Firehouse Hops on Rye IPA.

I'm a big fan of rye bread. Rye whiskey has grown on me. While my first encounter with a rye beer was awkward, the grain has grown on me quite a bit. This particular bottle had been staring me in the face every time I went to the grocery. I like IPAs and I like rye, but I kept passing it up in favor of some other more interesting beer. Well, no more; I wanted a solid IPA to break the chain of lackluster beers I've had recently, not that I had any idea whether this was a solid beer or not. I should know well enough by now that if a beer catches my eye, I'm going to get a taste eventually.

The pour is slightly darker than a typical grassy IPA and gives a nice fresh whiff of fruit so we're off to a good start. A modest fine head dissipates to moss. What's the deal with head retention these days? Right off the bat, I get a taste of rye; glorious, spicy rye. The hop bittering is actually somewhat mild and allows the malts to take center stage for the most part. A little sweet freshness up front to some well-rounded malt sweetness in the middle, but the real treat is on the back end when the rye kicks in. The interplay between the hop bitter and rye spice is very pleasant and makes for a drawn-out finish.

Magnum, Amarillo, and Citra hops set Hops on Rye at 75IBU with a healthy 7.5%ABV. This is a nice kick-back-and relax-beer, especially in the bomber format. I can't say what I'd pair it with because I've just ruined my palate with some awesomely hot Casa Sanchez salsa.

• Appearance: Slightly darker than typical. Find head into moss.
• Smell: Fruity, bordering on resin-y.
• Taste: Rye up front, into sweet, round malts that upstage the hop bittering. The showcase is the finish where the rye really comes out to play with hops.
• Mouthfeel: Just slightly heavy to be on the edge of filling.The carbing is rather fine and nestled into the body.
• Drinkability and Overall: 7.5%ABV, 75IBU. No sessioning here, but it is a pleasant, easy drinker. Enough flavor and body to go around on its own.