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Canuck Empire Brewing Stargazer Chamomile Wheat – Wheat Ale at 6.0% ABV

Canuck Empire Brewing Stargazer Chamomile Wheat Wheat Ale at 6.0% ABV (C$7.25 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short, short-lived ivory head, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: floral/herbal, banana, wheat, stone fruit, pale grainy malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp short-duration finish. (4/5)

Pretty good wheat. Definitely floral and herbal, though I’m not sure I’d have identified it as chamomile. Light and fun, with a short-duration more-ish finish. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Speakeasy Black Hand Chocolate Milk Stout – Sweet Stout at 6.9% ABV

Speakeasy Black Hand Chocolate Milk Stout Sweet Stout at 6.9% ABV (C$10.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with one finger of light tan head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: milk chocolate, coffee, vanilla. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Full smooth body, moderate-low carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Smooth and creamy milk stout with elements of chocolate and coffee. A bit of a challenge to work through a full bottle, but pleasant enough despite its weight. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company Barley Wine Tullibardine Cask Finish – Barley Wine at 7% ABV

The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company Barley Wine Tullibardine Cask Finish Barley Wine at 7% ABV (C$6.11 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: hazy brown with a short light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: malt vinegar, dark fruit and caramel. (4/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild tart. (5/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, mild bitter and lightly tart finish. (3/5)

Not as good as the original Kettle Valley Winery Caboose version – which, to be frank, wasn’t all that good. Can’t recommend this one. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Rogue Ales Allegro Coffee Porter – American Porter at 6.2% ABV

Rogue Ales Allegro Coffee Porter American Porter at 6.2% ABV (C$8.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with two fingers of mocha head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: intense coffee, dark malt, mild milk chocolate, dark fruit, light spice. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Full slightly sticky body, moderate-low carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Not bad, although the coffee comes across a bit aggressive. Not bad for Rogue, but as usual they seem to be trying for a level of complexity they’re just not capable of pulling off. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Abbaye St. Remy Trappistes Rochefort 8 – Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 9.2% ABV

Abbaye St. Remy Trappistes Rochefort 8 Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 9.2% ABV (C$6.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, best before 10-Jul-2019)

Appearance: mostly clear deep amber with two growing fingers of fluffy light tan head, excellent retention and minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, dark fruit, brown sugar, chocolate, bread, honey, spices. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (10/10) Palate: medium-full body, lively carbonation, semi-dry medium duration gently warming finish. (4/5)

Not as light and easy-drinking as the 6, not as complex and interesting as the 10. Don’t get me wrong – still a pretty darned good beer, but I’m not sure I’d bother with this particular one again, seeing how it kind of bridges the gap between its two brethren. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Abbaye St. Remy Trappistes Rochefort 6 – Dubbel at 7.5% ABV

Abbaye St. Remy Trappistes Rochefort 6 Dubbel at 7.5% ABV (C$5.39 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, best before 3-Jul-2019)

Appearance: mostly clear medium amber with one finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: moderately strong sweet caramel, dried fruit, light perfume, little to no hop character. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, lively/prickly carbonation, semi-dry medium duration gently warming finish. (4/5)

An excellent example of the style. Sweet caramel malt dominates, with just a little bitterness that doesn’t linger into the finish. The finish is semi-dry despite the sweetness on the front end. The lively carbonation seems to help prevent the sweetness from becoming cloying, and lifts the body. The moderately high ABV is very well-behaved, becoming apparent only as a gentle warming. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Bean Me Up Espresso Milk Stout – Sweet Stout at 5.7% ABV

Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Bean Me Up Espresso Milk Stout Sweet Stout at 5.7% ABV (C$8.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with two fingers of rocky mocha head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: overwhelming bitter dark roasted coffee, lighter chocolate, herbal, citrus, lactic. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-full body, low carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Harsh coffee ground flavours dominate, to the point where there’s not a lot more to say – not all that well-balanced at all. The first half pint numbs you to the coffee, after which it isn’t terrible, but that’s hardly a ringing endorsement, is it? OK, fine, it’s not all that bad… and it’s not all that good, either… (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH Erdinger Weißbier Dunkel – Dunkelweizen at 5.3% ABV

Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH Erdinger Weißbier Dunkel Dunkelweizen at 5.3% ABV (C$5.20 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 1-Mar-2016)

Appearance: hazy brown with two fingers of fluffy light tan head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted, banana/bubblegum, caramel, roasty chocolate malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, very mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate to low carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

A little boring, to be frank. Mild and pleasant, with absolutely no negatives, but… well… not a lot to distinguish it. What there is, is fine, but I’d like it if it were a bit more aggressive. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Destiny IPA – American IPA at 6% ABV

Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Destiny IPA American IPA at 6% ABV (C$8.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, bright citrus, resin, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Nice. A well put together bright A/IPA, with lots of tropical fruit and bright citrus. The finish stumbles a little, with the bitterness lingering a bit. I’d like to see a crisper finish, possibly with a little livelier carbonation, but overall I’m pretty pleased with this one. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH Erdinger Pikantus – Weizenbock at 7.3% ABV

Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH Erdinger Pikantus Weizenbock at 7.3% ABV (C$5.20 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 1-Feb-2016)

Appearance: hazy brown with two fingers of fluffy light tan head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: banana, dark fruit, toffee, vinous. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, very mild bitter. (7/10) Palate: full body, moderate to low carbonation, lingering warming finish. (4/5)

Pretty in-spec example of the style. Mild and smooth, perhaps a bit too much so: the utter absence of hop character is normal, but a little more intensity across the board would be nice. Still, easy-drinking and good. (15/20)

My 200th from the 2010 Edition (188th from the 2013 edition), and 210th combining both editions.

7.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com