The journey through the Beer Camp Across America 12-pack continues! Today we’ll take a look at the Beer Camp Across America West Latitude Session Rye. I’ve been really diggin’ on rye beers lately and the West Latitude features five breweries in Norther California (and Hawaii). You know I’m a CA guy, so I had to give this one a look.
Over the next week or so I will be working my way through all of the Beer Camp Across America releases. Here is a list of the 2016 Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across America Collaborations
- Sweet Sunny South Table Beer
- Austin Beerworks + Bayou Teche Brewing + Creature Comforts Brewing Co. + Funky Buddha Brewing + Wicked Weed Brewing
- West latitude Session Rye
- Bear Republic Brewing Co. + Faction Brewing Company + Mad River Brewing Co. + Magnolia Brewing Co. + Maui Brewing Co.
- Moxee-Moron Imperial Session IPA
- Bale Breaker Brewing Co. + Barley Brown’s Beer + Black Raven Brewing Co. + Melvin Brewing + Odell Brewing Co.
- Stout of the Union Robust Stout
- Bagby Beer Company + Beachwood Brewing + Port Brewing Co/The Lost Abby + Smog City Brewing + Societe Brewing Company
- Pat-Rye-Ot Revolutionary Pale Ale
- Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company + Dogfish Head Craft Brewery + Lawson’s Finest Liquids + Stoudts Brewing Co. + Trillium Brewing Company
- Family Values Imperial Brown Ale
- August Schell Brewing Co. + Dark Horse Brewing Company + Half Acre Beer Company + Perennial Artisan Ales + Sun King Brewing
As you can see from the list above, the Beer Camp Across America West Latitude Session Rye is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Faction Brewing Company, Mad River Brewing Co., Magnolia Brewing Co. and Maui Brewing Company. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Bear Republic brewery in downtown Healdsburg. The brewery is pretty cool and Healdsburg is pretty awesome. Parts of the movie Scream were filmed in Healdsburg, so that makes it pretty cool regardless. I’ve also spent some time at the Faction brewery in Alameda. Their location is pretty awesome and their beers are even better.
Beer Camp Across America West Latitude
Style: Rye
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 55
Bittering Hops: Centennial, Comet and Mosaic
Finishing Hops: Comet, Citra and Mosaic
Malts: Maris Otter, Golden Promise, Rye, Vienna and Moonlight Wheat
Other Ingredients: Hibiscus
Availability: Summer 2016
MSRP: $29.99 12-pack of 12 oz bottles
Brewer: Collaboration
Beers consumed for review: 2 – 12 oz bottles
Nose: Through my home brewing escapades, I am becoming much more familiar with individual beer ingredients. I’ve worked with Centennial hops enough to have a good idea what they smell like, and they dominated the aroma of the Beer Camp Across America West Latitude. The hibiscus offered a tangy note, while the rye spice provided the backbone. There were some floral and tea notes present as well. There was a lot going on in the aroma department and that was a harbinger of things to come.
Appearance: The Beer Camp Across America West Latitude was a deep amber in color (SRM 15), but it was crystal clear. The head poured thick and creamy and maintained about an inch of thickness. The beer itself was highly carbonated.
Flavor: TheBeer Camp Across America West Latitude featured tons upon tons of flavor. First, the palate was hit with tangy and fruity hops. Those were followed up by bitter and spicy rye flavors. The finish was dirty and earthy. The body and mouthfeel were on the lighter side, but there was a metric ton of flavor. The flavor profile ran the gamut of sweet, tart, spice and earth.
Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed the flavor rollercoaster that is the Beer Camp Across America West Latitude. As I mentioned earlier, the beer was highly carbonated and I found that to be a bit filling. With that being said, I’m not sure how “sessionable” this beer is, but the abundance of flavor and complexity make up for that. Sessionability isn’t something I look for, or particularly care about, so it had little impact on my overall opinion, but if you are looking for a true session ale you may want to look elsewhere. I’m not sure I’d run out at pick up a sixer of this, but I would be compelled to order it if I found it on tap.
