Rubicon Rosebud Special Ale Is Especially Rye

As much as I want to be one of "them good old boys drinking whiskey and rye" described in Don McLean's seminal "American Pie," I'm really just a middling mid-to late 20's man-child drinking bourbon but never rye (Bulleit Bourbon an exception). It's personal preference. To my palate, rye whiskey and beer are off-putting, like hipsters.

A lazy Tuesday night catching up with Castle

Rye can be sour and bitter, but the Rubicon Special ale mixes a wheat rye with malted barely and brewers yeast which cuts down on the sour and bitterness and brings out the rye's sweetness - though this is by no means a sweet beer, such as a Belgian. Rubicon has been good to us in the past and this ale was cheap. If you like something different try this, but I won't be having this rye anytime soon. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Rubicon IPA is Frodo's beer

I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to watch the VMAs. Crapfest. Rubicon, maybe you could be the standout closing performance of the night?

This is pretty hoppy, I actually wondered if it was a double IPA before checking the label again, but I also think that's a pretty standard reaction to the first sip of an IPA. This doesn't try to break the standard IPA mold and that's fine with me. It mellows out a little once you get about halfway in, but nothing distinctive jumps out.

This beer is Elijah Wood. Commercially successful, completely capable of standing on stage with other great actors, but when you get down to it, not very distinctive. I mean, I'm not pissed he was Frodo, but I'm always left thinking, "That's it? Meh, ok."

This Weekend's Nightcap - Rubicon IPA

I returned from a night in Koreatown, doing a little pre-season bowling (starts Wednesday!). Bowled a very feminine 75 the first game - was my first game in months - but bounced back in the second for 138. My average last year was 145/150, so I'm in a good spot right now. Also tried my first Papusas at a Salvadorian restaurant, which was cheap and goood. David and I cracked open a Rubicon IPA to watch the last two concerts in an underwhelming VMA's from Linkin Park (playing at the Griffith Observatory, which would be awesome) and Kanye West, who pulls off a red suit like a pimp but his performance was archaic.

This weekend's nightcap

The hops are pretty bold out of the gate but as with the last Rubicon, once the carbonation wears off the beer settles down. Hops are still pretty raw, not as well balanced as I would've liked but I still enjoyed. It's better than their ESB. I've never heard of Rubicon before this year, but now it's officially on my radar. I gave their ESB an Armageddon rating, but this fella has one up'd it. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Rubicon ESB

Little background on the beer type: ESB's are in the family of Pale Ales ('Bitters' in England). ESB is the big brother of the IPA and ESB stands for Extra Strong Bitter. The 'Strong' does not refer to the degree of hops, but rather the alcohol strength, which is anything greater than 4.8%.

Complimented by a foam mustache, the first taste of the Sacramento based Rubicon ESB made an impression. It was crisp and distinctive, and the hops were subtle, sleuthing. The Rubicon's sharpness derives from its carbonation. Check out the foamy head in the picture, I find the next part interesting:

Foam Mustache Ride Anyone?

So I tasted just after opening but stepped away to play a video...read a book, and some time later I reached for my beer. The taste changed, becoming flat and bitter. It was bad but was simply different. See, opening the bottle allowed oxygenation to occur and as time passed, the carbonation dissipated and the hops were replaced by the real backbone of an ESB, a bitter. Like Kesier Soze, the greatest trick the hops ever pulled was convincing the tongue it did exist. And like that (poof), it was gone.

It's an interesting beer and I wouldn't mind drinking at least once before ARMAGEDDON.

p.s. I'm not a total geek, so I can only hope the science above is correct and if it's not, correct me in the comments, I'd love to learn.