Hey there, rye beer lovers! Have I got a great beer for you! The beer I’m talking about is Southern Tier 2XRYE, a fall seasonal brew from New York’s Southern Tier Brewing Company. And OK, I know, it’s April as I type so I’m a little overdue on this one. On the plus side, after reading my review you’ll be forewarned and forearmed for the next release! No extra charge.
I happen to love the spicy, grainy flavor that rye imparts to beer, so the promise of twice the rye was just the thing to get my attention. There’s more though, because Southern Tier 2XRYE is actually brewed with 5 different malts, three types of hops, and is a “double rye” ale of 8.1% by volume. That’s a good and a bad thing I think, because although it means a bigger beer, it also means a lot more barley for fermentable sugars, since rye does not release same so easily.
Southern Tier says of the beer on their website:
Rye is a cereal grain historically grown in our region. It has been cultivated since the time of the early settlers due to the scrappy and hearty ability to withstand harsh climates and poor growing conditions. Did you know George Washington grew rye and used it to ferment whiskey? We are pretty sure that is a fact. You will notice the distinct notes of rye, a slightly spicy and grainy aroma not lost in the shuffle of hops and the other four malted grains we use in this fine seasonal addition to our 2X line.
2XRYE was a new beer for 2013 and my bottle has a DOB (Date of Bottling) stamp of 8/21/13. The beer runs $8.99 a six-pack here in Georgia.
Southern Tier 2XRYE pours to a bright orange color with a medium sized head of creamy foam and a soft, slightly citrusy nose. Taking a sip, the beer features malt more than hop here-just what I want in a harvest ale. The difference is that the predominant grain I am getting is rye-spicy, pungent, grainy rye. It’s a lot like biting into a slice of rye bread or a rye cracker, though to be honest I think there’s not quite as much rye as I would like. Warming alcohol comes through in the finish, a hint of citrusy hops too, but just a hint. Overall, a very tasty beer especially for rye lovers.
So, kudos to Southern Tier for so adeptly ramping up the gravity on this roggen beer and keeping it firmly entrenched in the rye family. As I said, I would have liked more rye, but I’m a rye addict, so there you go. With luck this will be back in 2014, and if it is, I’m all over it.
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