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Bitburger Brauerei Bitburger Pils – Pilsener at 4.8% ABV | 33 IBU

Bitburger Brauerei Bitburger Pils Pilsener at 4.8% ABV | 33 IBU (C$3.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, bottle date 14-Apr-2016, best before 14-Apr-2017, acquired 18-Sep-2016, reviewed 20-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of rocky white head diminishing rapidly a thin cap, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: corn syrup, crackery malt, bready yeast, grass. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-mild bitter, light tart. (5/10) Medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp and clean medium duration off-dry mildly bitter finish. (3/5)

Danger, Will Robinson! It says “Premium” on the label, so in accordance with my theory, it must be terrible, right? Well… not really. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing great – but it’s a long drive from terrible. Easily drinkable, with a fairly clean finish. For a mass-produced beer, it’s actually not bad. (Cute little pun on the label, too – “Bitte ein Bit”.) I’d certainly rather have this, than a Coors Light. Doesn’t get any better as it warms, though, so get it gone and move on! (11/20)

My 233rd from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (retired from the 2013 edition), and 245th combining both editions.

5.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Alley Kat Brewing Co. High Level IPA – American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 52 IBU

Alley Kat Brewing Co. High Level IPA American IPA at 6.2% ABV | 52 IBU (C$7.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, best before 22-Feb-2017, acquired 18-Sep-2016, reviewed 19-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of fluffy off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, floral, caramel, bready yeast. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, medium-long duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Well, that’s  little different. Floral and sweet malt figure prominently here, and the initial sweetness, though somewhat on the high side, transitions smoothly to a balanced bitter. I’m not all that familiar with Jarrylo hops, this being perhaps my second exposure, but they seem to tend to the subtle fruit side of flavours. This isn’t a West Coast style IPA, but neither is it an English. Mild and fairly juicy. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Rough Draft Brewing Company Southern Triangle IPA – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 65 IBU

Rough Draft Brewing Company Southern Triangle IPA American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 65 IBU (C$9.99 at Liquor Depot McKenzie Town, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Sep-2016, reviewed 19-Sep-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel malt, pine, citrus, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

So, is a “southern triangle” anything like a “map of Tasmania”? ANZ rude phrases aside, this isn’t particularly “southern”, as far as I can tell – certainly I’m not getting any of the white wine vinous notes I associate with Nelson Sauvin. It’s a little foamy, which doesn’t bother me overly much, especially since the head retention is so good. But it’s also fairly malt-forward, which does bother me, a little. It’s not even that high an ABV, so there’s no particular reason the hops couldn’t be a bit more dominant over the malt, in my opinion. Solid, I guess, if uninspired. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Driftwood Brewery Cry Me A River – Gose at 5% ABV

Driftwood Brewery Cry Me A River Gose at 5% ABV (C$6.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Sep-2016, reviewed 19-Sep-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head, moderate retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: wheat/grass, lemon, yeast, brine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, mild salt, low bitter. (6/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, short duration mildly salty and tart finish. (3/5)

A bit disappointing, actually: not very bright or tart, and the flavours come across as somewhat muddled. It kind of grew on me, but not to the point where I would rave about it. Not one of Driftwood’s better offerings, made doubly disappointing by the fact that I apparently had this one before, when it was named “gose-uh”. Oh, well, guess they can’t all be winners. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Foster’s Brewing Foster’s Lager – Pale Lager at 5% ABV | 12 IBU

Foster’s Brewing Foster’s Lager Pale Lager at 5% ABV | 12 IBU (C$4.99 at Liquor Depot McKenzie Town, 750 ml, bottle date 4-Jun-2015, acquired 19-Sep-2016, reviewed 19-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: adjunct corn syrup, grass, light vegetal. (4/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, low bitter. (3/10) Light body, lively carbonation, sweet medium duration finish. (2/5)

