#225: Westbrook Brewing Co. » One Claw (Rye Pale Ale)

One claw to rule them all...?

The Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co. (Mount Pleasant, SC)
The Brew: One Claw (Rye Pale Ale)
Availability: Cans & Draft (Year-Round)
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: 8.6/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

We've been steadily seeing more of Westbrook's offerings in the area since the initial launch of their IPA and White Thai cans in our region. Since my partner and I have been on a bit of a Rye kick, I grabbed a couple cans of their One Claw in addition to my six of Gose.

One Claw pours out with a voluminous, soapy white head, crowning a cloudy, pale yellow body. The nose is a beautiful bouquet of hops with strong aromas of grapefruit and citrus rind.

The taste is significantly mellower than the nose suggests unfortunately, but there is a gentile hop presence throughout that threads from the sip through the finish. It's nice and wet up front with a semi-dry finish.

Overall, a touch underwhelming for a rye after such a wonderful nose, but a drinkable, tasty beer either way.

#155: The Bronx Brewery » Rye Pale Ale

Bronx experience #2 for this blogger...

The Brewery: The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)
The Brew: Rye Pale Ale
Availability: Draft Only (Fall Specialty)
ABV: 6.3% | IBUs: 58
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? There have been a handful of taps at Fingerlake Beverage that have caught my eye of late, one of which being Bronx's Rye seasonal. Their Pale Ale quickly became one of my new regular brews earlier this year, but this was the first I'd run across their rye.

Malted and flaked rye make up nearly a quarter of the grain bill for this Rye, coupled with Chinook and Crystal hops. Easy choice for the empty half-growler eagerly waiting in the car.

The Beer? Transparent amber and thin white head meet the eyes while firm aromas of rye, banana, and bread grace the nose. As expected, there's a deep, enjoyable rye bitter flavor to this Bronx. It's still wet up front, followed by esters and some sweet caramel characteristics as well. Mild white fruit, nectarine appear way in the back along with a herbal coolness. The body is fairly light with plenty of effervescence.

Overall, another solid offering from Bronx, this time with some darker, deeper complexities and a touch more bitterness for the cold months.