Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Great Lake's Rye Of The Tiger

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Apr 26, 2013 9:40PM

We see more than a few hoppy, rye beers in Chicago these days. Two Brother's makes their Cane and Ebel, Founder's makes their Red's Rye PA, and that barely even scratches the surface. Does the world really need another hoppy, rye beer? Does the world really need another hoppy beer of any kind? Probably not, but that isn't going to stop brewers from making them, or the beer drinking public from consuming them. For us, as long as they are done well, we're happy to drink up, and a few extra options never hurt anyone.

Rye of the Tiger is a Rye IPA from Great Lakes Brewing Co. The malt profile is packed with juicy spice, and there's a hefty dose of spicy hop notes along with a fair amount of citrus that flood the palate after the first sip. Those hops certainly dominate from start to finish, as they should with any IPA, but that malty backbone does a great job of balancing things out, as well as contributing its own earthy characteristics into the mix. Essentially, the Rye of the Tiger drinks like an IPA that has the malt profile turned up a little more than usual, while still being hoppy enough to appease the IPA-drinking masses. At 7.5 percent alcohol content, this beer is densely flavored, but not overwhelming.

Rye malt is a wonderful thing. While barley imparts a biscuit flavor and wheat comes with a certain creamy sweetness, rye tends to impart an earthy spice that can make a beer incredibly unique. Sometimes it's juicy, sometimes it's dry, but when accentuated well, it can really shine in the right recipe. When pairing rye beers with food, we like to play off of that earthiness. If a dish has mushrooms in it, a rye beer can be a great go-to. If the dish is a little spicy, a hoppy, rye beer can be perfect. Most people wouldn't think about a beer like Rye of the Tiger for dessert, but if you were having some sort of cherry cheesecake, we wouldn't rule it out.

We had a pint this week at the Black Rock Pub & Kitchen, but you can check beermenus.com to see who has it on tap and in 12-ounce bottles.