Categories
Reviews

Trillium Brewing Company Melcher Street – American IPA at 7.2% ABV

Trillium Brewing Company Melcher Street American IPA at 7.2% ABV (US$4.30, Trade from Bayman 4048 – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, bottle date 5-Aug-2016, acquired 12-Aug-2016, reviewed 14-Aug-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with one fat finger of creamy ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny dank pine, grapefruit zest, biscuity pale malt, mango and stone fruit, very light cattiness. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky and mildly warming finish. (4/5)

A very nice example of Mosaic hopping, with a somewhat danker, less juicy aroma than the Congress Street. Still getting citrus, but it’s more grapefruit rind and less juicy orange. There’s also a little stone or tropical fruit in there, but there’s also just a hint of that cattiness you sometimes get with Mosaic, although it’s not overwhelming or off-putting at all. Overall it suffers just a little by comparison to Congress Street. Still an excellent A/IPA, mind you, and highly enjoyable. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1934-3

Categories
Reviews

Trillium Brewing Company Congress Street – American IPA at 7.2% ABV

Trillium Brewing Company Congress Street American IPA at 7.2% ABV (US$4.30, Trade from Bayman 4048 – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, bottle date 4-Aug-2016, acquired 12-Aug-2016, reviewed 14-Aug-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with one fat finger of creamy ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: resiny and slightly dank pine, juicy oranges, pineapple, stone fruit, biscuity pale malt. (10/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky and mildly warming finish. (4/5)

At ten days old, this is the oldest of the four Boston IPA’s that Norm gave me. No, that’s not a typo, and yes, I’m in heaven. Big piney/citrusy/pineappley notes from the Australian Galaxy hops, hints of stone fruit and floral, and just enough biscuity pale malt to support things, with a lovely mouth feel, and just the right amount of gentle warming in the finish. Very well-balanced and just a lovely beer all-round. Huge thanks to Norm for this gem! (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1929-3

Categories
Reviews

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Pays du Soleil – Saison at 8% ABV

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Pays du Soleil Saison at 8% ABV (US$11.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 8-Aug-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with two fingers of growing rocky beige head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: floral, fruit, orange peel, Belgian yeast, caramel, light horseblankety funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light funk. (6/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

I’m not quite sure how best to categorize this: it’s clearly Belg-ish, with elements of Saison, but at least at the outset, it smells and acts a bit like a lambic. There’s some floral (though I’m not sure I could identify a hibiscus to save my life) and generic fruit esters on top of a light tart funk. It starts off rather promisingly, neatly uncorking itself as soon as the cage is released, and initially seems like it’s going to be an effervescent, dry, and rather interesting wild. Unfortunately, all of that falls rather flat – literally as well as figuratively – in rather short order. The carbonation dies off fairly rapidly, along with the head, and no decent lacing develops. As the carbonation dies, the dryness of the body goes away as well, leaving behind a slightly sweeter, slightly stickier ale than was promised by the first few sips. Most damningly, however, the more interesting elements of the aroma also die off fairly rapidly, becoming more brown apple and less tart funk. That’s not to say it’s a complete write-off – it certainly isn’t – but it’s not as good as I initially had hoped it would be. On the upside – well, I say “upside”, but maybe it’s a huge downside for some – that fairly beefy 8% ABV doesn’t become apparent until the bottle is fairly far gone, and you realize you’ve been quaffing 8% beer pretty liberally. Good times! (But yes, again, that’s a bit of a strike if you want to be stylistically pedantic: a near double-digit ABV is not the kind of stuff you want to be quenching your thirst with while working the fields, is it?) (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1927-3

Categories
Reviews

Brouwerij Boon Oude Geuze Boon à l’Ancienne – Gueuze at 7% ABV

Brouwerij Boon Oude Geuze Boon à l’Ancienne Gueuze at 7% ABV (€9.99 at Belgian Beer Tradition Rue au Buerre Bruxelles, 750 ml, best before 31-Jul-2034, acquired 21-May-2015, reviewed 4-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with two fluffy and growing fingers of light ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemon zest, barnyard funk, green apple, vinous white grape, light woody. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light funk. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively champagne-like carbonation, dry crisp lightly funky finish. (4/5)

Not quite as good as I was hoping for, if I’m honest. All the elements are there for a classic Gueuze, but all seem to come up just a little short, especially by comparison to e.g. Cantillon. The appearance, tartness, and funk are all in the ballpark for the style, but it just doesn’t pop the way some others do. Even their own Mariage Parfait, for example, is a much better example of the style. I know this is brewed in Lembeek (the home and namesake of “lambic,”) and I suppose it’s possible that this is actually more representative of the traditional style (“à l’ancienne”), which means that I’m just an unwashed heathen, but this just seems to fall a little short. Good, verging on great, and damned with faint praise. (14/20)

My 231st from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (221st from the 2013 edition), and 243rd combining both editions.

