Terrapin Rye Pale Ale

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Athens, Georgia USA

Pours a yeasty yellow with a nice foam cap. The rye leaves lots of lacing in its wake. Nicely balanced nose pits rye against the juiciness of flowery/citrusy hops. Chewy mouthfeel is unexpected. The hops go straight citrus in the body, with notes of lemon zest and oranges with a great caramel malt backing. This is solid from start to finish.

Clear golden pour, quickly receding white head, adequate lacing. Hops in the aroma dominate and are quite complex, showcasing floral, earthy and grassy, citrus and sour grapefruit idiosyncrasies all in a tight little package. Also noted are vaguely crisp rye malts(just seem flattened out in a way), toasted malts and honey. Flavor is more helpful in accentuating the rye and the spice and fruitiness it brings to the table. Palate is mostly soft and medium to light bodied. Finishes with zip, zing and vim and vigor. A lively little bugger.

This surely is a mellow, easy going pale ale, but there is something that continually strikes me when I partake...I have always felt like this beer is a heavy handed approach on blending hops, yeast, malt etc... Not that one flavor seems over the top in its robust character, it just doesn’t feel like a gentle touch, probably due to something in the bottling process, what this opinion applies to. Draft samples have proven delightful. A keg of this on a hot Spanish beach would be divine.

(12oz bottle) Medium off-white head atop crystal clear amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, rye, grapefruit, bread. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit/pine, some caramel, rye, bread. Fairly dry rye finish. Medium body, light acidity with some duskiness.

12 oz bottle. Pours golden, not as richly colored as some western pale ales and certainly not as thick and flavorful. Nevertheless its a capable beer.

12 oz. bottle and on draught at multiple locations in ATL. Pours a clear golden amber with ample and foamy crown. Decent retention with mild lacing. Aroma is floral, herbal, and grassy hop tones, with mild scents of citrus and a strong undertone of rye, malt, and yeast. Flavour is full of floral hops and a strong backbone of rye malt. Finish is crisp with hop and rye essence left in the mouth. Overall, this is a superb beer, so just for the fact that it is Terrapin’s standard brew speaks volumes for their other beers (which I also have high regard too). It has always been a good choice for me at a restaurant when I don’t want a macro or Sweetwater.

Nice amber body with a big thick white head on top. The head lasts for some time. Heavily hopped floral aroma present with some citrus accents. The rye isnt present until you taste it, but its worth the wait. It adds a subtle sweetness and blends well with the hoppy aroma. A very nice pale ale... I dont know if I would call it extreme as the description suggests, but unique all on its own. It would be wonderful in the summer, making you feel like that turtle on the label.

This is my first standard Terrapin, my first two having been the Big Hoppy Monster and Wake n Bake. Pours cloudy copper/gold. No secrets about the aroma, very in your face citrus (esp grapefruit) and floral nose. Taste is wonderfully hoppy without being too overpowering. Finish is clean. This one, for me, ranks just below the Red Seal Pale. Excellent.

Draft. Gold color with a BIG floral noise and flavor. It somehow balanced a bigtime hoppiness with a light malt flavor for a crisp finish. Great beer!