Bruery Rugbrød

Where Spotted: Whole Foods, 4501 Market Commons Drive, Fairfax

Price: $9.99/750 ml

Malt Country: This dark, sturdy beer gets its backbone from the rye malts that are used in addition to the standard barley. Rye beers seem to always be described as “spicy,” but that’s an imperfect way of describing rye’s dry, grainy, bready flavor. It’s to regular beer what whole wheat bread is to Wonder, or more precisely, what rye is to bourbon.

The Beer Sleeps On: This beer’s name means “rye bread” in Danish. Spoken, it sounds like all five vowels (and sometimes “Y”) mashed together. Either way, it’s as hearty as a pumpernickel loaf, the beer to open as you hunker down for winter hibernation.

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