Friday, April 19, 2013

The Bruery - Sour in the Rye



"We brewed this ale with around 40% rye as a base malt and let our sour yeast and bacteria eat away at it in oak barrels for over a year creating a sour ale with a complex character of rye spice, oak and a subtle funk."

                                                              - The Bruery


Brewery: The Bruery
Beer: Sour in the Rye
Style: Sour, American Wild Ale
ABV: 10.75%

The Bruery is a small craft brewery located in Orange County and are known for their unfiltered and bottle conditioned beers. Bottle conditioning is a process where the beer is carbonated naturally in the bottle through a secondary fermentation. The name is a fusion between 'Brewery' and their family name Rue and I can say that everything I have had from the Rue's has been great. 

I love sours but there are a couple things to know about entering the sour beer world. First, most sours are expensive. Sours are aged in old wine or oak barrels for months, or they are bottle conditioned. Either way they need to be stored and we end up paying for the lengthy process. Second, sours are generally recommended to be enjoyed slowly and with a sharp cheese. I guess because some sours are so close to wine in taste, so when I drink a sour I usually have it at the end of my drinking session. 

Poured slowly, Sour in the Rye has a deep amber body. Hazy and without a head. You can smell the sourness up front, along with a slight maltyness. The flavor is amazing, everything I want in a sour. A minor malt flavor initially hits which is quickly followed by a smooth sour ending screaming of elegance. I gave my wife a taste and she tried to steal it from me. It's THAT good. With a 20$+ price tag per bottle, it should be. For sour fans, this beer is a must try. 


Aroma: 6
Appearance: 4
Flavor: 8
Palate: 5
Style Rating: 9/10

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