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Goose Island Beer Company Four Star Pils – Pilsener at 5.1% ABV | 44 IBU

Goose Island Beer Company Four Star Pils Pilsener at 5.1% ABV | 44 IBU (C$2.55 at Oak & Vine, 341 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 26-Apr-2017, reviewed 27-Apr-2017)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of pillowy ivory head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt, floral, lemon. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp short duration and lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

This comes perilously close to smelling and tasting like an adjunct lager, with a corn-like sweetness dominating. But, it’s decently clean and crisp, the bitterness does start to assert after a while, and it ticks the boxes of the style. (Well, sort of – if you pick and choose from BJCP’s German, Bohemian and American styles, you can sorta kinda assemble a profile that matches this one’s.) No sulphates, DMS, or diacetyl, but could stand to be dryer and crisper in my opinion. Not my favourite style by a long shot, so I’m trying hard to be fair here – but at the end of the day, there’s not a lot going on. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Immoralité – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.2% ABV | 80 IBU

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Immoralité American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.2% ABV | 80 IBU (C$3.22 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 341 ml, bottle date 14-Mar-2017, acquired 25-Apr-2017, reviewed 26-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy/cloudy particulate-laden medium gold with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mango, resiny pine, doughy caramel, stone fruit, black tea, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter and warming finish. (4/5)

There’s a surprisingly heavy particulate at the end of the pour, despite this thing being only six weeks old. The hops are slightly heavy, and not as bright as I’d like to see them. On the other hand, the high ABV isn’t hot at all, and there are no fusels or harshness, just a mild warming. I’m just a little disappointed by this – but only a little. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Steamworks Brewing Company Flagship IPA – American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 65 IBU

Steamworks Brewing Company Flagship IPA American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 65 IBU (C$7.64 at Oak & Vine, 1 l, no bottle date or best before, acquired 26-Apr-2017, reviewed 26-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, pine, citrus, slightest hint of green onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Almost a New England style IPA, though not quite as orange juice opaque as that style can be. Really good implementation of Citra and Mosaic, with juicy tropical fruit and oranges leading the way, no cattiness, and just the very slightest hint of green onion. Emphatic bitterness builds and lingers, but remains balanced. Definitely worth trying, and I’m a little surprised it’s taken me this long to track it down. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Valis Imperial IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 68 IBU

Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Valis Imperial IPA American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 68 IBU (C$7.67 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 25-Apr-2017, reviewed 25-Apr-2017)

Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of fine white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, citrus, pale crackery malt, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter and sweetly warming alcoholic finish. (4/5)

Well, damn, that’s something: I did not expect this to be the star of the evening. I was going to launch into a hypothetical discourse about whether the appropriate response to the name of this thing was something along the lines of “Valar Dohaeris”, but after having experienced its dank booziness, I conclude that the only appropriate response is, “Another, please.” Highly recommended for hop-head boozers like myself. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Bench Creek Brewing Northern Grace Red Rye IPA – American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 78 IBU

Bench Creek Brewing Northern Grace Red Rye IPA American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 78 IBU (C$3.20 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, bottle date 21-Mar-2017, acquired 25-Apr-2017, reviewed 25-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy red-tinged deep amber with one fat finger of fluffy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, toffee, pine, dried dark fruit, earth, coffee. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, mild peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation,  slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

That’s… really not what I was expecting. I don’t mean that in a negative way, exactly, but it’s definitely puzzling. The coffee, for example: I’m definitely getting coffee here, and little to none of the sharp sourdough notes I usually associate with rye, though the residual peppery spice is on target. The dark malt, dried fruit, and coffee all would seem more appropriate to a Porter, or even an Imperial Stout, than to an IPA. And yet this is fresh, and canned, so I have to operate on the assumption that this is intentional. Huh. Well, it’s unexpected and interesting, I’ll give it that. It’s about as much like a Rye IPA as chalk is like cheese, but it’s not without its charms. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Bridge Brewing Company The Fuzz Milkshake IPA – American IPA at 6% ABV | 45 IBU

