We plan to reintroduce Black Rye, a dry-hopped dark ale brewed with copious amounts of rye malt, as a seasonal release in January 2015 with availability through March. Black Rye will be available throughout our distribution footprint both on draft and in 12 oz. bottles with a suggested retail price of $10.99 per 4-pack.

We brewed Black Rye for the first time in 2006—it was available for less than a year, but it developed a cult following. And we decided to reach into our recipe vault and bring it back for 2015.

“Because of how quickly the craft beer enthusiast community has grown, most people drinking craft beer and even Founders beer today have never tried Black Rye,” said Dave Engbers, co-founder and vice president of brand and education. “Officially, this beer is a re-introduction. But for most, it’s a new Founders beer.”

Black Rye is a perfectly balanced blend of German- and American-grown hops, premium 2-row barley and heavily kilned rye and wheat malts. It’s 7.5% ABV and measures at 78 IBUs. There’s no category that can contain it—it’s a true Founders original.

“Black Rye is one of those beers that we kept coming back to in our conversations about new releases,” said Jeremy Kosmicki, Founders’ brewmaster. “There are so many craft beers out there, but this one has its place because there’s nothing else quite like it.”

Black Rye will kick off our seasonal calendar in 2015, with availability from roughly January to March, dependent on distributor shipments. It will be released in our taproom on draft and in bottles as of January 2015. Our other seasonal releases in 2015 will be Rubaeus, from April to September, and Breakfast Stout, from October to December. Our full 2015 availability calendar will be announced later this year.