So, Founders Red's Rye PA. This year they removed Red's Rye from their year-round lineup and made it part of their seasonal selections. It's one of a number of decisions that Founders made recently that I'm not thrilled about, but they didn't ask me. I think this was the first Founders beer I had, the first rye I had, and from thence, my love affair with Founders began. Let's revisit that happy discovery.
This pours a deep garnet color with a pale khaki head. Out of a growler, that head was pretty fluffy... probably because I can't properly pour while holding a growler in one hand and a glass in the other. Man, human problems. In the nose I pick up lemon, other citrus, and some caramel or toffee notes, with a hint of grassy notes as it warms. Taking a sip, oh man, I just fell in love all over again. There's a mild hop bite throughout the first half, some bready malts kick in about halfway through, and the finish is spicy and dry, like a good rye should be. It's 70 IBU's, but it won't kick you in the taste buds with hop bitterness. It's has almost a creamy mouthfeel with the perfect amount of carbonation.
At 6.6% ABV, it actually feels a little stronger. You don't really pick up an alcohol bite, but I'm feeling the effects after half a pint. Hmmm. Maybe I need to find my big-girl panties tonight. This will be missed in Founders' year-round rotation. It's a great beer that is well done, once again proving why Founders is one of the (if not the) best breweries in the country. Send me a bottle of Pliny (either Elder or Younger) for comparison, and we'll see. OK, thanks. Orrrrrrr, how about if Founders attempts a beer they don't fully succeed at? Wait, that's like asking a five-year-old to be have his listening ears surgically implanted... it's just not gonna happen.
4.8/5 caps
-Jennie
After a long day at work, and an even longer week ahead (ugh!), it's nice to relax at home with draft beer. The growler concept has become a huge trend in the craft scene, despite, before the bottling process came about, that was once the only way to get beer. History repeats itself, and the beer industry is not an exception of the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence. Everything has a time line, and instead of linear, it's cyclical, so wouldn't it actually be called a time cycle instead of a time line? Look at music. Music repeats itself (and I don't just mean with a hook or sample). New Wave has repeated itself in the form of newer pop/dance bands that rely on the use of synthesizers. Grunge is on it's resurgence. I've been calling for this day for years, much like people call that there will be an inevitable zombie apocalypse, which most likely will happen. But, once again, I seem to be way off track from the task at hand.
This task at hand is reviewing beer. Good beer. I have yet to have a Founders' selection that has left me wondering how this company stays open. Nay, the reason they stay open is perpetually releasing fantastic brews. Despite them being from that state up north, they produce great products, that this is one of them. As my feminine counterpart stated, Founders' is changing this from a year round bottled selection, to a seasonal selection available September and October, with year round availability on draft. Why?
Regardless of the reason why, here I sit, still awaiting the beer review. So, let's get to it. The color is a ruby/garnet color with small amount of head (yes, I CAN pour a growler while holding a pint glass, despite pain in the armpit from a cyst-like thing that became inflamed last night and has carried over to today to where I am holding my arm in the ever popular Bob Dole stance). The aroma is some citrus, toffee/caramel, and some spice, note this has had time to warm up. The feminine counterpart has decided to distract me by putting my favorite movie on right at one of the greatest lines of the movie. Army of Darkness. "Well, hello Mr. Fancy Pants. I got news for you, pal. You ain't leading but two things right now. Jack and Shit... And Jack left town."
Damn distractions. Onto the flavor. Sweet frontal hop assault, Batman! There's a pungent kick of the hops up front, fading into bready and some caramel tones, ending with some bitterness and spice. This drinks velvety (okay, okay, I'll stop saying velvety to avoid another rant about the whore ex-step-mom and her creepy velvet painting of Elvis), with some light resin stickiness.
Get this when you can, you will not be disappointed. And as a side note, I think it's time to raise the ratings we gave to Anti-Hero, as that I don't think I gave it a fair rating of epicness.
4.75/5 caps
-Nathan-
Rebuttal: Bruce Campbell is from Michigan. Royal Oak, to be precise. Suck on that, you primitive screwhead. Also, the boomstick was made in Grand Rapids, as was this fine beer.
-Jennie
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