Style: Double IPA/Rye IPA
ABV: 8.7%
Nick’s Take
It’s 2021 and it’s good to be back reviewing beers again after our brief hiatus! Thank you all for the support last year; it is deeply appreciated! However, it was certainly nice to take a break from everything and just enjoy some time off. Things were different in 2020 for all of us, and that may have impacted how we celebrated the recent holidays. However, in some ways, I think this pandemic and the distancing guidelines it has created will ultimately bring us all closer together when we return to “normal.” Joe and I are fortunate to have stayed healthy through all of this and wish the same for all of you. We are excited for what this year may have in store for us, and that all starts with our return to our New Release series!
This week, we returned to a Winterville, NC staple, Nauti Dog Brewing Co. This place has made its way onto our blog more than once, and here we are again after their recent release of “Cascades in the Rye.” This is their first double IPA, so it was a great choice for us to taste and see what they concocted with their inaugural iteration of this beer style. Joe and I opted to sit at some vacant spots at the bar, which gave us the opportunity to talk with the two servers (and maybe shamelessly plug East Carolina Beer and Brewing). This beer proved to be an interesting review subject for us, as we ended up with some contrasting tasting notes (read on to see more!).
After receiving my pour of “Cascades in the Rye” in a small tulip glass, I took the opportunity to soak in the color of this DIPA. It was a darker hue than I perhaps had anticipated, but what a gorgeous amber-gold color it turned out to be. It was clear immediately that the beer was, well, clear in appearance, but I held my glass up towards the light anyway. No haze to be found with this brew – it looked exceptionally clean. The pour also created a perfect collar that sank slowly over the first couple of minutes. The foam looked very soft and feathery, and it hung onto the walls of the glass as it fleeted. It still retained some body throughout most of the tasting, and at the least it made a nice wispy layer on top of the beer.
My first few sniffs did not yield a lot of fragrant aromas, but I was first met by the malt compounds that I’d best describe as bready and a bit roasty. This DIPA also sports a bit of sweetness on the nose from the rye and the alcohol. Definitely a bit boozy smelling, but that is to be expected with a beer packing 8.7% ABV. I enjoyed that it beared some resemblance to a rye whiskey, without being too strong. Underneath these aromas, there was a little hop character but it was more absent than I would guess from a double IPA.
“Cascades in the Rye” has a pleasantly crisp initial mouthfeel, but it’s not overly carbonated and bubbly. In fact, after that mild burst of carbonation on the tongue, it smooths out and is velvety-soft. I found this to be consistent with each subsequent drink, and it made it dangerously easy to sip down. It did leave my mouth a bit dry after I had gotten about a third of the way through, but it was not overbearing or a bother for me.
My tasting experience aligned pretty closely with what I got from smelling, with malt being the star of the show. Indeed, it was a bit strong in the booze department, but it contained enough sweet flavor to balance that out. It definitely fits the bill of being heavy in rye malt, but the “Cascades” part (cascade hops) was a little shy. There’s certainly some hoppy attributes, though minor, but not much bitterness in that regard. I actually think the cascade hops fit with this beer nicely and contribute to a good balance of flavor.
Some DIPAs or overly malty beers can wreck your palate, but this was smooth drinking until the last drop (going against the standard for beers in this ABV range). I do think I’d have to refrain from crushing or drinking multiple of these in a session based on the alcohol content alone. However, it’s a great choice if you are looking to try a DIPA or a rye IPA, which is not incredibly common. It set Joe and I up nicely to enjoy additional beers afterwards, as the hops and rye malts didn’t overwhelm my taste buds. It was a great evening spent at Nauti Dog, and another beer I would heartily recommend. Add “Cascades in the Rye” to your beer list and show this brewery some love if you are in the neighborhood. Cheers, and thanks for reading!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Clear amber/gold in color, with a light, delicate head that clings to glass and leaves a nice ring and wispy layer on top. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Boozy; soft whiskey characteristics. Sweet malt aromas like that of baked bread. Very subtle hop notes. (3.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Mild crispness, fills mouth with smooth velvet feeling, a little drying. (4/5)
Taste: Bready/malty, a bit of booziness. Not particularly hoppy/bitter. Smooth. (4/5)
Drinkability: A bit too high on the ABV scale to drink in high quantity but certainly tasty and pretty easy drinking for a double IPA. (3.5/5)
Total: 19.5/25
Joe’s Take
We’ve returned from vacation and are hard at work drinking beers again. I know, it’s tough work but someone has to do it.
This week we’re back at one of our local favorites, Nauti Dog Brewing Co. in Winterville, NC. We wanted to give their first run at a double IPA a shot and decided to try “Cascades in the Rye.” Check out this link for a style guide on double IPAs from the beer judge certification program (BJCP for short) to get a better idea of what double IPAs are about. Nauti Dog took a unique twist on the style and added some rye to the malt bill to add some spice and character.
“Cascades in the Rye” was no phony and poured into a 10 oz. snifter, and was mostly clear with some slight haze present. It was a dark copper color, somewhat similar to a penny that has been in circulation for some time. There was a nice foamy head present when the beer was served (props on all the proper pours of the evening) and the foam persisted throughout the tasting.
The aroma of the brew was hop forward and I mainly detected spicy floral notes that are typical for the Cascade hop variety. The beer was living up to its name. There were some malt tones shining through, but I mainly picked up on the hop aromas present. If I let the beer warm further, the malt character may have become more apparent, but I was ready to take a sip.
Mouthfeel of the hoppy double IPA was light to medium-bodied and had a nice carbonation bite. It was not overly heavy or viscous but did leave a bit of a mouth coating feeling. On the finish, the beer was somewhat drying and invited you to take another sip.
Flavor was hop focused and featured strong notes of floral, spicy, and slightly resinous hop compounds. Malt character was present and there was a little bit of sweetness that snuck through the hop bitterness. The spice imparted by the use of rye complemented the hop flavor profile nicely and created a beer that was not short on flavor. There was little alcohol noted during tasting and it was hard to believe this beer tops out at 8.7% alcohol-by-volume (ABV). One of the other brewery patrons had brought in some tacos from the taqueria next door and even though I had already eaten dinner, I considered ordering some for myself as the bold flavor of the beer and tacos would pair nicely. New year’s resolutions prevailed though and I just ordered another beer instead. Beer calories don’t count, right? I mean, if they were real why wouldn’t they put them on beer labels?
I think Nauti Dog did a great job in their first rendition of a double IPA. “Cascades in the Rye” was packed with spicy hop character with only light vegetal tones that didn’t detract from the drinking experience. The beer drank exceptionally well for its bitterness and high ABV. I was surprised when I looked at the menu board and saw its strength. I definitely recommend you head out to Winterville and give it a try!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Clear, copper, slight haze, persistent khaki head, lace. (4/5)
Aroma: Malty, spice, floral hop aroma. (3.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied, mouth coating, carbonation bite, drying finish. (4/5)
Taste: Hoppy, bitter, mild malt flavors, some sweetness, quickly overtaken by the bitterness. (4/5)
Drinkability: Bitterness limits drinking speed, but relatively smooth for the IBUs. Watch out for the ABV! (4/5)
Total: 19.5/25
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