Very much a SABMiller product. Any character this might once have had has been pretty firmly stamped out – if not by the SABMiller ownership, than by the fact that this is brewed in the US under license. Hey, I knew it was gonna be shit going in, so I’m not disappointed. I was thirsty, now I’m not, so that’s kind of a win, right? And let’s be honest, the big-ass oilcan is fun. Cheap garbage, but at a cheap price. (8/20)

4/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Blindman Brewing Kettle Sour #4 – Sour / Wild Ale at 4.5% ABV | 7 IBU

Blindman Brewing Kettle Sour #4 Sour / Wild Ale at 4.5% ABV | 7 IBU (C$3.00 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 6-Jul-2016, best before 6-Oct-2016, acquired 18-Sep-2016, reviewed 18-Sep-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy straw with one finger of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grassy, lemon, pale malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short tart finish. (3/5)

It’s kettle sour, so how exciting can it be, right? (Gotta say, though, I love the “IT WAS DAVE’S FAULT” imprint on the date stamp. God dammit, Dave! Seriously, we’re sick of your shit, OK?) But, y’know, not bad – decent hop character from the Amarillo and Chinook. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Amsterdam Brewery Oranje Weisse Summer White – Witbier at 5% ABV | 12 IBU

Amsterdam Brewery Oranje Weisse Summer White Witbier at 5% ABV | 12 IBU (C$4.00 at Liquor Crossing Red Deer, 473 ml, bottle date 14-May-2015, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 18-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear straw with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thick cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: orange peel, coriander, wheat, bready yeast. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (5/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, medium duration finish. (3/5)

Bit of a disappointment from an otherwise solid brewery. Nothing overly wrong with it, but it just doesn’t excite me. Orange peel dominates a wheat and yeast base, but not exciting. Wish I liked it more than I do, actually. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Propeller Brewery Rye IPA – American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 72 IBU

Propeller Brewery Rye IPA American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 72 IBU (C$5.32 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, bottle date 22-Aug-2016, acquired 15-Sep-2016, reviewed 16-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: spicy rye, caramel, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Last tried over a year ago, but I didn’t take good notes. Also, this was reasonably fresh, so I just had to do it again. Rye dominates the aromas and helps raise the already high hop-based bitterness to near hop bomb levels, only slightly tempered by the relatively high caramel sweetness. All in all, fairly bombastic on all levels. I suppose technically it’s a bit unbalanced, but I’m a sucker for a rye IPA, so it works for me – your mileage may vary. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Argentum (2014) – Belgian IPA at 7% ABV | 49 IBU

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Argentum (2014) Belgian IPA at 7% ABV | 49 IBU (C$4.89 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, bottle date 22-Oct-2015, best before 31-Oct-2018, acquired 19-Jun-2016, reviewed 16-Sep-2016)

Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky white head head, good retention and minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grassy hay, caramel, stone fruit, apples, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart. (8/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

First time tasting, as part of a series of four from the family (Red, Nocturnum, Tremens, Argentum). Not entirely sure how this is a 2014 vintage if the Julian date on the bottle is 15295 (295th day of 2015), but that’s what the label claims, so…? An interesting beer – very much a Belgian interpretation of an American IPA. Which is to say, despite the fact that it’s dry-hopped with American hops, there’s still a significant (in fact, dominant) Belgian yeast character that lends a barnyardy hay note. Sort of but not entirely like a De Ranke XX. Doesn’t strike me as particularly well balanced, but I enjoyed it regardless – if for no other reason than different is always good. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens – Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 8.7% ABV | 26 IBU

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 8.7% ABV | 26 IBU (C$4.43 at NLC Stavanger, 330 ml, bottle date 15-Feb-2016, best before 28-Feb-2019, acquired 19-Jun-2016, reviewed 16-Sep-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: yeast, banana, cloves, floral, honey, green apples, white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, light bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

Last tasted more than two years ago, re-trying as part of a series of four from the family (Red, Nocturnum, Tremens, Argentum). Well balanced ale with characteristics of Belgian Strong and Tripel. Warm but not aggressive, it carries off the high ABV well. I still prefer this to any of the variants (although I’ve not yet tried the Argentum, so that might change). A solid Belgian that has never disappointed me. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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