beer from the company, it really was a no brainer.
Rye-on-Rye is a 12% ABV rye ale that was crafted with five malts (Pale Malt, Malted Rye, Munich, Cara 50 and Crystal Rye), a tasty combination of hops (Magnum, Citra, Styrian Golding and Athanum) and a little (or a lot, I’m not sure) brown sugar. The brew was then aged in used Templeton Rye whiskey barrels for an undisclosed measure of time. Before bottling, though, the brewery decided to create a blended beer — 67% of the blend barrel aged, the remaining 33% fresh rye ale.
The end result has got to be one of the best rye-inspired beers I’ve ever had, second to a bottle of The Bruery Smoking Wood I had a couple of weeks back.
Appearance
Rye-on-Rye pours a brilliantly copper tinged amber with a light tan cap of foam.
Aroma
As expected, a healthy dose of spicy rye arrives first with vanilla, wood and strong whiskey notes. A small touch of citrus resides in the background along with a light boozy presence.
Taste
Spicy rye bread, caramel, vanilla, whiskey and oak dominate throughout as a welcome tough of hop bitterness arrives just ast he very warming finish demands your full attention. The hop profile brings pine and citrus to the rich and slightly sweet brew. The alcohol content makes for a hearty glow in the chest after each sip.
Overall
This is not a beer for those who are not fans of rye — it is packed with it. This ia big, boozy and layered brew that requires a little dedication on your part as you slowly work through the large bottle. While it’s quite tasty now (though a bit hot), I can see it mellowing out nicely with a little time in the basement. Now, if I can only find another bottle (or two).
Rating: 4.25/5
