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Karlsberg Brauerei Becker’s Pils – Pilsener at 4.9% ABV

Karlsberg Brauerei Becker’s Pils Pilsener at 4.9% ABV (C$2.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 500 ml, best before 31-Jul-2017, acquired 13-Oct-2016, reviewed 13-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pale malt, grassy, light citrus, hint of sulphur. (4/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (4/10) Palate: light body, crisp lightly bitter finish. (3/5)

Uh-oh. “Premium” on the label, as well as “Reinheitsgebot”? Danger! But, actually, I guess it’s fine for what it is. No major off flavours on the nose or the tongue (although there is a hint of almost metallic sulphur as it warms) and it finishes fairly clean and crisp. I was thirsty, now I’m not. Job done. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company Double Jack (2016) – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.5% ABV | 85 IBU

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Double Jack (2016) American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.5% ABV | 85 IBU (C$12.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 25-Aug-2016, acquired 11-Oct-2016, reviewed 12-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of fluffy near-white head diminishing gradually to a thick cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruits, resiny pine, sharp citrus. (9/10) Taste: medium-high sweet and medium-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-full slightly chewy body, lingering resiny bitterness. (4/5)

Another stellar example of a stellar beer. I actually drank the first half a pint faster than I should have, because I was thirsty, and it drinks so easy there was no warning to slow down – at least, not until the bitterness catches up. A shame, really, because this is a beer worth savouring. Last time I had this was a couple of years ago, which is too long – there’s really no excuse for me not re-evaluating this one at least annually, especially since they’re now available in AB. (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Driftwood Brewery Raised By Wolves – American IPA at 7% ABV

Driftwood Brewery Raised By Wolves American IPA at 7% ABV (C$8.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 11-Oct-2016, reviewed 11-Oct-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of fluffy light ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, juicy grapefruit, mild pine, light funk. (9/10) Taste: medium sweet and medium-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

This… might be the best Driftwood I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something. It’s at least as good as Fat Tug, but significantly different. Not only do they use Equinox hops (new hotness!) but there’s also a big Brett-like component. Unlike a lot of beers using brettanomyces, though, the funk doesn’t run away with the show: here, it’s even-handed, balanced, and fruity. (It appears that the so-called “Brett Trois” strain they use is actually a wild Saccharomyces, so maybe that’s why?) And, somewhat uncharacteristically for a confirmed hophead such as myself, I appreciate the fact that the bitterness is big, but not overwhelming. This is damn fine stuff, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Hell, I’ll probably buy anther one just to enjoy, and given how rarely I buy a beer a second time, that should tell you something. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Phillips Brewing Company Green Reaper (2016) – American IPA at 6.5% ABV

Phillips Brewing Company Green Reaper (2016) American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$7.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, best before 19-Feb-2017, acquired 11-Oct-2016, reviewed 11-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mint, melon, citrus, pale malt, pine, grass. (7/10) Taste: medium sweet and medium-strong bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering and building bitter dank finish. (3/5)

I last had this when they rolled it out in the fall of 2015, so I figured a re-evaluation was in order – plus, I’m not ready to give up on IPA season quite yet. As far as I can tell, it’s the same lineup of starts-with-C hops here as last year, giving a wetly green and dank overall profile that manages to skirt the edge of onion and cattiness without quite getting there. I still can’t find any authoritative information on the actual bitterness, but it’s got to be at least 60-80 IBU or so. This remains one of my favourites from this brewer, and I think it’s going to have to be a fall tradition from now on. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Blindman Brewing / Troubled Monk Brewery Peculier Fellows Old Ale Burbank Series No. 1 – Old Ale at 5.7% ABV | 28 IBU

Blindman Brewing / Troubled Monk Brewery Peculier Fellows Old Ale – Burbank Series No. 1 Old Ale at 5.7% ABV | 28 IBU (C$3.87 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 11-Oct-2016, reviewed 11-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one fat finger of fluffy beige head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasted bread, dark fruits, light nutty and coffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body tending to watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering mild bitter finish. (3/5)

No, it’s not an ale for peculiar old fellows, stop that. I figured, what the hell, there’s snow on the ground here in Cowtown, so why not carry on with darker ales? That being said, this certainly isn’t very dark, nor is it heavy at all, especially in the finish where it drops off rapidly to thin and watery. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s not as good as I had hoped for from a collaboration of two solid local brewers. In fact, I’ve had Brown Ales from both brewers, and, to my dismay, this isn’t as good as either. (And yes, I know an Old isn’t a Brown, but there are certain similarities.) My particular dismay stems from the fact that they both chose to hop up their Browns, but this collab Old isn’t hoppy at all: it’s dominated by malt, with some almost vinous dark fruit, but very little hop character beyond a thin, almost astringent bitter finish. Easy-drinking and fairly inoffensive, but nothing exciting. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Black Bridge Brewery Saison Deux Fois la Taille – Imperial Saison at 8.6% ABV

