Iconyc High Ryse

Val and I went to NYC last week and since we live a lot further from there than we used to, we decided to stay over. I had a lot of trouble sleeping since there was so much noise. I guess I’m used to living in the middle of nowhere now. This beer also hails from NYC, let’s see how it was.

ABV: 7.5%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “HIGH RYSE is our tribute to the constantly changing skyline of NYC. This ever-evolving brew goes through an initial fermentation with Brettanomyces and then finished with a classic saison yeast. Initially, expect a crisp, hoppy rye ale with traditional Belgian character. Further cellaring will allow the brett to develop its classic farmhouse flavor.”

Random: It’s weird seeing T.R. Knight on Law and Order: SVU as a suspect. I always see him as a doctor on tv.

When I popped the bottle open, this beer exploded all over my counter. Once it stopped exploding, I got it into the glass with a huge, four finger head. The head was pure white, fluffy and dissipated slowly. It left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy, bright yellow with some floaties in it, but no visible carbonation. The nose had lemon juice, white grapes and lots of yeast. The brett really didn’t come out in the nose. Neither did the rye. The taste was equally bright with lemon flesh and some spice from the yeast. I also picked up some grains of paradise and a lot of spice from the rye. The body was dry and medium thickness. It had a lot of carbonation. The finish was lengthy and yeasty. A bomber of this was $12.99 ($.59 per ounce). I thought this was a really interesting beer with a lot of depth.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Iconyc Vexed

So, I’ve spent a month in Ohio, covering another site. Since you won’t read this until January, I’ll probably be at a different site by then. One of the positive aspects is that I have been getting a lot of frequent flyer miles on American since I leave every weekend. I’ve also been exploring the beer scene here in my very small amount of spare time, which I’ll go into in some other posts. This beer though, is a NYC original. Let’s see how it was.

ABV: 12.8%

Style: American Double/Imperial Stout

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Light bodied but intensely rich, Vexed challenges the concept of a traditional stout. Unconventionally combining the refreshing qualities of a Saison with an Imperial Stout aged on coffee, cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, and oak. Highly controversial and much debated, vexed will leave your thoughts in turmoil.”

Random: Their label art is super cool on this one.

This beer poured with a one finger, off white head. It dissipated instantly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was dark brown with no visible carbonation due to the color. The nose had notes of deep smoke, cedar and freshly brewed espresso. The taste was much lighter than I expected for the style. It had the expected roasted malts and espresso, but also had a light wood characteristic. It also had a marked yeast note with some wood ash as well. The carbonation on the beer was light and the body was medium thickness. It made this beer very dangerous, especially since I couldn’t pick up the booze. The flavor lasted awhile with smoke and dark chocolate. This was not a cheap beer at $22 a bomber ($1 per ounce). Despite the price, I’m glad I got to give it a shot and would have it again.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0