My latest article for The Bulletin came out last week, wherein I tackle Lost Love, the Banished series rye whiskey aged rye imperial stout from Crux Fermentation Project. In Crux’s Lost Love is no heartbreaker, I profile the big beer, 14.5% ABV, which head brewer Cam O’Connor likens to “rye on rye,” so I talked a bit about brewing with rye, as well.

A typical rye beer might consist of up to 10% to 15% rye malt in the grain bill. According to head brewer Cam O’Connor, Lost Love has 23% rye.

It can be a tricky grain to brew with, due to its relatively high levels of gluten and fiber. It’s not uncommon for brewers to encounter a “stuck mash” when brewing with large amounts of rye, which happens when the sugary wort will not drain or filter properly from the grains after soaking. When this happens, the run-off of liquid to the kettle slows or even stops, requiring troubleshooting and causing headaches for the brewers.

I asked O’Connor if the rye presented any problems with Lost Love. “Not really,” he wrote via email. “The runoff does take longer than other beers. It is expected to do so due to the really high gravity, rye malt and plenty of dark malts.”

Read on for some additional details on Crux’s brewing process and my review notes. (Spoilers: It’s a phenomenal beer!)