Beer of the Week: Ezy RYEder

From the Beer Writer: Despite going by a singular term, hazy IPAs come in a range of different textures that appeal to different people. Like most West Coast beer-drinkers, I’m a fan of crisp, dry beers, so I tend to gravitate toward hazies that, for all their opaqueness, are lighter in body and high on the drinkability scale. That said, I also enjoy how the more coating mouthfeel of medium-textured hazies allows hop-borne flavors to linger longer. But as any true New England-style IPA fan will tell you, the ultimate expressions of the style are found in versions mirroring those from the region in which it originated. We’re talking viscous hop-bombs wading in Orange Julius territory. They can be a lot to take, but when done well, are something worth the hype that’s made this the most popular style around (not just in terms of IPA but the entire craft-beer world). Case in point, this week’s featured beer: Ezy RYEder from El Cajon’s Burning Beard Brewing. Golden-hued and turbid enough to pass for a candle when decanted into a pint glass, it comes on strong and fruity like tropical sherbet. Bright flavors of pineapple and mango are joined by orange pulp and pith in the finish. It’s a delightful flavor profile that makes this imperial-strength IPA far too easy to drink. Burning Beard brewed this multifariously over-the-top hazy IPA to tap at its seven-year anniversary party. That shindig will take place tomorrow and feature a quintet of bands headlined by Doc Hammer, 25 beers (all for $5 apiece) served in commemorative glassware, plus burgers, barbecue and whole-roasted pig from on-site kitchen, Punkspeare’s. Tickets are available online.

From the Brewer: “The Wild Ones, The Wild Angels, The Leather Boys, Hell Ride, Born To Ride, Easy Rider…all teetering on the edge of civilization just where counter-culture meets culture. Like Burning Beard’s Anniversary VII beer, a hazy rye double IPA clocking in at a serendipitous 7.7%. Ezy RYEder, where an ill-advisable, unruly, ill-tempered rye, oat and pilsner mash kicks up a rooster-tail of haze. With a beer as thick as motor oil, the pint glass becomes tailpipe spewing the musk of Amarillo, Ekuanot and Loral. Beware, in Ezy RYEder you will find taste buds as highway littered with roadkill of pineapple, passion fruit, lychee and tangerine.”—Jeff Wiederkehr, Co-founder & Head Brewer, Burning Beard Brewing