Try?
When you think of yourself as a bru-guru, I guess there's just something that calls to you about a brewery that calls itself the Bru-ery. That serves as a good starting point, of course, but if the beers that Bru-ery makes aren't good, it will only get you so far. Fortunately, the Bruery's beers are very good, indeed, as evidenced by the Bruery Rugbrod, a deep, dark, and delicious rye beer from this Orange County, California brewer.
Here's what they say about this beer:
"Meaning "rye bread" in Danish, we took our inspiration for this beer from the Danes' staple dark, whole-grain rye bread. Brewed with three types of rye malt, this robust brown ale showcases the earthy, spicy character of the grain, complemented by bready, nutty barley malts and a hint of roast. "
This is intended as a winter selection, and it goes great during that time of year. It's hearty enough to be a meal in a glass, and warm the cockles of the heart with its potent 8% by volume alcohol content. I pulled out a bottle for a rare Georgia snowstorm, and quickly thrust it into a pile of the white stuff, there to chill until I was ready to drink it. There seemed something poetic about drinking a beer like this that way after all.
The Bruery Rugbrod pours to a very dark mahogany color with a moderate tan head formation and sweet molasses, spicy toffee nose. True to it's name, Rugbrod is a hearty brew from the first sip, like a slice of dark, chewy rye bread in a glass. In some ways it's akin to a German doppelbock or Belgian dubbel with it's rich, dark notes of chocolate and toasted nuts. There must be Munich malt here I tell you.
Unlike those beers, Rugbrod also has chewy toffee, molasses, dark fruity raisin and prune, plum pudding, and spicy, grainy rye. In the finish, the alcohol warms and dries a bit along with a hint of grassy hops. The beer is bottle conditioned, and there's sediment at the bottom when I finally (and sadly) get there.
The Bruery calls this a Julebryg, or Christmas brew, but they do sell it year round. It's perfect for the depths of winter like we're experiencing here in Georgia this evening, but I'd never turn it away even in the dog days of August. Although Rugbrod may seem a bit pricey at about $9 for the 750ML bottle, but this one is so delicious it's worth every penny.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