Black Bridge Brewery Saison Deux Fois la Taille Imperial Saison at 8.6% ABV (C$14.99 at Liquor Depot McKenzie Town, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Sep-2016, reviewed 10-Oct-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with a massive and growing three finger rocky off-white head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus pith and zest, apples and pears, yeast, cloves, dry hay, alcohol, white pepper. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild funky tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry lightly funky and lingering mild bitter finish. (4/5)

The way the cap let go, I was expecting a gusher, and scrabbled madly for a glass. It didn’t actually foam out of the bottle, but in the glass it continued to develop its massive fluffy head for quite some time, actually overflowing the lip. And again, I find myself on the horns of a dilemma: rate this as the style it purports to be, or on its own merits? Because, frankly, as a BSPA, this is great – but as a Saison, not quite so much. There’s the familiar argument about ABV, of course, but they to some extent deal with that by making it clear it’s actually a double (“Deux Fois la Taille” = “twice the size”) – though I’m still not convinced “Imperial Saison” is a legitimate style that ought to see the light of day, despite this not being my first example of that style. No, the flavours are more what I’m thinking about here: I expect Saisons to be light, fruity, and dry, but this has sweeter and more robust flavours. I expect much of that is attributable to its “double” character, but still it makes for a slightly oddball beer. Ultimately pretty heavy for the (nominal) style, but still a bit of fun. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Wychwood (Marstons) Dunkel Fester – Dunkel at 4.4% ABV

Wychwood (Marstons) Dunkel Fester Dunkel at 4.4% ABV (C$3.68 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, best before 31-Jul-2017, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 9-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one fat finger of fluffy beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, decent lacing. (3/5) Aroma: muted, molasses, toasted bread, light nutty and coffee. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Medium-light body tending to watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering mild bitter finish. (3/5)

Yes, I know I’ve nobody but myself to blame if I insist on buying Wychwood products. Call it a foolish sentimentality, OK? If this has a saving grace, it’s its long bitter finish, which is surprisingly robust. Other than that, it’s a pretty bland Dark Mild. Could be worse, though – I mean, at least there’s no pumpkin… (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Waterloo Brewing Co. Double-Double Dopplebock – Doppelbock at 7% ABV

Waterloo Brewing Co. Double-Double Dopplebock Doppelbock at 7% ABV (C$3.28 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 5-Mar-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 9-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one fat finger of fluffy beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, roasty malt, milk chocolate, vanilla. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Medium-light slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sweet moderate duration mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Just like its namesake, this is too sweet for my preference. (For the non-Canadians in the audience, a “double-double” is the trademark {crappy} coffee with two cream and two sugar typically bought at Tim Horton’s.) Coffee leads out here, but is quickly backstopped by a sweet milkiness reminiscent of milk chocolate. If my interpretation of the date code (“C05612”) is correct, this is a bit old, but that shouldn’t be a problem for this style, especially given the somewhat high ABV. Speaking of the ABV, it’s very well-behaved, and only shows up as a mild warming in the finish. Not bad, overall, but would probably be better in a vanilla ice cream float. I certainly couldn’t drink more than one, regardless. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale – Kölsch at 5.2% ABV | 21 IBU

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale Kölsch at 5.2% ABV | 21 IBU (C$4.70 at NLC Stavanger, 600 ml, bottle date 31-Aug-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 8-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of fizzy white head diminishing to a persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pale crackery malt, bready yeast, light citrus and floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp clean finish. (3/5)

Clean, crisp and easy-drinking. It’s not going to challenge you, by any means, but it’s one you can easily session. The style is classic Kölsch, top-fermented with an ale yeast, but cold conditioned (“lagered”), making it a true hybrid style. The brewer says this one is done with (among others) pilsner and acidulated malts, in addition to wheat and carafoam. I’m not certain I’ve had one done with acidulated malt before, and I’m tempted to attribute at least some of the crispness in the finish to that, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it actually tart. Pleasant enough, if a little pedestrian, and certainly one that wouldn’t be unwelcome under an umbrella on a hot day. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Pilsner – Pilsener at 5% ABV | 25 IBU

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Pilsner Pilsener at 5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$2.25 at NLC Stavanger, 355 ml, bottle date 3-Jun-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 7-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw, one finger of slightly fizzy white head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pale biscuity malt, grassy hay, citrus, light floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp clean finish. (3/5)

I must admit to being slightly disappointed by this. I mean, these guys do a really decent IPA, DIPA, and SIPA, so I was sorta kinda hoping for a highly-hopped interpretation of a Pilsener. Instead, it’s… a Pilsener. It’s a nice, well-implemented, dead-nuts-on interpretation of the style, but it’s… a Pilsener. No more, no less. Hopped slightly higher than normal for the style, perhaps, but with Hallertau, so it’s still quite mild in character. A decent example of the style, if you go in for that sort of thing, I suppose. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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