Category: Reviews

Epic Brewing / Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Elder Brett (Release 6) Sour / Wild Ale at 9.1% ABV | 40 IBU (US$11.99 at Specs Main Houston, 650 ml, bottle date 20-Nov-2014, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 23-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, apples and pears, stone fruit, white grape must, oak, light earthy funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry tart warming finish. (4/5)

A nicely done Wild, pleasant and interesting. It’s almost white wine-like with its fruit and wood notes, crisp body and gently warming finish. Problem is, I’m not that big a fan of white wine even when I’m drinking white wine. That said, I wouldn’t say no to another of these if offered, which is really the only test that matters, right? (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anheuser-Busch InBev Shock Top Citrus Radler Radler at 2.4% ABV (C$3.54 at NLC Gander, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Apr-2017, reviewed 20-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp tart and astringent finish. (3/5)

Another ABInBev product that doesn’t suck. (I know! I’m as shocked as you are!) Don’t get me wrong, it’s not actually beer or anything, but it’s a decent tart and astringent thirst quencher. This is all pithy and fleshy grapefruit, but I love grapefruit (and I’m a sucker for a Radler) so that’s fine by me. I could literally have this with breakfast as a morning eye-opener. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Anheuser-Busch InBev Bud Light Radler Radler at 2.4% ABV (C$3.54 at NLC Gander, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Apr-2017, reviewed 19-Apr-2017)

Appearance: opaque pale straw with a fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp tart finish. (3/5)

I’m more than a little shocked by the fact that this isn’t actually terrible. I mean, at just over TWO percent it’s hardly a real beer, but it’s not a bad lightly beer-flavoured grapefruit soft drink. The grapefruit actually tastes tangy and tart, without being sickly sweet or artificial. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I halfway like this. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Spindrift Brewing Co. Blueberry Chai Pils Pilsener at 5% ABV (C$3.39 at NLC Gander, 473 ml, bottle date 20-Mar-2017, acquired 19-Apr-2017, reviewed 19-Apr-2017)

Appearance: hazy pink-tinted medium gold with a short pinkish head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: blueberry, doughy wheat, chai and black tea, DMS, hint of band-aid. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light tart, low bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly tart finish. (3/5)

Meh. It is what it is: dominated by a not-overly-authentic blueberry and sweet doughy malt. There’s a slight off-note, too, that splits the difference between corn adjunct/DMS, and burnt rubber/bandaid. For all that, it’s not terrible – but I wouldn’t have it again. (Hey, when you’re in the middle of nowhere at a kid’s hockey tournament, you take what you can find for beers you haven’t tried before. There’s worse to come!) (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Upright Brewing Company Saison Vert Saison at 4.75% ABV | 17 IBU (C$15.29 at Oak & Vine, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-Apr-2017, reviewed 19-Apr-2017)

Appearance: cloudy medium gold with a huge fluffy white head, excellent retention and soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: hay funk, wheat, lime. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, dry crisp finish. (5/5)

A very well done traditional Saison that ticks all the boxes: balanced funk, pleasant tart, and bone dry finish, all built on a style-appropriate low(er) ABV. I’m honestly puzzled by the low ratings this has garnered, because it’s at least a solid 8/10 world-class implementation of the style. Really my cup of tea – or, more to the point, my pint of beer. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires Hors Série Oud Bruin Flanders Brown Ale / Oud Bruin at 7% ABV | 12 IBU (C$13.99 at Oak & Vine, 750 ml, bottle date 25-Nov-2016, acquired 27-Mar-2017, reviewed 18-Apr-2017)

Appearance: murky near opaque ruby brown with a fluffy ivory head settling rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: balsamic vinegar, sour cherry, wood, hint of chocolate, light funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering tart finish. (4/5)

You might call this vinous and oaky, I suppose, but it reminds me of chokecherries, with sour cherry dominating over a hint of chocolate. It’s not as clean as I’d like, though, and the cherry notes come across as being slightly browned or spoiled. I’m surprised to see brettanomyces listed in the brewer notes, because there’s very little of what I would consider a typical brett funk going on here. The sourness is high and not as complex as some other Old Bruins I’ve had, with almost a kettle sour / lactic character. Good, but falls short of great. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Oskar Blues Brewery Hotbox Coffee Porter American Porter at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.49 at Oak & Vine, 355 ml, bottle date 18-Sep-2016, acquired 1-Apr-2017, reviewed 18-Apr-2017)

Appearance: near opaque with clear brown relief around the margins, a short beige head settling rapidly to a thin ring, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, dry cocoa, toffee, dark fruit and red berries. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-full smooth body, moderate carbonation, drying mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Went into this with high expectations. Was not (greatly) disappointed. It came across just slightly thin and light for my preference, possibly as a result of slightly high carbonation. As well, the red berry tartness, while not entirely unwelcome, became a bit overly-emphatic towards the end. Both of these might well be reflections of a deliberate effort to craft a lighter, easy-drinking Porter, but I think I’d’ve preferred it with a more traditional body. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Ale Apothecary El Cuatro American Wild Ale at 9.72% ABV (C$47.48 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 8-Apr-2016, acquired 13-Oct-2016, reviewed 17-Apr-2017)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of fizzy off-white head settling to a thin ring, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: complex, white grape must, stone fruit, caramel, oak, malt vinegar, earthy funk. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, short tart finish. (4/5)

An interesting and elegant beer, reminiscent of a Gueuze or a Flemish Brown in its flavours. The aroma is pleasantly complex, with a combination of fruit, barrel, and vinegar notes. I find it just slightly aggressive on the tongue, with perhaps a hair too much emphasis on the vinegary tartness. Having said that, I suspect I’d find it too sweet if it weren’t quite so tart, so there’s that. Extremely good, and able to stand alongside some of the best – but truly, stupidly, expensive. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery Lukey’s Bock Maibock at 6.5% ABV | 8 IBU (C$7.00 at Mill Street Brew Pub St. John’s, 945 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 15-Apr-2017, reviewed 16-Apr-2017)

Appearance: clear deep gold with a short, short-lived off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasty and grainy malt, apples and pears, hint of sulphides. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, short finish. (3/5)

Not a bad implementation of the style: it does exhibit the main characteristic of being essentially a beefy Helles, but the sweetness is in my opinion overly emphatic, as is the carbonation. It’s not bad, but it’s a bit heavy-handed. And no, it’s neither painted green, nor the prettiest Bock I ever seen (ah-ha me boys). (It’s a “Lukey’s Boat” reference, in case you’re not an aficionado of Newfoundland music…) (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery / Port Rexton Brewing Company Clear As Mud Dunkelweizen at 5.2% ABV | 22 IBU (C$7.00 at Mill Street Brew Pub St. John’s, 945 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 15-Apr-2017, reviewed 15-Apr-2017)

Appearance: cloudy medium amber with one finger of fine beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: banana, clove, doughy yeast, caramel/brown sugar, hint of vanilla. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly tart finish. (4/5)

Yup, that’s clear as mud, all right. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, though I’d like better retention and lacing. Decent example of the style, with reasonably balanced esters and phenols in front of bready yeast and sweet caramel. A bit maltier and sweeter than I’d prefer, though. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com