Founders Black Rye

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Specialty Grain
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Dark colour, with a small bubbly head. The aroma is my favorite part of this beer. Its chocolatey, malty, with rye, roasty, and a bit hoppy. There is a lot going on in the aroma, but it all works really well together. In the flavour you get less of the chocolate (though its still definitely there!), less malt, and more of the roasty flavours, a lot more hops, the rye really comes out nicely and some nutty flavours. Finishes with toasted nuts and some bitterness. A great beer!

"This one was nice. Poured a pitch black and if you could find them brown edges. Okay head solid lacing. Aroma was a little flat you could smell the rye a little. Flavor was of coffee chocolate the rye you can get as it warmed up. Lasting rye aftertaste in my mouth. Solid beer."

The beer combines bittersweet chocolate and espresso with hops and grain. Compared to the breakfast stout, it has a lot more carbonation and is a bit thinner. Its also has a more burnt/roasted flavor and hazelnut.

Big taste similar to their Red Rye - though more of a toasted malt edge and much chewier. Good blend of hop bite and malt. Nice departure from the norm.

Re-rate, 2/07: While enjoying this, it dropped a notch in overall, as rye just isn’t my thing. The nuttiness came through stronger in this tasting, along with a light citrus under the piney hops, and then the dry rye finish stands out the most in combination with the hops. Original rating: Poured black with very thin brown edges. Nice intial head and great lacing, a pretty beer. The aroma was grainy and light wheat or rye. The flavor was of coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, and some resinous hops. Was unable to pick up the rye in the flavor until this warmed a little, then the rye bread / wheaty flavors came out more, especially in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel was full, excellent, actually.

Dark beer with mahogany hints when held up to the lights. Thin brown head. The nose is very strong with lots of roast grain, chocolate and something almost berry-like. This is a nice sipping beer. Lots of chocolate, roast grains and an almost chocolate covered cherry fruitiness. There is also a strong bitterness in here that tends towards grassy in the finish. Very flavorful beer.

This ale pours a dark mahogany color from a 12oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet with a touch of rye. A medium bodied ale. Malts are fruity and sweet with a touch of chocolate. Hops are spicy and earthy. Nice balance. Good carbonation. A touch sour in the finish. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Dark red/black color, though not quite opaque, with big light tan head. Aroma is malty, fair amount of roastyness, slight nuttyness, hint of cherry. Flavor is roasty, creamy, touch of chocolate and caramel, with a real faint spiceyness from the rye. A decent brew, but I don’t really feel like it totally works. I’m not sure I like the combination of rye and roast barley and malts.