Category: Reviews

Big Rock Brewery Rum Barrel Aged Barley Wine Barley Wine at 10.8% ABV | 24 IBU (C$5.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, best before 27-Oct-2017, acquired 8-Nov-2016, reviewed 14-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear deep amber with one finger of loose beige head retaining poorly with patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: rum, brown sugar, boozy vanilla extract, dark fruit, bready malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, moderate alcohol. (7/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, lively carbonation dropping off to soft, warming sweet and sticky finish. (4/5)

Definitely warm in the finish, but surprisingly mild given the ABV. I was expecting something hotter, but this is well-balanced and even-handed, with strong but not overwhelming sweetness tempered by strong but not overwhelming alcohol heat. Gotta give credit where it’s due here: I’m not a huge fan of rum or barley wine, but this is pretty decent stuff. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sound Brewery Mortal Kombat X Scorpion American Double / Imperial Stout at 8% ABV (C$10.06 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 12-Nov-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque brown with the merest hints of ruby at the margins, three fingers of rocky beige head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: liquorice, milk chocolate, vanilla, hint of chilli. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter, moderate-high peppery spice. (8/10) Medium-full body tending slightly thin, soft carbonation, building warming bitter and spicy finish. (4/5)

Woof – that’s a big, hot beast, in more ways than one. Upon uncapping liquorice immediately leads the way, quite similar to Howe Sound’s Megadestroyer (and how bizarre is that similarity, huh? – beers by “Howe Sound Brewery” and “Sound Brewery” having so much in common?) but after the liquorice fades, and following a brief flirtation with the Madagascar Vanilla, the chillies crash the party and set the mouth on fire. After that, it’s all about damage control: drinking faster initially cools the heat, but then the chilli oils just build and really get entrenched – but slowing down just means dragging out the punishment. (Speaking of punishment, it makes me wonder to what degree it’s inspired by Stone’s Crime and Punishment – which I have yet had the opportunity to try.) I actually like this a lot – draw your own conclusions as to exactly what kind of vague self-loathing and guilt that implies. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

4 Mile Brewing Co. Sweet Potato Harvest Spiced Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 6.5% ABV | 20 IBU (C$7.79 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 10-Nov-2016, reviewed 12-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of fluffy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pumpkin pie spices, sweet potato, grainy malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, low bitter. (5/10) Medium-thin body tending watery, moderate carbonation, sweet spicy finish. (3/5)

It’s not pumpkin, it’s sweet potato! Completely different! Except, this smells and tastes like pumpkin pie – or, maybe sweet potato pie. Really, really sweet potato pie. I’m intrigued by the differences between this and pumpkin, I really am – but ultimately this is a pie in a glass, except much thinner. Thin and sweet isn’t a recipe for success in my book, sorry. At the end of the day, it’s inoffensive but fairly forgettable, without much to distinguish it. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 5.5% ABV | 5 IBU (C$7.29 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 13-Oct-2016, reviewed 12-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of fluffy ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweet pumpkin pie, floral, grassy. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, low bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, sweet malty and spicy finish. (3/5)

Yes, I know, another pumpkin beer. You take what you can get up here in the frozen north, OK? And supporting the local guys is important to me. On to the beer! I’ve had worse pumpkin beers, and I’ve had better. This isn’t subtle, by any means, and plays more as canned pumpkin pie filling than real pumpkin. Too sweet for my preference, but that’s offset somewhat by the emphatic spices. I’m intrigued by the suggestion that this gets served with whipped cream and nutmeg, and I think I’d enjoy trying that – but as it stands, it’s not very exciting. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing 1 Year Belgian Golden Strong Ale at 8.9% ABV | 45 IBU (C$7.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 8-Nov-2016, reviewed 12-Nov-2016)

Appearance: hazy straw with one finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, stone fruit, Belgian yeast, pale malt, light funk and spices. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, drying and warming lightly funky finish. (4/5)

An ambitious anniversary ale by a local brewery I quite enjoy – and in a challenging style I quite enjoy. Definitely many opportunities for failure there, but actually, it turned out pretty darned good. Lots of Belgian character from the Duvel yeast, and a lightly funky dry finish from the Saison yeast. Well-balanced, with a high but not intrusive alcohol presence. Alberta beer geeks who don’t try this are doing themselves a disservice. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Gubernija Brewery Zhiguly Barrel 95 Malt Liquor at 9.5% ABV (C$4.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 18-Sep-2016, reviewed 12-Nov-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: corn, apple, grainy malt, solventy alcohol. (3/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate alcohol, mild bitter. (2/10) Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, hot solvent finish. (2/5)

