Now, this is what I’m talkin’ about. I was in the mood for a nice, aggressive IPA, and this one out of Sunnyvale’s Firehouse Grill & Brewery hit the spot. It pours a truly gorgeous honey orange and throws some serious pine and florals up front.
A nice, inch-deep head with good retention is powered by a combination of Magnum, Amarillo, and Citra hops—not a ground-breaking combination for this style, true, but what gives this brew a nice, distinctive character is the grain bill.
Firehouse has gone with a base of rye malt that gives the beer a heated spice note that complements the hops very well. At 75 IBUs, this is by no means a tongue shredder, but that extra kick from the rye gives your mouth something to think about until the next sip.
Hops on Rye is a fairly hazy beer with a lot of suspended matter which belies how ultimately quaffable and refreshing it is.
Grade: A
Plastic Love Monkey 