Terrapin Rye Squared

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

Another great beer from one of my favorite brewers. This is Rye Pale Ale on steroids. The 8.5% doesn’t hurt either.

Shit damn this is a good beer. Almost like a barley wine it is so strong. And the name give it all, much like it’s younger brother doubled, or squared. Acually, I was told there would be no math.

Long awaited arrival at Taco Mac, on Windward Parkway, this is one thick looking brew, that would give any Roggenbier a run for its money.

A cloudy, peachy haze greeted me, the first time I laid eyes on this lovely pour from the tap. The head was signature Taco Mac sparse, but as that meant more beer in the pint glass filled to the brim, I was not about to send this back. Lacing, we don’t need no stinking lacing.

The smell was strong hops, even at the sub arctic temperatures, this glass came off the tap. As it warmed up, an intoxicating smell of grapefruity hops wafted upwards and drowned out the cigarette smoke in the atmosphere. Backing up this assault of hop oils was the constant drone of caramel malts.

One sip of this nectar made me forget the 13 hour workday I had just endured. This was one fantastic DIPA. The hops came on strong right away and almost overpowered my tongue in their grapefruit cloning citric, juicy, bitterness. There was a strong note of pine resin in the taste at first. As the beer warmed up biscuity caramel malts started coming through, until at near room temperature the taste was dominated by spicy Rye bread. Either that, or it was the peppery pungent hops. The flavors were so complimentary, I could not really tell.

Very thick on the palette from the get go, the beer softened up a bunch with the warming of the body. The carbonation was soft and natural, the body oily and slick, and the mouthfeel chewy dense. This was about as good as I have had a DIPA caress my mouth. The aftertaste was a pleasant mid point between salty-mineralized-dryness, and juicy-tangy-bitterness. The spiciness of Rye also played a part in this department, with some lingering mild pumpernickel bread. effect.

As far as DIPAs go, this one has it all together. After only a couple of pints, my head is in the clouds, while my feet are Jell-O, and my belly is on fire. One of the servers told me that some of the batches of this beer have clocked in over 9% ABV. Judging by the fire burning in the midriff, I tend to agree.

This is one grand beer. There is no reason in the world not to try this one.

Update
Last year, the Rye² was my favorite “Monster” beer from Terrapin. That was at the Taco Mac pint glass poured with no head, and served too cold. Now that I can get this in bottles, it was time to give the beer the proper serving treatment of a Tulip glass at cellar temperature.

The beer came out cloudy peach in color, with a small head that was beige. The smell was very citric hops, with a tinge of spice. From the first sip, the hops were clearly in command here, just as they are in the little brother Terrapin Rye Pale Ale. There was also a lot of sweet malt that was just short of syrupy. The thick body provided to be a good hop delivery vehicle, although it was not as tongue coating as it could have been. This was certainly more in the mould of a classic DIPA when compared to the Big Hoppy Monster. The sweet, hoppy, and spicy, flavors never quite dominated as they do in some of the big West Coasters. Very easy to drink despite the 8.5% ABV.

Purchased on the day of the release 13 April 06. The best by date says 26 September 06, but I doubt it’ll be as good in five months as it is fresh.

thanks goes to CaptainCougar and the Ga crew for bring this to Mich for me. poured a orange amber with some floaties and with a small off white head,that left some nice lacing. aroma hops, hops, hops, and some more hops, nice pine ,alcohol, some malts did Imention hops?. flavor, what else but hops, a sweet grapefruit, . alcohol, honey at the finish. I have got to say this is one of the hoppiest beers I have had.wow .did i say this has some hops in it? good and I mean good hoppy beer. I would like to get more of this.

Wow, another great beer from goldtwins. This one has a hazy, deep coppery/orangy hue, with 1-finger off-white head. The aroma is big hopcitrus, tropical fruit, including tangerine, canteloupe, caramel malt, some pineapple. The palate is dense, really kicked up a notch, with flavors of bready caramel malts, big hops, tangerine, mango, and pineapple. Very well done.

On Draught @ Summits - Randall w/Palisades and straight up.... Great stuff, big persistent creamy head with lots of lacing. Reminiscent of a top IIPa from the Pac. Northwest. Awesome aromas of sweet malt and hops dominated by cascade. The palate disappoints a bit, it’s not as rich as it could be, however, all in all it’s my favorite Terrapin. Hats’ off to John and Spike. Great brew !

Wow this was freaking awesome! A deep orange appearance with litte head. A big aroma of oranges, perfume, and citrus. The flavor is rather sweet but not overly so. The flavor is orange peels, grapefruit, caramel, vanilla, tangerines. Extremely complex and I was floored by how good this really was. Terrapin is the East Coasts answer to the big West Coast breweries.

Thanks to dickinsonbeer for the trade. Pours a hazy copper amber with a medium foamy off white head that laced and sustained. Great looking beer. Aroma of orange, caramel malt, rye, sweet maltiness with a hint of toasted malts and bread dough. Flavor was a nice mix of light pine, rye, chewy hops, caramel, a hint of bitterness and just a great overall balanced. Just about exactly what I’m looking for in a great IIPA.