Selma’s Tap Room

I work for a healthcare consulting company based in Orange County, California and while I mostly work from home, once a month I must travel down to the head offices. Although I dislike traveling that often, the situation does have some advantages; seeing my immediate family more often being chief among them. Another plus is the fact that Selma’s Tap Room is only a short walking distance away from either the office or my sister’s house.

Selma’s itself is a Chicago-style pizzeria, but the owners decided to open up a bar that focuses on craft beers next door just a few months ago and for that, I raise my glass and give thanks. With rustic brick work and tasteful décor, The Tap Room has a great ambiance and to top that, the owners have trained their staff to be knowledgeable and fun. The tap selection is quite fantastic as well, featuring California based beers with some imports and other favorites thrown in for good measure.

My friend from the office and I decided to meet up on Saturday night for a pint or two. Arriving around 7, we saddled up to the bar and were faced with a difficult decision: what to drink? As I tend to go for beers I have not tried before (and always looking to try local favorites), I decided on Orange County’s own The Bruery’s Rugbrød Brown Rye Ale which is loosely based on the traditional Scandinavian “Julebryg” holiday beers.

Pouring dark brown with a tan head that dissipated to a collar, the nose was filled with complex nutty and earthy scents accompanied by a hint of spices. The taste was definitely akin to a traditional brown ale, but with extra nuanced tones imparted by the grains and what I would describe as a subtle “salty sharpness” that I would associate with rye bread (highly scientific, I know). Nutty and bready with a hint of roasty goodness, Rugbrød goes down incredibly smooth and does not even hint at its high alcohol content. The hops only briefly make their presence known at the back end of the palate, but add another layer of character. The most impressive aspect of the beer was the mouthfeel; slippery and well rounded without lacking body. I know that Rugbrød will not necessarily appeal to all craft beer drinkers, but The Bruery should be proud of this offering.

Thirsty Zymurgist Score: 44/50 (8% ABV / 30 IBUs)

Can’t figure out how to pronounce Rugbrød? Neither can anyone else. Check out The Bruery’s video on the subject. http://www.vimeo.com/7504797