Beer of the Week: Rye’d the Wave

With three locations in the South Bay alone, plus three more venues (two of which are large bar-and-restaurant spaces in Mission Valley and San Antonio, Texas), Novo Brazil Brewing is a sizable operation. As is often the case with larger beverage companies (they also produce a line of hard kombucha), it’s largely the core beers in their portfolio that most people are familiar with. But step into one of Novo Brazil’s spots and you’ll find walls of taps dispensing beers that go well beyond those year-rounders, a number of which are brewed on a small scale at those very locations. The same is true at breweries like Stone Brewing, Pizza Port Brewing and Karl Strauss Brewing, all of which are well known for their core beers but show off their versatility through small-batch creations, many of which can only be enjoyed at the source. This week’s featured beer is one of Novo Brazil’s smaller-scale specialties, Rye’d the Wave IPA. Spiked with earthy, peppery rye and a hop bill composed of varietals coveted for their fruity characteristics, it has a great deal to offer. A nose of mango, papaya and roses (really, talk about pleasant) precedes flavors of dried mango, guava and orange rind. A little rye spiciness perks up the finish, which comes across as the punchiest part of what is a rather light-bodied take on a West Coast IPA. It’s a far cry from Novo Brazil’s familiar lineup of canned, distributed beers and a pleasant, refreshing reminder of how enjoyable it can be to scratch beyond a brewery’s surface by turning up a spadeful of top soil on their home turf.

Rye’d the Wave is our bold take on the classic IPA, layered with malted barley, wheat and rye for a rich, smooth backbone and a warm amber-red pour topped with a bright white head. Double dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand, Citra and Centennial, it bursts with tropical fruit, citrus and a touch of zesty orange, while the rye adds a lively, crisp bite. The result is a beer full of flavor and character that’s silky on the palate, clean and refreshing on the finish, and effortlessly drinkable. With a playful nod in name and flavor, Rye’d the Wave delivers layers of maltiness, cereal notes and hop-forward tropical aromatics, making it a perfect pick for this month’s spotlight.”

Guilherme Hoffmann, Brewmaster, Novo Brazil Brewing

Novo Brazil Brewing’s venues are located at 901 Lane Avenue in Chula Vista, 2015 Birch Road at Otay Ranch Center in Otay Mesa, 535 Florence Street in Imperial Beach, 4845 Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach and 1640 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 341 in Mission Valley