Beer of the Weekend #623: Hoss Rye Lager

Along with a couple other beers — including the delicious La Fin Du Monde and Trois Pistoles — I picked up a sixer of Hoss Rye Lager, brewed by the Great Divide Brewery of Denver, Colorado, for Thanksgiving.


I wanted to give it a try before tomorrow, so I know what to expect and if anyone else will be interested. I hope they will be.

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BOTTLED ON” date printed on the label is “SEP 09 2014.”

Appearance: Pours a medium, red, amber in to a pilsner glass. A bad pour produced a half-finger of buttery, eggshell-colored head, which leaves a skim and a bubbly froth around the edge.

Smell: Nice and malty with a touch of fruit, though it is a little weak. Caramel, lightly toasted malt, grassy hops, a little rye, toffee, cocoa, a little plum, and cherry licorice.

Taste: Oh, man. Much more robust and spicy than the aroma led on. It is mostly malty and märzen-esque with caramel, toasted malt, toffee, fruit (mostly cherry), floral hops, and rye spice. It does, in fact, taste like a big piece of lightly toasted rye bread. Mmm!

Drinkability: I like rye bread, and I like rye beer, so this is an all-around winner. It has nice flavor and the spice is not overpowering. Definitely a very drinkable beer. Is it good for Thanksgiving? We’ll see. Hopefully others will like it.

Fun facts about Hoss Rye Lager:

-Style: Though the beer’s website says it is based on märzen, I suppose it is a rye lager.

-Price: $8.99/sixer at the Drug Town on First Avenue in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: Listed on the beer’s website are veal bratwurst, barbeque chicken, carnitas (pork) tacos, Camembert cheese, and German chocolate cake.

-The description on the website notes that, “its brilliant red-orange color is a toast to the sunsets that make the perfect backdrop for this beer.” Ah, sunsets. Break out
Days of the New!

The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.

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