Well… if you like rye flavors, you’ll love this beer. If you don’t, steer clear! This is one of those beers that exemplifies some special or atypical ingredient, which makes for an interesting (if not always pleasant) experience. But it’s totally rye, all right…
It pours a brilliant amber with no real head to speak of (not surprising, with this ABV). The aroma doesn’t provide much of a hint of what’s to come, with low spice and grain notes, medium perfumy alcohols and a low berry ester. As it warmed, a hint of caramel/toffee came through, much like what you get out of a good Barleywine.
Then the first sip: intense grainy and spicy rye flavors are strongly present. The alcohol comes through prominently as well and are very warm rather than “hot.” There’s also a slight chemical twinge that I would attribute to the rye malt. The finish is semi-sweet and the alcohols linger, but it isn’t too big in the mouth: medium body, medium CO2, and a lot of alcohol warmth.
This is like a rye punch in the mouth. It was, to be honest, a bit rough to drink, and any more than a few ounces would probably become unpleasant. As an example of what a big rye beer tastes like, though, it succeeds in spades.