#102: Southern Tier Brewing Co. » 2XRye (Double Rye IPA)

Pleasant surprise was waited for me at The Westy...

The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: 2XRye (Double Rye IPA)
Availability: 6-pack, draft (Seasonal)
ABV: 8.1%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? I had to make a quick stop at The Westy on the way home on Friday and figured a pint after quite the long week would be good. I figured one of their new taps of Jack's Abbey or Bacchus would be just the thing, but to my surprise they still had Southern Tier's latest seasonal, 2XRYE on tap. Beer joy!

The Beer? Glistening, completely transparent copper with a touch of off-white head on top. The nose is sweet and mildy fruity - tropical, even plums maybe?

The taste is complex - there's an initial sweetness, which gives way to big, bitter hops and rye. That all then subsides into crisp, biscuit and roasted malt flavors. A pretty excellent way to kick off the weekend, I must say.

There's a touch of booze behind that bitterness, which slowly creeps in the room along with a touch of spice further through the glass. Subtle for a double at 8% for sure though.

In my opinion, the finish really takes the cake on this one those. For a double rye, I was expecting something relatively extreme, but instead we have a well-balanced, complex seasonal that's great for the fall season. Southern Tier does it again.