Streaker By Rhinegeist

Have you ever wondered if a brewery altered the recipe of a beer? I think we’ve all had the feeling that a beer just doesn’t taste the same as it did in the past. That’s exactly what happened when I picked up Rhinegeist Streaker this summer.

This beer had been a favorite from them in the past but I couldn’t help but think that there was something different this year.

Keep reading to learn what I loved about this beer in the past, what appears to have changed, and whether or not I’ll be drinking this one again in the future.

Review Of Rhinegeist Streaker

If you don’t know much about Rhinegeist, then you need to pay more attention to the Cincinnati Craft Beer scene. Recently, Rhinegeist Brewery was listed as the 33rd largest craft brewery in the nation based on the Brewers Associations stats.

That’s pretty impressive and Cincinnati is happy to call Rhinegeist one of their over 50 craft breweries.

This brewery is located in the historic area of Over The Rhine (OTR) that is located just North of downtown Cincinnati. They tend to focus on Pale Ales and IPAs but make a wide range of styles including a recent move into sour beers.

Streaker is a special release beer that was originally canned back in 2016. The interesting part about this beer is it was a collaboration between Rhinegeist and their fans.  They crowd sourced the recipe by allowing beer drinkers to fill out s survey to determine the style and ingredients.

The result was a beer custom made for those that loved this brewery back when they were only known within the city of Cincinnati.

This Rye India Pale Ale was a big hit from the very beginning but there appears to be some changes in this beer since it was first released.

Rhinegeist Streaker comes in at 6% ABV and 60 IBUs.

Here is how Rhinegeist describes Streaker:

A crowdsourced Rye IPA dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops that race across your palate in a lively, yet intimate and wildly exposed jaunt — flaunting tropical fruit, dank, pineapple, and mango aromatic acrobatics. 

Initial Thoughts

Since I’ve had this beer multiple times over the past few years, I assumed I knew what I was going to get. But I had already noticed that the can no longer called this beer RYE India Pale Ale. Instead, it was now described as an India Pale Ale.

So my expectations were already a being altered long before the can was ever opened.

The aroma from Streaker is hop forward and complex. Most will pick up piney, earthy hop aromas more than anything else.

The appearance of the beer is a dark gold, almost amber color as it is slightly darker than most IPAs. The bright white head lasts a good amount of time as it continues to release strong hop aromas.

Tasting Notes

The taste is where I really started to believe that there was a recipe change to this beer. In the past, I would pick up noticeable spicy notes from the use of rye in the malt bill.

Instead, I tasted almost all hop flavors while the malt plays a background role. While this isn’t the flavor profile I recall Streaker having in the past, it is what most craft beer drinkers will be looking for from an IPA.

Just like the aroma, the hops give a primarily earthy, piney character. As I continued my way through the glass of Streaker, I started to pick up some grapefruit or light citrus flavors as well. I’d imagine that this was from the use of Citra and Mosaic hops.

One thing that I’ve always appreciated about Streaker is the lingering flavors and that is still there in this year’s release. Where some beer fade fast, Streaker holds onto your taste buds.

Final Thoughts

So did the recipe change?

Was Rye removed from Rhinegeist Streaker?

I’m not sure but I definitely believe that it tastes different this year than in the past. Or maybe my mind is playing tricks on me and I was swayed by the style name change on the can.

Either way, it’s always fun to try a beer year after year. Not only has my preference in beer changed but so have my taste buds.

Take those elements, combine them with any recipe changes, and you’re bound to have a unique drinking experience every time.

Related Post:  IPA Vs Pale Ale – What’s The Difference?

Conculsion

I still consider Rhinegeist Streaker to be one of my favorite annual releases from this brewery. It’s an IPA that isn’t afraid to be big, bold, and hop forward – something some IPAs lack right now.

But I miss the Rye. It added a unique spicy, grainy malt characteristic that I really love. Whenever I find a Rye IPA or Pale Ale, I’m always quick to try it so I’ll be on the hunt for more beers with Rye in them.

It’s also worth noting that most breweries are continually tweaking their recipes. So if they made a change, they aren’t alone in this practice. Based on changes in ingredient availability, customer preferences, or the mindset of the brewery; beers will be changed. Most of these changes will be subtle over time while other changes are much easier to spot.

Whether these changes make the beer better or not is up to each person to decide. Have you noticed a recipe change in a beer that you drink often? Did it make the beer better?

What’s Your Favorite Rye IPA Or Pale Ale?

UPDATE

After publishing, Rhinegeist confirmed that the recipe does include rye still. So it is quite possible that my expectations or taste buds have changed. I do still wish it had a stronger rye flavor to it.

In addition, many breweries are moving away from including “Rye” in beer names, styles, and labels because most consumers do not find it appealing. I can’t say that I’m a fan of this practice. For me, I am much more likely to buy a beer labeled as rye.