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Saturday, January 4, 2014

204. Great Lakes Rye Of The Tiger IPA


"Like tigers creeping through tall grass, hopheads will stalk this majestic golden brew, rising to the challenge of its bold flavor attack.  Full-bodied and loaded with hops, our Rye of the Tiger IPA is brewed with rye malt, adding a spicy complexity to every sip.  It's an ale meant to inspire feats of strength and skill, a worthy contender in the bout against the flavorless.  If you can step into the ring with this hopped-up cat, you've earned your stripes."  7.5% ABV


I ended up having this with my dinner.  I think the best-by date had already come and gone, but I've found that IPAs still tend to be pretty good, even after the fact.  Still, I understand it will always be best when fresh.  I poured the contents into a pilsner glass.  It had a murky copper color with some brown highlights.  Two fingers of off-white head.  Average retention, little splotches of lacing on the glass.  I detected aromas of dark fruit, biscuit, rye, and alcohol.  Really impactful on the nose after it warms.


Like most IPAs, the initial taste has a caramel sweetness from the malt, then the hops kick in.  This particular brew seems to be more forward with the pine and resin, but I did detect some citrus notes as well.  There's a spiciness that comes from the rye that is a nice complement and gives the IPA a slightly different character.  No complaints here.  The brew is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Even past the due date, I found this beer to be quite enjoyable.  Still, as a fan of the citrus forward IPA, I can't give this one as high a score as it simply isn't as good as those.  Still, a worthy beer to drink and I wouldn't hesitate to have another in the future.


Grade: B
Price Paid: $1.90 (12 oz bottle)



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