Bridge Brewing Company The Fuzz Milkshake IPA American IPA at 6% ABV | 45 IBU (C$7.11 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 25-Apr-2017, reviewed 25-Apr-2017)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: oranges, vanilla, cream, peaches. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild astringent. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, creamy moderate (yet building) bitter and slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Not gonna lie: I had high hopes here. I admit I’ve had some embarrassing flirtations with briefly popular styles in the past (yes, I’m looking at you, Black IPA!) but the New England IPA style is just so damn lush and juicy, I can’t ever see getting bored of it. And I’m not – but this isn’t it, not really. This is like a melted Creamsicle spiked with grain alcohol and vanilla extract. Clean? Nope. Subtle? Hell no. Would I have another? Hells yes. This is the dirty skank side action of New England IPAs: you’re not gonna commit to it, or even admit to your friends you’re doing it, but if it’s on offer, you’re gonna do it. You might feel a little bad about it afterwards, but that won’t stop you from doing it again. And again. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Worthy Brewing Worthy IPA – American IPA at 6.9% ABV | 69 IBU

Worthy Brewing Worthy IPA American IPA at 6.9% ABV | 69 IBU (C$7.07 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 25-Apr-2017, reviewed 25-Apr-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, caramel, tropical fruit, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

So, straight to the obvious: is it worthy? Yeah, sure, OK – barely. It’s not quite a turn of the century A/IPA, but it’s not far off it. The aromas and flavours tend to the traditional, with caramel malt not exactly dominant, but emphatically present. On the other hand, the bitterness is more modern. (On yet another hand, I think the brewers have been sampling some other botanicals from Oregon: “And find yourself wrapped in the flower-laiden side arms of Oregon’s lovely hop maidens.” is an actual sentence from the label. Oookay then.) Maybe I’m being a little unfair and it’s actually better fresh, but since they don’t date the bottles, who knows? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Mill Street Brewery _Big League IPA – India Pale Ale at 7% ABV | 70 IBU

Mill Street Brewery Big League IPA India Pale Ale at 7% ABV | 70 IBU (On tap at Mill Street Brewpub YYZ, reviewed 24-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, pine, citrus, caramel and toffee, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

A decent A/IPA with big floral and piney bitter on a moderate-high ABV. Big, boozy, and bitter (there’s an ex-girlfriend joke in there for sure) but with a certain harshness and lack of subtlety (the jokes just write themselves, don’t they?) that stops it being bright (hey-o!). (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Mill Street Brewery Snowdrop – Saison at 5.2% ABV

Mill Street Brewery Snowdrop Saison at 5.2% ABV (On tap at Mill Street Brewpub YYZ, reviewed 24-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild/muted, floral, bready yeast, citrus zest, light pepper. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

A bit muddled and boring, to be honest. The aroma is mild, verging on muted, and the flavour is dominated by peppery spice. Serviceable, I suppose, but hardly memorable. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Dogfish Head Brewery Beer for Breakfast Stout (2016) – American Stout at 7.4% ABV | 30 IBU

Dogfish Head Brewery Beer for Breakfast Stout (2016) American Stout at 7.4% ABV | 30 IBU (US$3.49 at Specs Main Houston, 355 ml, bottle date 15-Nov-2016, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 23-Apr-2017)

Appearance: near solid black with the merest hint of brown relief around the edges, three fingers of rocky beige head on an enthusiastic pour, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, spices, milk chocolate, maple syrup, light metallic. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly oily body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

I’m certainly getting the coffee, spices, and maple syrup, but I can’t say I’m detecting any scrapple. Mind you, I’ve never had scrapple, so I’m not sure I could identify it to save my life. I’m not getting any savoury or umami notes, put it that way. The coffee is pleasant enough on the front end, but ultimately ends up feeling a little overextracted, contributing a little metallic harshness to the finish. On the other hand, now I want to stay at DFH’s Inn and order scrapple and beer for breakfast. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com