The 10%-ers

Two beers from Rye River today, both making sure you hit your weekly units target as efficiently as possible.

The latest canned special is called A-TIPA-CAL, signifying that it's a triple IPA. High tech cryo hops are what makes it special though I'm not sure the effect comes through to my palate. It's a perfectly typical clear pale orange colour and has typical bittersweet citrus syrup flavour: marmalade and travel sweets. There's a sizeable alcohol burn -- again typical -- though it's mostly clean with a minimal residual stickiness.

As a triple IPA it's fine, and if you're already a fan of them, then you'll enjoy this. I do think, however, that it's not the best showcase for fancy-dan hopping. The boozy heat, however well done it may be, will always be too much of a distraction, I reckon. 

You wouldn't know it's a lager. That's my principal observation on Rye River's late 2022 seasonal release The Orator. It is, in fairness, a doppelbock: a strong dark beer, and stronger than usual here, that's never the most lager-like but usually exhibits a certain biscuity crispness to indicate its roots. This one, however, has been barrel aged in ex-rye whiskey casks and it adds a delicious richness and depth that screams warm fermentation at me. You get gooey chocolate, piquant whisky, vanilla cream and smooth honey, all set on a weighty, chewy base.

I drank it as an accompaniment to my Christmas dinner, and enjoyed it, but really this is optimised for pudding. The second half of the bottle was sipped by the fire in a post-turkey stupor and that's where it really belongs. Regardless of context, it's a gorgeous beer, and one of the best of these annual large-format offerings from Rye River. Get it while winter lasts, and if you miss this winter, save some for the next one.