Author: dpatrickryan

Teerenpeli Panimo & Tislaamo Laiskajaakko Dunkel at 4.5% ABV | 25 IBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #3, 330 ml, best before 31-Mar-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 3-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one finger of fine light beige head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: smoke, sour rye, dark fruit, bready malt, coffee. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light sour. (5/10) Palate: medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, short duration mild bitter and slightly tart finish. (3/5)

Well, let that be a lesson to me in getting what I ask for, huh? Day 3 of the advent calendar definitely brings a more Christmassy/wintery style, no question. Unfortunately, it’s not all that great an example of the style. I’m not entirely sure what it is about the blend of flavours here that’s not really working for me, but I think it’s the sour rye-like note. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good rye beer, and that sourness can really work in some styles. Here, though, it’s present more as an off-flavour of smoked malt, detracting from the fruit and breadiness. It’s not terrible, and I suppose one might learn to appreciate it, but I can’t say I do, much. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Camba Bavaria GmbH Bavarian Winter American IPA at 5.8% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #2, 330 ml, best before 13-Apr-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 2-Dec-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with one fat finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration bitter finish. (4/5)

Ooookay…so on day 2 of the calendar, we’ve moved from an Italian interpretation of an APA, to a German version of an A/IPA… which I guess is a step in the right direction, moving up in ABV and slightly heavier in body, so the trend to “real Christmas beer” continues. More important, however, is the fact that this is really a decent beer in its own right. Surprisingly so, actually, given my track record with European interpretations of this style. Lots of starts-with-C hop character has survived the transatlantic then transcontinental travels surprisingly well. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Birrificio del Doge APA American Pale Ale at 4.8% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #1, 330 ml, bottle date 1-Mar-2016, best before 31-Mar-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 1-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, grassy/floral, pale malt, light pine. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-low carbonation, short duration mildly bitter and watery finish. (3/5)

An Italian version of an American Pale Ale, huh? That’s how you want to start the Advent calendar? That’s what screams “Christmas” to you? Well… it’s not terrible. I guess. And though the body drops off from light, to positively watery in the finish, there’s a nice little bitter in there. A bit more of a Golden Ale than an APA in my opinion, but really both styles are so broad as to have little realistic meaning. Might’ve been better fresh, but at this point it’s not as bright or hoppy as I’d like to see. (And mine’s been stored cold for the past two months – I doubt those who kept their calendars in the closet are having a better experience!) Thinking optimistically (hoptimistically?) maybe this is the light and breezy start to a sequence that gets progressively beefier during the run-up to the big day? Maybe? Hopefully? (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires Grande Cuvée Réserve De Noël (2015) Spiced Red Lager at 10.5% ABV | 33 IBU (C$11.22 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, bottle date 25-Nov-2015, acquired 27-Nov-2016, reviewed 29-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one finger of light tan head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: spicy ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, medicinal hops. (7/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mildly bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Not quite as heavily spiced as the last time I had this a couple of years ago, when it actually reminded me of ginger beer. One thing that hasn’t changed since the last time, though, is that the ABV is very well-integrated to the point that this is a seriously dangerous tipple. I actually forgot it was north of 10% while drinking it, and unintentionally got a little tipsy! (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Le Trou du Diable La Grivoise de Noël (2016) Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 7.5% ABV | 22 [?] IBU (C$6.64 at NLC Stavanger, 600 ml, bottle date 8-Sep-2016, acquired 27-Nov-2016, reviewed 29-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one finger of dense light tan head, good retention, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: toffee caramel, dark fruit, cinnamon and other spices, herbal leafy hops in the background. (7/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate sustained carbonation, and a slightly sticky, mildly spicy and bitter finish. (3/5)

Another vintage of the beer I always think of as the “nekkid xmas ladies beer.” As I’ve noted before, the spices tend to dominate this brew, making it a fairly standard winter warmer, albeit with a bit of Belgian character and a well-integrated ABV that emerges only as a gentle warming as the bottle progresses. I found the smoked peppers even less pronounced this year than the last time I had it, adding only marginally to the “warmer” characteristic. A decent enough example of the Winter Warmer style, but a bit prosaic for a true Belgian Strong Dark Ale. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Lectio Divina (2013) Belgian Strong Ale at 8% ABV | 25 IBU (US$11.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 29-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of fluffy light beige head, moderate retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, dark fruit, apples, leather, horseblankety funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart and funk. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, lightly tart and funky gently warming finish. (3/5)

