Weekend Brews - Week Six Beer One

Friday. Thank you. Thank you so very much. My work week is over and I suddenly feel better than I have all week. Ahhhhh... time to relax and make the headaches disappear.

This Weekend Brews report comes in with two tasty beers. The second will follow in a bit as it is cooling down to proper drinking temperature in the fridge.

First up is a new favorite of mine, The Rye Pale Ale from Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA.

Beer, glorious beer! The Rye Pale Ale flows smoothly into my pint glass with ease as a large smile creeps across my face like the sun rising up from the horizon of the Atlantic and setting behind the dunes of Robert Moses State Park (shout out to all my Long Island peeps!).

The beer produces a decent head that disappears quickly. I always like when the head of a beer sticks around longer, but right now I don't care because I'm going to drink this ale like a pirate drinks rum. But first...

... the smell. It's a splendid citrus aroma that radiates waves of grapefruit. Man, do I love grapefruit. It's not as intense as say the usual Northwestern US Pale Ales, but it has enough hoppiness to make this weekend starter happy.

The rye in this beer certainly adds a nice touch. It comes forth with a middle of the road bitterness and follows with a perfectly dry finish. My guess is that dryness comes straight from the rye and that bitter from those Magnum hops. Gotta love those high alpha acid beauties.

This is a perfect anytime beer if you ask me. You could enjoy with some pizza, pass it around at a summer barbecue or share it with a warm chicken pot pie on a cool Fall evening.

I know the lagers tend to be the favorites as a multipurpose beer, but for me, this Terrapin Rye Pale Ale is a better match.

And you gotta love the turtle logo theme.

If you were not aware, Terrapin opened in 2002 selling their beers in Athens, GA. After being open for only six months, they decided to take a shot and enter this beer in the Great American Beer Festival's Pale Ale category. From what I understand, that is the most fiercely competitive category to enter.

Guess what? Gold Medal. No shit.

If you haven't tried it yet, do so. You will not be disappointed. And if you have tried it, drink it again. Support those folks up in Athens, GA. They are producing some fine beers for all of us.

Overall score on the Rye Pale Ale: 4.0 out of 5.0