Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Ale

Brewed by Bear Republic Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Healdsburg, California USA

I went on a brewery tour all over Cali and this was my favorite beer. pours dark, breaking away from the Cali ipa mold. hops are toned down and wonderful malty sweetness is added. a perfect beer that you can drink pint after pint

A: An absolutely beautiful beer. Pours the deepest of red, almost black in color until you hold it up to the light. Once placed in the light a beautiful garnet color is revealed. There is some sediment in the glass floating around like snow in a snow globe. The head is big thick and rocky. With a now empty glass beside me I am enjoying the spider web type lacing all the way down the glass. S: Nice big aromas. Nice hoppy citrus aroma... Big and Bold! There is a hint of spice from the rye, and a nice sweetness. T: Wow! The taste is soo inviting. Wonderful bold tastes that mesh with each other to make a perfect marriage. Right from the start you are hit with hops. Big sweet cascades with the power of citrus. A malty sweetness comes in and finishes with a hint of the spicy rye. Yum! M: Medium bodied with a dry crisp finish.

Almost orange head, with a persistent beige head, very dry,but mellowed by a somewhat sweet note on the aftertaste. Still, a bit disappointing, I hoped for a bit more complexity based on the rye contribution.

Very dark copper to brown, translucent, with a mountainous rocky head with meringue like texture. Too much head. wow, it just won’t dissipate! Nose is a very fresh, clean spicy citrusy & prickly rye character. I could just sit here and nose this beer for hours. On the palate is a medium to full bodied ale with generous malt, rye spice without any bad bite, and a nice tart citrusy hop note that rounds it out oh so well. This is a full flavored beer for sure, but they found a way to keep things in harmony. Amazing!

Pours a deep amber with a moderate sized white head. Nose is heavy with caramel, toffee, earthy hop notes, and hints of caraway. Taste is a bit of a disappointment for me, pretty damn sweet, not too hoppy, not too much hop flavor, lots of rye.

22 oz bottle served in a tulip. Pour was a deep ruby amber with two fingers of beige head. Nose is florally hops, malt, rye, and light oranges. Taste isn’t overly bitter up front, though you know its quite present, then recedes into the lovely lingering sweetness from the malt and orange. Quite good and quite sessionable, despite the ABV. This brew also left a nice showing on the glass, right through to the last drop.

bottle, pours dark amber iwth a tall light tan head. Strong hop aroma with pine and some floral, light bready malts in the background. Nice toasted rye bread flavor, with a nice balanced hop bitterness that is all pine and almost oily feeling because of the creamy mouth. Very nice and poundable.

Dark amber pour tiny head. Aroma caramel and hops. Taste sweet piney with a bitter finis. Good carbonation. Good beer.