Canterbury Brewery - Foundry Red Rye

I recently attended the CAMRA Canterbury Beer Festival and my intention was to get a tiny half pint glass (check) and to drink EVERYTHING I possibly could. Good (or horrifically bad) intentions but time after time I found myself gravitating towards Canterbury Brewery, who work out of The Foundry brew pub. I reviewed their Galactic Belgian a while ago and after rediscovering them at the beer festival I realised that I'd been squirreling a bottle of Red Rye away. I remember stumbling about with a grin on my face, a bratwurst in one hand and Canterbury Brewery Helles in the other and I can't think of a time that I've ever been happier to be surrounded by drunk old men and the generic waste smells that you often associate with farms and portable toilets.

Before I even pop the cap on this I'm already rooting for it to be good because the label just feels so deliciously industrial, bordering on steampunk. The pour is syrupy and thick with a light cappuccino foam and a cloudy amber body and moderate carbonation. The smell is hoppy but very penetrating in a way that isn't intrusive or unwelcome, a little like a peach flavoured iced tea balanced with a kick of some unknown booze lurking in the shadows. The rye is very prominent in the flavour, bringing a bitterness that borders on sourness to the core that goes down like single cream, a sensation that is not unlike crunching your way through a pack of melted chocolate liquers.

The hops they've used to create this are two of my favourites simply because they're so uncompromising and, if left unchecked, so supremely powerful. The Ctira is what I imagine has given this beer the borderline sourness and the Chinook is what I imagine has given this beer the inviting aroma. A smart combination from a brewery who are quickly earning my respect.

Well worth trying if you're a fan of extremely bitter things... Like a lemon that someone dropped in an ash tray.

Food Suggestion: I feel the bitter core would compliment tapas or a plate of antipasto, anything that involves lots of meat, olives, bread and other things that seem like they should be good for you but really aren't.

Drink this if you like: Citra by Oakham breweries is similar but more focused on just having the Citra hops. Both are good in their own rights but you're more likely to find a bottle of Citra if you don't live in Kent.