I’m in St. Louis on a mini tour of microbreweries with my friend Joe. Last night we hit Perennial Artisan Ales, and today, after an incredible lunch at Bogart’s Smokehouse in Soulard, we headed over to 4 Hands Brewery. I started with their Reprise Centennial Red Ale, which could probably be classified as a red IPA, and decided to move on to their rye IPA offering.

Location: Enjoyed in a tulip shaped glass, at 4 Hands Brewing tasting room in downtown St. Louis, MO.

Numbers: 6.5% ABV, ~ 207 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It was extremely cloudy and had a yellow-dark gold color to it. It had a big, creamy white head on it, which left some nice lacing on the glass. It had a citrusy and tropical fruit aroma with hints of bread and biscuit.

Taste & Feel: The body was medium and it had a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. The big citrusy hop flavors were apparent right up front with some big grapefruit flavors, with a good amount of yeasty flavors with it. In the middle, some rye spiciness started to come in, adding a bit of crispness to the middle and finish. The finish was fairly dry with some resiny bitterness.

Food Pairing: With the yeasty and citrusy flavors up front, along with some rye spiciness in the middle, I think this would go nicely with a spicy Mexican dish. The flavors up front would help to both knock down the spiciness a bit and pull out things like lime zest, tomatoes and onions in the food. The rye would add a difvferent bit of spiciness and the dry finish helps to prepare your mouth for another bite of food.

Overall Impression: I liked the citrusy hop flavors and the bit of rye spiciness, but I thought there was too much yeast in this beer. In fact, the yeasty flavors competed with the hop flavors up front and, I think, clouded some of the other flavors in the beer. Overall, it had some good flavors, but I couldn’t overlook the yeastiness.

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]