Founders Reds Rye P.A.

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

Bottle: After reading the commercial description, I sure wasn’t expecting a big citrus hop aroma. Pours a hazy amber with a decent off-white head that lasts a minute or so. Very nice lacing. Very hoppy from start to finish with more intensified hops in the finish. Outside of the big hops I only get a faint caramel lingering in the far background. Seems very much like an IPA. A little more balance wouldn’t hurt.

Appearance: Pours a clear, reddish body with a small, white head. Smell: Caramel malt nose marked by a distinct rye component and full hop notes of grapefruit. Taste: Pleasing caramel maltiness with a very mild sweetness interrupted by a sharp, spicy rye jolt and held in its track by a firm bitterness and flavors of grapefruit pith. Spicy, raspy finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: It’s all kinds of okay! I’d go for another, really I would.

The aroma is of limes and grapefruit with a hint of rye. It is stong and lasting. :) The appearance is a diminishing head with good lacing. It is a fizzy looking head like cola. The body is a clear and sparkling red-brown. The flavor is of hoopy grapefruit marmalade and light rye toast. White pepper? Hint of Bombay Sapphire? The flavor is very lively and is well backed by the palate. It is lightly bitter with a acidic finish. The palate is VERY lively with a medium to light body that is watery and crisp. Overall, I couldn’t ask for a better red ale. I picked this up at Grapes & Grain in Mequon.

Deep hazy crimson coloured body with a very thick tannish red head with specks of brown in it. Very crazy coloured beer, but very very nice. Aroma of rye (of course) , hops, curacao, malt, and some sugars. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong rye flavour in the taste up front fading to a smooth maltiness and a potent hoppiness. Aftertaste shows some alcohol, malt, curacao and of course - more rye. Overall, a very nice beer - looks amazing and tastes damn good too. Definitely worth trying if you can find this! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Merchant’s in Dearborn, Michigan on 02-May-2007.

Pours copper and cloudy with a decent tan head. Aroma is mostly hops but you can tell that there is some malt underneath. The flavor is bold and robust. Very malty and warm.. Notes of caramel, fruits, and a nice citrus grapefruit kick on the back of each sip that makes you take notice that this is a fine brew.. Very creamy on the palate. Full in the mouth and quite warming on the backside. This was surprisingly better than I expected. Quite tasty.. I’ll drink this another time!

Bottle: Cloudy red/orange with a thick rocky off-white head, spicy citrus aroma with earthy tones, full bodied with soft lively carbonation, starts and ends bitter with a velvet-like ending with some nice spice from the rye.

Pours an almost clear, ruby-amber color that shows rich copper-orange highlights when held up to the light. The head is frothy, rocky, initially a finger thick and a full tan color with a bit of an amber tinge. The aroma is quit hoppy; a mix of herbal notes, pine and citrus. I get aromatic notes of candied orange peel, and grapefruit; both of which come to dominate the aroma after a bit.

The taste has a sharp hoppiness to it that carries through almost to the end, but actually mellows and becomes a lingering, smooth, sweet citrus note and a bright bitterness. This is definitely hop dominated, but there is a malt character here, which, through its caramel notes, helps to accentuate the fruity citrus character of the hops. As the beer warms up it begins to pick up some minty menthol like notes in the finish. I can’t say that the rye is really noticeable here; perhaps it adds a bit to the body of the beer and it seems to make it have a head with more staying power. As with many of the so called "rye" beers this is a hop bomb; don’t get me wrong, I definitely am enjoying this beer, but I am curious as to what the rye is really adding.

Pours a huge off-white fluffy head; foggy brownish-amber in the glass. Medium sweet-hoppy nose, showing lots of citrus, lemon, orange and rye. Full, hopped-up mouthfeel, rye serving as the malty backdrop - ending slightly dry, with bitterness around the edges. Nicely done rye interpretation, but that extra oomph of alcohol isn’t well-used. 7.3.7.3.14=3.4

Rerate: 12oz bottle, fresh from Michigan, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a medium reddish-brown color with some particulates floating about; fluffy, very light tan head with fantastic retention and lacing. Lots of pine and woodsy notes in the aroma; hoppy, earthy. Medium-to-full mouthfeel, predominated by earthy rye and tea-like malts; lively carbonation; plenty of chewy citrusy hop character; balanced nicely. Lengthy finish, on the dry side, showing chewy malts and citrus. 7.4.7.4.14=3.6