Sudwerk Brewing - Rye of the Lager

In case the Big DIPL wasn’t enough hopped-out lager for a Rare Beer Club special offer, we would direct your attention to Rye of the Lager. As far as we’re concerned, this finalizes our respect for Sudwerk as one of the finest hoppy lager breweries in the country. We’ll also hasten to add that our club members will be among the very first to try this beer! Previously, it only existed as a test batch or two, and this won’t be officially released by the brewery until August. Our members will be the very first to sample this one: their hugely hopped rye lager.

In fact, at the time we write this, Sudwerk is still waiting for their new official Rye of the Lager labels to come in, so our early release bottles will be wearing a Brewer’s Cut “hoppy rye lager” label instead. No matter, the beer is superb either way…

If we’ve ever sampled a rye imperial pale lager before… Well, let’s just say we won’t forget it the next time. This is another beautifully executed release from Sudwerk, weighing in near 70 IBUs and dosed with Amarillo, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. It also uses heirloom German rye.

Sudwerk’s heavily hopped rye imperial pale lager is copper colored, with hints of spicy flavor provided by the rye malts. We found strong aromas of citrus and pine, thanks to the copious dry hopping of those Pacific Northwest hop varieties. And the lager yeast adds a crisp finish, complementing this beer’s full-flavored West Coast hop profile. This is crisp and refined, an exceptional melding of diverse hop character (pith to tropical), with rich, nutty rye spiciness.