Smells bad, tastes worse – I actually shuddered at the first sip. And the next one. Gave up after the third – although there’s enough nail polish remover-like alcohol present to cause immediate warming of the throat and stomach, it didn’t numb my taste buds quickly enough to continue. Checked the label and found “Contains sulphites.” Mwah? Why would a beer contain sulphites? What the hell are they spiking this with? Nasty and no doubt favoured by discriminating soccer hooligans and street dwellers everywhere. (6/20)

3/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Gigantic Brewing Company Lustrous Belgian Farmhouse Ale (#46) Saison at 8% ABV | 28 IBU (C$11.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 8-Nov-2016, reviewed 11-Nov-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with two fingers of rocky head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: apples, citrus, caramel malt, peppercorns, perfumy floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice, light funk. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry warming and lingering spicy finish. (3/5)

I liked the idea of scanning the can/bottle with your phone when Collective Arts did it with Blippar, and it’s still fun with the slightly more labour-intensive process Gigantic used with this one – though I’m not entirely sure how the dirty fuzz shoegaze of “The Rule” by bed. is all that relevant to this particular beer. (I’m not going to get into a discussion of how the breast-bound pubescent female on the label pertains to the name.) But, I listened while I drank, so as to enjoy the full experience. And I recommend doing so, if for no other reason than it’s fun to make tasting an experience that engages as many senses as possible – and unless the carbonation is pretty loony, hearing is the only major sense not engaged by the process. So, there’s that. The beer itself, on the other hand, is… well… less impressive than I’ve generally come to expect from Gigantic. As a Saison, this is frankly a heavy mess: the ABV is way too high, the body is too heavy, and the apple-dominant aromas go off to brown apple far too readily. Now, if it had been labeled a “Golden Strong” or something along those lines, well, I might be a bit more forgiving, but Saison is something of a favorite of mine, so I’m gonna hold your feet to the fire on it. I’m a tad disappointed by this failure to deliver, since I thought their Intensify and White Light White Heat indicated a reasonably solid understanding of Belgian styles, but this falls a bit short. TL;DR: semi-good, a bit heavy-handed, pricey. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Dageraad Brewing Lake City Farmhouse Saison at 5.2% ABV | 15 IBU (C$9.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 8-Nov-2016, reviewed 11-Nov-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with three fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, coriander, biscuity malt, barnyardy funk, white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter, light tart and funk. (8/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, dry lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

Nice. Clean and zesty, with a bone dry mild tart and funky finish. A bit difficult to pour, given the unwieldy head, but that was hardly a surprise given the enthusiastic uncapping – I’m just glad it wasn’t a gusher. Can someone please tell me how the heck it is that a brewery who’ve only been around since 2014 can produce such consistently solid Belgian styles? And it’s not like it’s a brewer who moved from another brewery – oh, no, Ben Coli just fell in love with Belgium and Belgian beers, and decided to become a brewer. A year and a half before opening Dageraad in 2014, if I’m reading his blog post correctly. Not only that, he’s rapidly getting better: this is a clear improvement over previous Saisons such as the House of the Rising Sun P49 collaboration and his own Randonneur. I’ve got high hopes for this brewery going forwards – heck, I’m trying to work up my nerve to follow in his footsteps! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Four Winds Brewing Co. Featherweight IPA Session IPA at 4.5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$8.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 8-Nov-2016, reviewed 11-Nov-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of dense ivory head, good retention and moderate chunky lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, pale malt, citrus, lightly vinous tropical fruit, hint of green onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body tending to watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Well, that’s something! A fairly clean, bright Session IPA with loads of flavour in a light, low ABV brew that maintains a relatively high bitterness. I’m not thrilled with the hint of vegetal green onion or cattiness, and the somewhat watery light body makes the elevated bitterness come across as slightly astringent, but those are relatively minor defects. Solid and crushable. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing Collective Project/ Sour Pumpkin Saison Saison at 5% ABV | 14 IBU (C$3.29 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 473 ml, bottle date 7-Oct-2016, acquired 10-Nov-2016, reviewed 11-Nov-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head diminishing to a thick cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pumpkin, typical spices, earthy, hint of burnt rubber/band-aid. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, light bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, short duration lightly tart finish. (4/5)

No, I don’t know why I keep buying pumpkin beers either. But, for a pumpkin beer, this isn’t bad at all. There’s definite pumpkin and sweet spices, but the light body and lively carbonation, combined with the lemony tart edge, definitely prevent it from becoming cloying at all. It remains easy-drinking throughout and can definitely be quaffed as a thirst-quencher, even if the ABV is pushing the limit for what I would philosophically consider appropriate for a true saison. And you do want to quaff this: as it warms, a hint of burnt rubber or band-aid starts to become noticeable. It’s never strong or off-putting, but it definitely means this isn’t something you want to linger over. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com