It was obvious, from the way it did its damnedest to uncork itself, that this desperately wanted to be a foamy gusher, and even with the gentlest of handling it ended up with an impressive head. It didn’t retain as well as might be expected, though, and left behind no lacing to speak of, while the carbonation dropped off fairly rapidly from lively to moderate. A fair bit too high in ABV to conform well to the style of Saison in my opinion, though to be fair they do call it a “Belgian Style Ale” and describe it as a cross between Saison and Abbey Dubbel. I can see elements of both, and it’s an interesting hybrid, but it’s also a bit clunky. On the up side, the relatively high ABV is well integrated and it never becomes a challenge to drink. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Muskoka Brewery Winterweiss Dunkelweizen at 5% ABV | 12 IBU (C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, best before 2-Mar-2017, acquired 27-Nov-2016, reviewed 29-Nov-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium to deep amber with one finger of thinnish light tan head, moderate retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, cloves, banana, woody and smokey, corn and wheat malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body tending to the watery, moderate-low carbonation, mildly bitter and slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Doesn’t appear to be significantly different than last year’s vintage, which at the time I called “a deeply unremarkable example of the style.” (Well, except for dropping a space from the name, I mean.) I always have to check my assumptions when it comes to Dunkelweizens, because they always seem to tend to the thin in my opinion. This one, however, is particularly so, with a finish tending slightly to the astringent as a result. Can’t say I see any particular reason to go looking for this one. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anchorage Brewing Company Anadromous (Batch #4) American Wild Ale at 8.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$17.19 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 1-Apr-2016, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 28-Nov-2016)

Appearance: deep ruby brown with a hint of lightening around the margins, one finger of creamy beige head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (5/5) Aroma: dried tart cherry, vinous red wine, dark chocolate, brown bread, leather and tobacco. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, mild bitter, light funk. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, medium duration tart and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

So, “anadromous” means a fish that migrates upriver, and the horrible monster on the label is actually a salmon. Not entirely sure what that has to do with the beer, mind you – it’s not fishy, that’s for sure. It’s red wine tart and lightly funky, with complex notes on a somewhat light body. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it works for me. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie McAuslan St-Ambroise Stout Impériale Russe Special Reserve (2016) Russian Imperial Stout at 9.2% ABV | 84 IBU (C$6.01 at NLC Stavanger, 341 ml, bottle date 12-Oct-2016, acquired 27-Nov-2016, reviewed 27-Nov-2016)

Appearance: opaque unrelieved black  with two fingers of creamy dark brown head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: toasty malt, boozy dark fruit, chocolate, marshmallow, leather and tobacco, oak, bourbon, vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Full viscous body, moderate-soft carbonation, lingering bitter and warming finish verging on astringent. (4/5)

Considering I’ve now collected four different vintages of this one, I figured it was time to try it new, just to establish a baseline. I’m glad I did: I’m not disappointed by it, as such, but I feel like there’s room for improvement, and I suspect ageing might accomplish some of that improvement. As it stands now, as a young RIS, it’s definitely hot, with some edges that I think (hope?) ageing might smooth. In particular, it feels to me like both the alcohol heat and the slight astringent thinning in the finish could stand to mellow. Very good, but I have high hopes that it will exceed that some day. I’d recommend buying at least two, with the intention of ageing one, but you won’t be disappointed by trying it fresh, either. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project Our Finest Regards English Barleywine at 11% ABV (C$13.37 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 1-Nov-2015, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 26-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear brown with amber-brown highlights, one finger of creamy light tan head that retains well, light lacing. (4/5) Aroma: molasses, chocolate syrup, caramel, dark boozy fruit, light coffee. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering sweetish and warming finish. (4/5)

Nice. Opens up nicely as it warms, developing rich and complex flavours on a medium-full body, with a pronounced but not harsh alcohol warming. The sweetness is high but not cloying, and smoothly transitions into pleasant coffee-like tones, but remains a bit sticky on the finish. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com