Month: October 2017

Village Brewery Gardener 2017 Beet Session Ale Session IPA at 4.7% ABV (C$6.48 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 11-Oct-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 14-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear pinkish pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy pale pink head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: beets, earth, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp yet earthy finish. (3/5)

Mmmm… beet-y. Credit for taking stylistic risks, sure, but this is really beet-y – very nearly to the exclusion of all else. I mean, I do like beets, sure, probably more than the next guy – but this is really beet-y. No regrets, but definitely one I won’t have again. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

San Tan Brewing Company _Hop Shock IPA_ American IPA at 7.1% ABV | 85 IBU _(C$2.82 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, packaged on 7-Aug-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 14-Oct-2017)_

Appearance: hazy medium amber with one finger of creamy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, caramel, citrus rind, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry building bitter slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Not surprisingly, this is a lot like a beefed-up version of their APA. Although the can claims Nelson Sauvin hops, I can’t say I’m getting a lot of the white wine character I usually associate with that hop. I’d characterize this as a slightly older-style West Coast ale, verging on DIPA strength and bitterness levels. Worth checking out if you’re into big bitter hops, for sure. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

San Tan Brewing Company Devil’s Ale American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV | 45 IBU (C$2.82 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, packaged on 9-Aug-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 14-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, citrus rind, resiny pine, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderately bitter finish. (3/5)

A bit dark in colour and a bit heavy in body and flavour for the style – I’d prefer lighter and brighter, personally. However, it’s pleasant, and easy to drink, with a nicely emphatic bitter finish. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brauerei Aying Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen Oktoberfest / Märzen at 5.8% ABV | 25 IBU (C$4.21 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Sep-2017, reviewed 13-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined clingy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel, bready malt, honey, apples, grass, tobacco. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

This made a break for it earlier this evening, falling out of the back of my truck. I did a slo-mo extended “noooooooo” and interrupted its fall to the pavement, but I’m still kind of slightly shocked it didn’t shatter when it hit. Even more shockingly: a Reinheitsgebot beer that isn’t boring. (Aside: why does anybody still cleave to this very silly, protectionist, exception-riddled rule? Oh, right, money. Carry on.) Good stuff, and a good finish to a good season of festbiers. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Three Knocks Sticke Alt Altbier at 7% ABV | 55 IBU (C$7.17 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 600 ml, packaged on 1-Sep-2017, acquired 23-Sep-2017, reviewed 13-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grainy malt, toffee & molasses, wood, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate-high carbonation, off-dry warming finish. (4/5)

Sticke Alts don’t tend to figure highly in my lists of favourites, but that might be as much due to their relative rarity, as to their malt dominance and hop scarcity. This, though? Malty, sure, but big bitter, and a fair-to-middling warming in the finish make me more than slightly approving. Top that off with a lively carbonation that retains all the way through to the end, stopping it from becoming cloying. As far as this one goes, I am the one who knocks! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Farm Table: Märzen Oktoberfest / Märzen at 5.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$6.16 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 600 ml, packaged on 7-Sep-2017, acquired 23-Sep-2017, reviewed 13-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: toasted malt, caramel, nuts, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-full body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

I honestly thought that 600ml pour would look a little more appropriate to that mug… and yes, I realise it’s getting very late in the season for festbiers – two more tonight will do it for me for the year. This is a decent enough example of the style: malt-dominant, of course, but without being excessively sweet. Toasted malts give a nutty character appropriate to the semi-full slightly chewy body here. Solid, if not very exciting. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

San Tan Brewing Company Mr. Pineapple American Pale Wheat Ale at 5% ABV | 15 IBU (C$2.82 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, packaged on 7-Aug-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 13-Oct-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, tinned pineapple, bready wheat, hint of banana and bubblegum. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short finish. (3/5)

Funnily enough just as I poured this, I Am Your Pineapple came up on my music playlist. Can’t say there was any noticeable improvement to the beer as a result. A fairly typical wheat ale, with some additional sweetness provided by the pineapple. Not bad, just not very much of, well, anything. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ninkasi Brewing Company First Rule IPA American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$7.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 12-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear deep gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, grapefruit pith, grainy caramel, earth, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Look, I’d love to tell you about this beer, but, well, y’know – the first rule of First Rule, is “you don’t talk about First Rule,” right? So… (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Category 12 Brewing ZRA2 Zombie Repellant (#19) Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 5.8% ABV | 24 IBU (C$7.17 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 17-Aug-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 12-Oct-2017)

Appearance: clear red-tinged deep amber with two fingers of rocky beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: bready caramel, blended spice, indistinct fruit, grass & weeds. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

I love the idea of an anti-pumpkin beer, but this is a pretty weak-sauce Belgian Dark. I wanted to like this, I really did, especially since the dude on the label (Gordon Freeman? Or Walter White?) has a white goatee not unlike my own. (Well, except for the moustache. Can’t stand the way it does up my nose. So I guess that makes it a Van Dyke and not a goatee? Anyway…) But, well, I don’t, much. The brewer’s notes seem to claim that the spiciness is derived from the yeast and hops, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more than a hint of, well… pumpkin spice. Not pumpkin itself, fair enough – but that allspice (or maybe cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg/cloves blend) seems to be lurking in the background. One can’t help but wonder what dark pacts were forged when creating this beer: how far do you go towards becoming the monster, to stop the monster? (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Belching Beaver Brewery Deftones Phantom Bride American IPA at 7.1% ABV | 55 IBU (C$4.17 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, packaged on 8-Aug-2017, acquired 12-Oct-2017, reviewed 12-Oct-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resin, grapefruit, pineapple, stone fruit, hint of onion/garlic. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry building bitter slightly spicy finish. (4/5)

Y’know what I like far more than food pairing recommendations on beers? Music pairings. So, yes, I listened to Deftones’ Phantom Bride  while drinking this. And while I’m not sure I’d characterize either the song (or the beer) as “ethereal”, it works for me! Definitely getting the citrus notes from the Amarillo and Citra, the dank notes (and just a hint of garlic or onion) from the Simcoe, and the all-around goodness of Mosaic (easily my second- or third-favourite hop). I have to say, that’s just a killer hop blend. Damn fine, but leaves me wishing I could’ve gotten it fresher, because I’m sure it’s better when it’s young(er). (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com