Leave it to Boston Beer to find yet another little-known style of beer and submit it for the approval of braumeisters everywhere. I'm talking about Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye, of course, a rye ale fashioned after the Roggenbiers of Germany. Roggenbier is much like weissebier, except it replaces wheat with rye as the primary adjunct to barley malt.

Revolutionary Rye is, at least for now, only available in bottles as part of the Samuel Adams American Originals 12-pack sampler. It is accompanied there by Boston Lager, Scotch Ale, Noble Pils, White Ale, and Irish Red. You can also find it on draught sporadically, however, and I raced to my local Taco Mac in Canton, Georgia when I learned they were pouring it.

Revolutionary Rye was the winner of Boston Beer's 2010 Beer Lover's Choice contest, beating out a Belgian IPA to be included in the 2011 American Originals sampler pack. each year, Boston Beer gives its fans the option to select a winner from two different contenders.

Revolutionary Rye is made with Munich, Special B, two-row Harrington, and rye malts. It's hopped with Amarillo, Tettnang, Ahtanum, and Centennial varieties, and has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume. This is a seasonal release, so get it while you can.

Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye pours to a tawny copper amber color with a medium creamy head formation and a spicy rye and grassy hop nose. A thin film of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass as the liquid descends.

Now for a sip: the body is moderate but firm and slightly caramelly, but not so much that you don't immediately pick up the pungent, spicy rye flavor. The rye is hearty and bold, and there's no mistaking the flavor of this wonderful grain. Boston beer claims that rye constitutes 20% of the grain bill, and indeed, drinking this beer is a lot like chewing a big hunk of tasty rye bread.

The beer finishes with an herbal, grassy hop bitterness that leaves the beer quite dry and decidedly more-ish. A very impressive Roggen-style brew that's wonderfully spicy and delicious, and pairs well with equally spicy foods. My pint paired well with a plate of Taco Mac's famous Three Mile Island wings.