7/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1921-3

Categories
Reviews

Dageraad Brewing 10º (2016 Edition) – Abt / Quadrupel at 10.5% ABV

Dageraad Brewing 10º (2016 Edition) Abt / Quadrupel at 10.5% ABV (C$10.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 28-May-2016, reviewed 4-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy deep amber with two fingers of growing rocky beige head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: burnt candi sugar, toffee, darkish boozy fruit, yeast. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, mildly warming and slightly sticky finish. (3/5)

To be honest, I was expecting a little more… “presence”? “depth”? It isn’t unpleasant, by any means, but it’s not the smooth Belgian-style Quad I was expecting. The aromas start off promisingly, with burnt sugar dominating. Boozy fruit follows shortly behind, and things are looking pretty good for a while. However, shortly thereafter, the aromas seem to thin somewhat, leaving behind a medicinal booziness but not a lot of depth or character. Things aren’t a total write-off, though, because it continues to taste somewhat better than it smells, reminiscent of a crème brûlée. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed by this, exactly, and it doesn’t necessarily make me re-evaluate my opinion of Dageraad, but it doesn’t really affirm my prior opinion, either. Not a strikeout, perhaps, but not a home run, either. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1917-3

Categories
Reviews

Victory Brewing Company Red Thunder – Baltic Porter at 8.5% ABV

Victory Brewing Company Red Thunder Baltic Porter at 8.5% ABV (US$8.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 3-Aug-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with one fat finger of rocky beige head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: vinous grape, coffee, cocoa nibs, vanilla, dark fruit, woody. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, mildly warming and lightly tart, tannic and drying vinous finish. (4/5)

I don’t think I’ve ever had anything quite like this before. It’s sweetish, like one would expect for a Baltic Porter, but the wine barrel ageing gives it a vinous tart character that cuts the sweetness and even makes the body seem a bit on the light side. I’d like to try the base (Baltic Thunder) for comparison, but there’s still a fairly strong coffee presence, particularly in the finish, that I think gives me a pretty good idea of where it started before the big barrel presence came to play. It’s not subtle, but it’s interesting, and that counts for a lot in my book. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1914-3

Categories
Reviews

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Raspberry Tart Saison – Saison at 4.5% ABV

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Raspberry Tart Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 3-Aug-2016)

Appearance: hazy pinkish pale amber with two fingers of growing fluffy light pink head diminishing rapidly to a thin cap, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, tart raspberry, horseblankety funk, lemon, light oak. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, crisp lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

Upon decapping, I was greeted by the now-familiar (well, if you’ve tried Council beers before) doughy aroma of baker’s yeast, underneath which lurked a tart raspberry and light funk. I was then treated to one of the most bizarre beer displays I’ve ever seen, in which the fluffy light pink head receded upward from the fluid meniscus first, leaving the top layer of foam completely intact across the glass, as its interior eroded in ever-larger caverns. I was so enthralled I forgot to photograph it, and by the time I thought to grab my camera it was gone, replaced by a persistent thin cap. It’s not an unpleasant example of the style, and the raspberry seems pretty authentic, but I’m finding it hard to get behind that yeast. I really think a yeast with a cleaner character would improve these beers immensely. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1908-3

Categories
Reviews

Mill Street Brewery Caribou Cream Ale – Cream Ale at 5% ABV

Mill Street Brewery Caribou Cream Ale Cream Ale at 5% ABV (C$8.00 at Mill Street Brew Pub St. John’s, 945 ml, bottle date 28-Jul-2016, acquired 28-Jul-2016, reviewed 29-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grass, honey, biscuity pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate-soft carbonation, crisp smooth finish. (3/5)

Not bad, actually! I’m not generally a huge fan of Cream Ales, but this is decently done – clean grassy hops, with just a hint more sweetness and subtle creaminess in the mouthfeel to distinguish from a Pale Lager or Pilsner. And I have to say, I’m a huge fan of being able to do growler fills of locally brewed beer. That alone would dispose me kindly towards this, but the fact is, it’s a not bad brew in its own right. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1868-3

Categories
Reviews

Garrison Brewing Company Rise ‘n’ Stein – Hefeweizen at 5.5% ABV

Garrison Brewing Company Rise ‘n’ Stein Hefeweizen at 5.5% ABV (C$5.36 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 17-Jul-2016, reviewed 27-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of creamy white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: banana, cloves, pepper, wheat. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly spicy finish. (3/5)

That’s actually quite pleasant. A very authentic Hefeweizen that was pouring fairly transparent until I did the little “hefe swirl” near the end to pick up the yeast, and the colour developed appropriately. Typical banana and cloves on the front end, with an off-dry, slightly peppery finish. Straightforward implementation of a light-ish, pleasant style. Exciting? Nope. Refreshing? Yup. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1864-3

Categories
Reviews

Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche – Doppelbock at 8% ABV

Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock at 8% ABV (C$5.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 31-Aug-2016, acquired 23-Jul-2016, reviewed 26-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium amber with one finger of creamy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: hardwood smoke, dark fruit, caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate smoke, moderate sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry smoky finish. (4/5)

A couple of weeks ago, I said that the Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier might be an excellent place for neophytes to begin exploring Rauchbiers, given its overall quite mellow character. Well, that’s still true, but this one might be an even better first Rauchbier. The oak smoke seems milder than the beech smoke, and it’s also slightly less evocative of smoked-cured meat. Not radically different than the Fastenbier, but just as good – and, interestingly, the much higher ABV is really not any more apparent than the much lower (5.5%) of the Fastenbier. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

DPR_1858-3