Bierly Brewing Rendezvous Double IPA

Rendezvous Double IPA by Bierly Brewing

Brewed with Sorghum, Buckwheat Honey, & Rice

I’m excited to bring you a review for the Rendezvous Double IPA brewed by Bierly Brewing in McMinnville Oregon. Bierly is a dedicated gluten free facility and they even have (an adorable) little taproom where they serve dedicated gluten free treats! (Have you seen their GF donuts?!)

The Rendezvous Double IPA is brewed on a base of sorghum, buckwheat honey, and rice. Bierly is known for their masterful sorghum beers, so I’m excited to see how the buckwheat honey plays into the mix.

This Imperial IPA clocks in at 7.3% ABV and a whopping 80 IBU. (Bring it on!) It features the Citra, Mosaic, and the Nugget hop, so I’m expecting a citrus bomb. Let’s pop this baby open and see how it pours!

The Taste Test

Rendezvous Double IPA

The Rendezvous IPA pours a gorgeous shade of rosey amber orange. The color’s vibrancy changes a lot depending on the background of the beer. The clarity is mild, and the head is nice. The bulk of the head bubbles away pretty quickly, but it leaves a thin layer and ring behind that really sticks around.

The only thing on the nose is hops! Delicious Citra, Mosiac, and Nugget hops that pack the aroma with sweet notes of citrus and pine. Very PNW. I’m also detecting lots of bitterness on the aroma. (Which is no surprise given the high IBU.)

My first sip triggered an initial reaction of “Damn, that’s smooth for a 7.3% ABV, 80 IBU beer! And it really is. I really don’t know how they did it with all those bittering hops, and very little “classic” grain.

Ok, here’s what I take from the Rendezvous IPA tasting experience…The beer lands bright and very fruity on the front of the palate–but shockingly, not bitter. It is sweet, but in a gentle authentic way. As if it’s sweet from the source, not from the additions. That sweetness is gentle and honey-like as you might expect, and it carries itself through the entire tasting, even lingering on the palate after the swallow.

The carbonation is delicate and not really in the forefront. The bitterness comes in gently around mid-palate–but I have to say–this is the softest 80 IBU beer I’ve ever consumed. The bitterness is present from mid-palate on, however it never punches and it never builds.

After the swallow, you’re left with notes of honey and woodsy citrus, but all the flavors are very balanced throughout the whole taste. The body of the Rendezvous IPA is medium, and the high alcohol is not noticeable (other than that warmness in my belly ????).

As the beer warms, the fruit qualities take a back seat, and the resigny earthy hop character takes over. Perception of bitterness appears to stay the same.

To summarize this beer, the Rendezvous IPA is hop forward and incredibly balanced between fruity sweet and forest bitter (pine and resign like). It is no one thing over the other. It’s a masterfully balanced double IPA that I think just about anyone would enjoy.

Cheers!

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)