Pour Me: Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye IPA

IPAs are everywhere. Every brewery seems to make at least one, and it seems you cannot order a beer at a bar without running into 7 different ones. Dare I say that IPA is bordering on generic? Well, Ruthless flips the script.

Ruthless is a well though out West Coast IPA. Coming from the region that is known for maximizing the hops and craning the IBU's up to eleven, Ruthless differentiates itself by having several different components that work well together. Probably because of something that I am not very fond of, rye.

Rye whiskey's that I have had in the past have always left me wanting something to wash my mouth with. I just could not get over the flavor of rye, and I have no idea why. So, it was with some trepidation that I decided to give Ruthless Rye a try.

Ruthless pours dark amber, and the light, creamy head fades quick. The nose is quite botanical, and somewhat boozy. That is something that I did not expect. Usually, an IPA hits you with hops to the nose, but for a flowery smell it is unusual. 

Okay, sure, it is an IPA, so it is bitter, that is just the facts of life. Ruthless is about the flavors that you experience in addition to bitter. There are some really great fruity and floral flavors that strike the tongue first, following by crisp bitterness. It is actually a great drinking beer.

Ruthless would be a beer I would pack in while camping. It is great cold and all the way to lukewarm. For a market that is over-crowded with IPA offerings, this is one of the better options. At 6.6%ABV, it is much easier drinking than most of the hopped-to-hell IPAs out there. I suggest trying it out.