Beer Spotlight!

Boulevard Rye on Rye

$16.99 for the 12oz four-pack
Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Rye Ale

Of the fermentable beer grains, malted barley is by far the most common. After that, wheat stands tall. (We don’t have the numbers, but we’d bet on that). Then, we start getting into the weeds with the rest of the grains. (Don’t start the corn discussion.) The most fun of the malted stepchildren is rye. Though rye is frequently a brewing side player, in this shop favorite, Kansas City, MO’s Boulevard Brewing Company reaches out and fully embraces your deli’s favorite earthy, spicy, savory grain.

Back in 2016 (or 15), Boulevard purchased some rye whiskey barrels from Templeton Rye & Templeton Distillery in Templeton, IO. Looking at their Templeton bounty, they were suddenly Templeton taken with a crazy idea. What beer to put in fine rye whiskey barrels? How about a straight-up rye ale? So Boulevard made a rich, tawny ale from two different types of rye malt and barrel-aged it for awhile, letting the Templeton barrels mellow out the rye’s sour character. Thus in 2016, the Rye on Rye hit their taps and was such a big hit that it went into bottle distribution the next year becoming, gratefully for us, a yearly release.

The Rye on Rye is still rich and mellow, pouring into your glass and mouth like a light syrup. The barrel aging definitely shaves off the edges so that you get the rye’s full taste (including its anis-like spiciness melding with the subtle, earthy hops) without its sharpness. It’s like taking a warm slice of rye bread and spreading honey on it.

Wow! Actually, that sounds really good! We don’t have any rye bread, though. Oh, wait. You know what we do have …