Month: August 2016

Binding-Brauerei Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Radler at 2.5% ABV (C$3.55 at Liquor Crossing Red Deer, 500 ml, bottle date 4-Jan-2016, best before 4-Apr-2017, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 25-Aug-2016)

Appearance: opaque orange-tinted deep gold with a short white head, poor retention and no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet grapefruit “drink”, orange, wheat. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, fizzy carbonation, sticky short duration tart finish. (3/5)

Sweet and mass-market-ish – but darn it if I don’t like it! At least, I like one, with lunch. Dunno how many more I could suffer through, since even towards the end of the first one the sweetness is getting overwhelmingly sticky, despite the fizzy carbonation. It is what it is, I guess – and what it is, is a mildly alcoholic fizzy grapefruit soda. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom Gypsy Stumper American IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$8.90 at Liquor Crossing Red Deer, 500 ml, bottle date 1-Jul-2016, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 24-Aug-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of ivory head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel malt, tropical fruit, resiny pine, grapefruit pith, cardboard, grassy. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (5/10) Medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Meh. Smells like a malt-forward DIPA, with an added frisson of wet cardboard. Not bright, not interesting, not fun. Pretty, though. So, your typical high-school crush: disappointing once you’ve had it. OK, fine, it’s not terrible. It’s just not very good. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dageraad Brewing De Witte Witbier at 5.2% ABV (C$7.53 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 24-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with a truly ridiculous fluffy white head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: lemon, tropical fruit, wheat, light barnyardy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart. (8/10) Medium-light body, high carbonation, off-dry light tart finish. (4/5)

Well, that’s a bit of all right! Aspects of a witbier and a sour, but also highly hopped, to boot. Really quite good. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Troubled Monk Brewery Berliner Style Weisse Berliner Weisse at 4.75% ABV (C$9.50 at Troubled Monk Brewery, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 24-Aug-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with a short, short-lived white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat, lemon, grassy. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate-low carbonation, off-dry light tart finish. (3/5)

I was deeply disappointed by the carbonation and body of this one – I hope that I just got a badly-sealed bottle. The head and carbonation are completely against the style, not champagne-like at all. Otherwise, it’s a pleasant-tasting interpretation of the style. I was also inordinately pleased by the little sidecar of woodruff syrup that allowed me to try it mit schuss, giving it an interesting sweet green tea character. It’s near-on overwhelming, though, completely dominating the underlying beer flavour. I’m not sure it actually needs the syrup. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Troubled Monk Brewery visit on 24-Aug-2016

Golden Gaetz Golden / Blond Ale at 5% ABV 6.5/10

Appearance: clear pale straw with a short white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted grassy, crackery pale malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, sweetish short finish. (3/5)

A fairly innocuous Golden Ale. Not exciting, but clean and pleasant. (13/20)

Open Road Brown Brown Ale at 5.5% ABV 7/10

Appearance: clear amber-brown with a short beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee, chocolate, grassy, nutty, mild dark fruit and liquorice. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, hoppy medium finish. (3/5)

Nicely hoppy Brown Ale that nonetheless still has all the roasted malt character you’d expect from a brown, or even a porter or stout. Lighter body keeps the dark roasty malt from become oppressive, and hops keep things on the bright side. (14/20)

Plus, a fun little cheese tray, a nice dry sausage, and a Berliner Weisse with a little Woodruff syrup sidecar for takeaway. And a couple of stickers. I’m very happy with a productive visit, and will definitely be back.

#ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bridge Brewing Company Lemon Gin Saison Saison at 5.5% ABV (C$7.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Aug-2016, reviewed 23-Aug-2016)

Appearance: cloudy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat, fruity esters, mild lemon, light juniper. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry light tart finish. (3/5)

I was hoping for much more lemon gin, actually – I was flashing back to drinking Lemon Gin Collinses as a much (much!) younger lad. This, though, has only the mildest of lemon or gin character. It’s actually dominated by a wheaty malt, with generalized fruit tones. Lemon is late to the party, and there’s only the merest whiff of gin/juniper. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ninkasi Brewing Company Ginger & Juice Farmhouse Ale Saison at 5.5% ABV (C$10.65 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 23-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, bready yeast, lemon, light ginger. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light bitter, light funky tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly spicy finish. (4/5)

More “juice and ginger”, it seems to me. Stone fruit dominates (not clearly apricot – I’d’ve guess peach, myself), followed by a grainy yeast and lemon, before a mild ginger presence makes itself known. The ginger does grow somewhat as it warms, and a mild spiciness accumulates in the finish. A bit muddled, but not unpleasant. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Yukon Brewing Company Radical Summer Breeze Radler at 3% ABV (C$8.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Aug-2016, reviewed 23-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemonade, pale malt, light floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry lightly tart finish. (4/5)

As usual, I’m a sucker for a radler, but this is actually a pretty darned good one: lemon flavour dominating but not obliterating a malty beer character underneath, sweet but not to the point of cloying, and a lighter body helped by lively carbonation to keep things crisp and refreshing. The claimed lavender is pretty mild, but does come through as a slight floral aspect, without getting perfumey. Quite an effective thirst quencher, with an appropriately low ABV. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sound Brewery Mortal Kombat X Sub Zero American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (C$10.19 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 22-Aug-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one fat finger of creamy ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, tropical fruit, caramel malt, stone fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Right, before you lot start: I didn’t buy this for the video game or movie marketing. I bought it because Sound is a reasonably well-respected brewery, and I haven’t had a bad experience with them. Their Monk’s Indiscretion, in particular, was quite enjoyable. So drop it. And actually, this is surprisingly good. Unlike so many DIPAs, this isn’t malt-forward, and it’s got a decent hop/malt balance. Solid performer. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Yukon Brewing Company Longest Day White IPA White IPA at 6% ABV (C$8.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Aug-2016, reviewed 22-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with one finger of creamy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt, Belgian esters, coriander, citrus, white pepper. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter and lightly peppery finish. (4/5)

Not bad. Distinctly Belgian character, easy drinking. Pleasant on the front end, with a mildly spicy finish. Not much else to say about it beyond that, though. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com