Sierra Nevada – Ruthless Rye

When I see a new offering by a one of my favorite brewers, I make a purchase.  A few weeks ago, I saw a new offering from Sierra Nevada – Ruthless Rye (6.6% ABV and 55 IBU) that is an IPA brewed with rye as a component of the grain bill.  This is a spring seasonal offering from Sierra Nevada and I hope it becomes a regular offering.  This is an excellent beer and I will pick up some more on the next trip to the store.  For Sierra Nevada, I always pick up some Tumbler in the autumn and Celebration in the winter and Bigfoot this time of year.  I will add Ruthless Rye to that list of annual purchases.  Sierra Nevada is one of the larger craft brewers and I appreciate them trying new beers and always – I mean always – producing great beers that are a pleasure to taste.

Rye Beer – “Not to be confused with a German Roggenbier, beers that fall into this category contain a notable amount of rye grain in the grist bill. Bitterness tends to be moderate, to allow the often spicy and sour-like rye characteristics to pull through”.  Beer Advocate

Appearance – Copper / amber with a frothy two-finger head.  If you pour this quickly, you will get a large head. It is clear with good carbonation.

Aroma – You smell hops and a really nice citrus smell of grapefruit and lemons with some hints of pine.

Taste – I first was hit by the citrus / grapefruit by the hops then a bit of bread from the malt and then a nice spicy dry finish from the rye. 

Overall – A – this one is easy to grade and is just a wonderful beer, the appearance, aroma and taste make for a great sensory experience. 

Website description – “Rye has been a staple grain for millennia—sought after for its stubborn resilience in the field and revered for its unique flavor. Ruthless Rye IPA is brewed with rustic grains for refined flavors—combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrusy flavors of whole-cone hops to create a complex ale for the tumultuous transition to spring”.

alcohol content 6.6% by volume	malts PALE, RYE, CARAMEL & CHOCOLATE
beginning gravity 15.2 Plato	yeast ALE YEAST
ending gravity 3.1 Plato	bittering hops BRAVO
bitterness units 55	AROMA hops CHINOOK & EXPERIMENTAL HOPS
COLOR DEEP RED	DRY HOPS CHINOOK, CITRA & EXPERIMENTAL HOPS

URL - http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/ruthless.html