Beachwood BBQ and Brewing is so hot right now. They killed it at the latest Great American Beer Festival, pulling home top honors for Best Large Brewpub and gold for their mocha stout. Shortly after, they announced their plans to take on the wild world of sour beers, and more recently, they bottled this beauty of a beer—an imperial brown ale that was aged in rye barrels for a year.
Pour this beer into a glass and you might think it’s a Guinness just from the look of it. It’s dark as hell, but has a thick, creamy white head you could bounce a quarter off of. It has an extremely light and fluffy mouthfeel as well, as if the beer has been treated with nitro.
There’s a slightly red tint to the head, which has the tendency to linger, sticking around until the bottom of the glass, just as creamy as when it was first poured. It’s a cool trick.
As for the taste—think toffee, vanilla, caramel—all those sweet notes we look for in a big, burly brown ale. The time spent in a rye barrel comes through too; There’s some oak for sure, a bit of whiskey on the backend as well.
Lemony Snicket, this is a good beer.
That addictive sweetness combined with the light, silky mouthfeel, gives you the impression that you’re drinking a marshmallow. Actually, a marshmallow soaked in beer and whiskey, which is probably the greatest marshmallow ever.
You’re not going to want to share Rye Like an Eagle, but you should bring a friend. It’s a big beer, clocking in at 12.5%, so drinker beware.
The only problem with this beer? You’ll have Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle” stuck in your head, long after the beer is gone.
If you’re a Beachwood fan, keep an eye out for their incredible Citraholic IPA, which is schedule to be released later this month.
Brewery: Beachwood Brewing and BBQ
City: Long Beach, Calif.
Style: Barrel aged brown ale
ABV: 12.5%
Availability: Limited