Terrapin Rye Pale Ale

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Athens, Georgia USA

Pours to a golden amber body with a thin nearly non-existent white head. The aroma is citrusy, lightly floral, and definitely dry-hopped. The flavor has that typical Rye flavor. Nice citrus hops. The palate is smooth, barely bitter. Nice and very easy to drink.

Got this one on a trade via mail. Pretty damn good pale ale. I wish I could buy this on Long Island. It has just a hint of rye flavor.

(bottle) 09/13/09 A clear amber body with a good sized cream head. An aroma of round floral and pine hops, and clean rye malt; notes of bread and fruit. Shows a persistent but smooth hop flavor. The rye malt flavor makes for a highly drinkable beer; slightly sweet but clean and simple. Full-bodied, smooth and creamy. (draft) 09/08/09 This was the first Terrapin I had had and I did not have much expectation. But I was instantly fell in love. Full, creamy, almost chewy body. Easy smooth flavor with nicely balanced rye malt and floral hops.

12 oz. bottle from ucusty. Aroma is medium strength floral, orange and grapefruit and a hint of pepper. Flavor is grapefruit and pine with some interesting bitterness that plays around the back of the mouth but doesn’t outstay its welcome. The palate is almost fluffy, expansive - really leaves you wanting more. Overall, simply delicious and offers a complete package all around. My favorite APA so far.

Bottle. Pours a clear golden with an orangish hue and white head. Clean citrus aroma. Initial flavor is sweet with a notes of orange, mango and apricot. As it goes toward the back of the mouth, the bitterness and amarillo flavor kicks in, finished by rye and honey, with some dryness. Not usually a fan of the dry hopped amarillo, but it works here. My new "grocery store" go to beer. Even better fresh

Rye Pale Ale is the flagship beer of this young and promising brewery, and is an interesting twist on American Pale Ale. The brewer cut his chops at Atlanta’s 5 Seasons Brewing Company and has proven to be a creative, and excellent brewer. As the name suggests, this beer is brewed with a portion of rye malt, which gives a beer a spicy/tart edge. This is not the first example of "Rye PA" I have tried, but I commend Terrapin for having the guts to try something a little different, and I’m not alone. This beer had only been on the market a little over year,when it struck gold at the 2002 GABF in the pale ale category. Terrapin Rye Pale Ale pours to a deep golden to amber color with a thick, bright white head, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose is very fragrant with the aromas of citric hops, and some crisp and spicy rye malt aroma. The palate is firm, with lots of good, biscuit, pale malt flavor, paired with tart and spicy rye flavor. Rye Pale Ale finishes with more crisp rye flavors up front, then ends with some nice citrus/lemon hop bitterness that lingers. I love the spicy, thirst quenching rye character of this beer. You can really smell and taste the rye here, and it makes an already well done APA that much better. This beer would work well with a number of hot and spicy dishes, and is a nice contrast to dishes with strong flavors. My Immortal Beloved and I enjoyed a sinfully delicious appetizer of blue fries at Summits, which are garlic fries, covered with "from scratch" blue cheese dressing, crumbles of blue cheese, roasted red peppers, and Summits special blend of seasonings, sprinkled over the top. The Rye Pale Ale stood up very well to those bold flavors, and makes the perfect beer to have before, with, or after a meal, in the markets where it is sold. The draught version of this beer is a bit more flavorful than the bottled version which I just got a sample of from a friend returning from a trip to Atlanta. I remember the aromas and flavors being more vibrant, but this is still an excellent beer. This is a great local beer, so if you want to try it, you really should come to Georgia and try it at source.

I live in Athens where this is brewed, and $2 pints of are everywhere. I have to say, it is soo much better than in the bottle. Overall, pretty good!

Bottle. Nose is sweet with bitter resiny hop notes, almost sticky. Light grapefruit with less citrusy fruit underneath. Gives an impression of a deep full body. Color is an immaculately clear red-orange with a little head. Exceptionally balanced with citrus bitter hops showing up but not really sticking around. Spicy but smooth palate is refreshing and full bodied, carrying the sweet and bitter flavor very nicely. Immensely balanced pale ale, possibly the most balanced I’ve sampled that still shows hop character.