Terrapin Rye Squared

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Athens, Georgia USA

Review date 6/30/2009... Vintage 2009 gem from the Terps...into the Duvel tulip it goes... This pours a viscous-like, honey-straw color. Topping it off is a solid, chunky, full finger o’ head. Darkens with full pour to reveal more of a butterscotch tone. Head retains well - tight and bready. Lacing to match. Rye makes itself nicely known here...along with a fair amount of mellow, grassy hops. Slight caramel notes here - maybe a little more straw taste. Man, I do enjoy rye in my beer. It has that little spice but keeps the body very full with a different sweetness from light caramel malt. Hops have a little grass on ’em but it works quite nicely. Viscous sweetness indicates a fair amount of ABV but it’s extremely balanced. Nice stuff. This stuff treats the palate like an old recliner. Just sit down, chill out and make yourself comfortable. Slight thickness doesn’t translate to weight. Nice rye bite keeps it a little spritely, as does very moderate carbonation. Finish is well-balanced and even keeled...maybe a little on the sweeter side. Excellent. This may not drink extremely quickly but it drinks extremely well. If I lived in or frequented Atlanta I’d have a fair amount of this stashed in the fridge at all times.

Bottle From TBS- Thanks Matt. Really liked this one. pours amber with some sweet red highlights. big toffee colored head. leaves some lace all over the fucking place. Some big wood, caramel, citrusy hops, some grapefruit, and rye (what the hell). hole tamole peggy sue

Dark amber hue, creamy white head, come citrus/nector/piney aroma and taste but the malt overpowered in the end, decent but not my favorite

Golden pour with minimal white head. Nose of light sweet hop, some pine a little citrus. Flavors lean towards a mild grapefruit citrus with light bite on it. Surprised by the 8.5, seemed lower, thought it even to be sessionable before noticing that.

12 oz bottle courtesy of a Beerlando trade. Thanks, as always, Bryan. Pours a glowing orange amber, darker, with huge beige head. Settles to moderate level, laces very well. Aromas are a very nice citrusy grapefruit, caramel malts off the bat. Florals, zest, and a pretty good maltiness to balance, hard to pick out the dryer mellower rye on the nose. Initial is throwing caramel sweetness and the rye malt comes through, citrusy bitterness, florals to balance on the backend, the sweetness is a touch too strong for me. Florals and a touch gumball come in on the body, dry rye on the backend, decent bitterness and citrus fruit, a touch pine comes in a little intense on the backend. The alcohol is pretty evident and warming, at least for me. This is a pretty good DIPA.. not upper echelon. But good enough.

Had this on tap at Humphrey’s in Huntsville the other day. Smooth, but dry for a double IPA. Nice hops which I have become familiar with drinking the Terrapins.

12oz bottle, 2008. Pours dark amber with a one-finger off-white head. Small head retains til the bottom of the glass. Minimal lacing. First whiff is a blast of piney hops. Flavor is pine/citrus hops and caramel malt with a nice rye kick. Mouthfeel is smooth and silky, creamy, a bit sticky and chewy with low carbonation. Nice blend of bitter hops up front with sweet malts following behind. This is a rather sweet beer, especially on the finish. A nice upgrade over the standard Terrapin Rye Pale Ale.

12 oz bottle as an extra in a trade. Pours out an amber-copper shade with a moderate white head that fizzed out quickly. Aroma of rye, citrus hops, some caramel malt. Flavor much the same though a little pine hop thrown in as well. Well balanced though veers toward the hoppy, and I do so love it when people throw rye into the mix. This isn’t quite Hop Rod Rye, but it was still delicious.