Dry Hopped Dark Ale
Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Founded 1997
Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers decided to quit their jobs, chase their dreams, and open up a brewery. And we’re glad they did. After producing some unremarkable beers in their first few years and facing an uncertain future, they chose to change course and start brewing the types of beer that they were truly passionate about: “complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger body, and tons of flavor.” The rest is history. Highly regarded and awarded, Founders has consistently ranked as one of the top breweries in the world.
Black Rye is a seasonal beer available through March 2015. It comes from a recipe that’s been tucked away in the vault since 2006. Founders describes it as “a perfectly balanced blend of German- and American-grown hops, premium 2-row barley and heavily kilned rye and wheat malts.”
As the name suggests, it pours a rich black with a bubbly brown two-finger head that takes some time to settle. The aromas of roasted rye and a slight hint of mocha command attention.
The taste starts with coffee essences and finishes with touches of citrus. This is a dry-hopped beer with hops added during the late stages of fermentation (as opposed to during the boiling phase) so you get a hoppy flavor without it being overly bitter. Medium carbonation and toffee sugeryness smooth out each sip. Compared to many of the black IPAs, rye is what sets this brew apart.
Founders Black Rye is an easy to drink beer with a complex roastiness that gives you the best of both worlds—hoppy and malty. A relatively potent beer, the taste teeters back and forth between the pine and the rye.
2006 just wasn’t ready for this unique ale, but its time has come. I look forward to other recipes that might be lurking in the Founders vault.
7.5 ABV
78 IBU
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