I know, I know. It doesn’t scan does it? But it made me laugh, and in the words of Father Fintan Stack: “…that’s all that matters…”
Riiiight…
Next out of the box of Adnams delights came the Jack Brand Rye IPA. I like a rye beer and I like an IPA -oh yes I do- so I was definitely looking forward to this one.
In a glass it’s dark autumnal reddish brown, with a head that bears up for a while and then falls away to leave a smattering of foamy islands.
The aroma is enormously inviting, being all fat malts and rye with an underscore of hop character. The whole sensation reminding me of rain-wetted granite and the peated Scottish hills for some reason – maybe it’s the earnest freshness in the aroma and the lilting hoppy herbailty that it brings forth.
After the refreshing carbonation, I got a very nicely judged bitterness that really highlighted the rye and malts in this beer – and that’s all before the hoppiness flooded in and brought back those same lovely herbal hop notes.
In the mouth Rye IPA is chewily delicious and satisfying – this is a beer that deserves to be drunk longer than the 330ml bottle allows, if you find it on tap – stay, don’t stray and ensure you drink your fill.
I’ve not brewed with rye, but I can feel an order to The Malt Miller (http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/) coming on. Maybe it’s time to start investigating a wider range of grains in my brews, too?