Sixpoint Righteous Ale - Week of 10/17/11

The Sixpoint Brewing company in Brooklyn makes one of the best tasting rye beers I've ever had. Formerly called Righteous Rye, Righteous Ale is simple take on a standard bitter ale using rye grains instead of wheat.  Here's a lesson on rye from Sixpoint: "Rye is the tough, resilient cousin of wheat. Able to survive brutally harsh winters and acidic soils, it was the saving grace and staple of central and northern Europena cultures. Where wheat and barley withered and died, rye survived.This tough, resilient cereal grain doesn't have the gentle sweetness of barley or wheat. Why should it? It lives a tough life of survival against the elements. Yet underneath its tough exterior is a unique, signature style of flavor that has remained dormant in the brewing world like scattered seeds underneath a blanket of snow.  We decided not to overlook this gem of a species. What we discovered was Righteous Ale.'

 Official rating: A-