Hops on Rye

Brewery: FireHouse Grill & Brewery

Style: IPA

• ABV: 7.5%

  Size: 22 oz bottle

  Website: http://www.firehousegrill.com

I wandered out to see Apollo 18 this afternoon and talk about H. P. Lovecraft and horror-as-escapism with David Templeton for his column in the Pacific Sun. The movie was fun, a found-footage monster flick with creepy creatures, government conspiracies, and outstanding lunar landscapes. I got home in time to watch the Giants beat the Dodgers, and am now settling in with a bit of reading, KCSM, and a FireHouse Hops on Rye, which sounds like a lost Dr. Seuss title…

Hops on Rye pours Halloween-dark orange with a thick, eggshell-colored head that leaves sticky clumps of lacing all over the glass. Citrus and rye on the nose, hints of burnt caramel, hop resin, lemon, and sweet malt. Sweeping, jaw-clenching bitterness on the tongue: rye bread and tropical fruits: citrus, mango, and pine. Sugared malt crest; dry, harsh, bitter finish. Dense mouthfeel, with little carbonation, and overwhelming bitterness throughout. A great choice for a hophead, but likely to scare off those with less discriminating palates.