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Sampled April 2009
A standard pour produces a three finger thick, light tan colored head that is long lasting and leaves some nice lacing on the sides of my glass. The beer is a clear, copper-gold color that gets a shade lighter when held up to the light. The aroma is definitely nicely hoppy with notes of tangerine, orange-zest and lychee being quite noticeable. The is a backdrop of toasty pale malt character, some grassy grain notes as well as a spicy whole grain character; this last is definitely nice as I like being able to smell the rye influence. The finish actually has quite a bit of grain character to it and can even drown out the hop notes at times.

A clean, ample, biting bitterness cuts through the palate here. There are hints of malt sweetness that accentuates a light hop fruitiness (some sweet citrus, lychee and a touch of tropical fruit notes). There is a nice level of spiciness here in the flavor that is a mix of piney, herbal hop notes and the spicy grain / rye flavors. This has a fairly light body, but has enough fullness to keep things in balance; it is definitely a quaffable brew though.

The hoppiness could be a bit fresher here, but it is still quite vibrant. I really like that the rye plays a noticeable role here, in both flavor and aroma. This is a nicely enjoyable beer.

Served In: Tulip