Category: Reviews

Bomber Brewing Company Bomber Brewing IPA American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$2.17 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 24-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of loose ivory head, moderate retention and lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, caramel malt, floral/herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Not terrible, by any means, but it’s an older-style A/IPA, with significant malt presence. There’s a decent amount of starts-with-C hopping there, but it’s not as bright as I’d like it to be. Good, not great. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Troubled Monk Brewery Pesky Pig American Pale Ale at 5% ABV (C$2.33 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 6-Jul-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 23-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of loose ivory head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, pine, crackery pale malt, grass, floral. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderately bitter finish. (4/5)

Dunno what that monk’s got to be troubled about: he’s got a beer in each hand, and he’s riding a pig – what’s not to enjoy? As for what’s inside the can, well, pretty much the same phrase applies: what’s not to enjoy? Nice hoppy nose, decent bitterness, and a pleasantly light and crisp body make this quite an enjoyable APA, as long as you drink it fairly quickly: the citrus and pine do fade, leaving behind the grassiness and an almost lager-y character. Luckily, there’s no reason not to drink it at a reasonably quick pace, so, no harm, no foul. (And I’m utterly thrilled to see another craft brewery in Red Deer. The current proliferation of small craft brewers makes me happy.) (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nøgne Ø / Mikkeller / BrewDog Horizon Tokyo Black American Double / Imperial Stout at 16% ABV (C$12.02 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 250 ml, bottle date 29-Nov-2012, best before 29-Nov-2027, acquired 3-Jul-2015, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque black with a short-lived loose beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: boozy dark fruit, chocolate, liquorice, dark roasty and peaty malt, vanilla. (7/10) Taste: high bitter, moderate-high sweet. (7/10) Full body, soft carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (3/5)

Yeah, it’s another 11 years and then some before the BB date, but it’s good to be proactive, right? I went into this assuming that over three years of ageing should be sufficient to allow this thing to smooth out as much as it was gonna. I might’ve been mistaken. Or maybe this thing is never gonna settle down. Either way, it’s a hot, boozy mess. I’m the last one to criticize a hot, boozy mess, because that pretty much describes me (heyyy-ooo!) but this is just… well… I debated using “harsh”, but, yeah, it’s harsh. Not brutal, perhaps, but definitely harsh. And way overrated: if I’m gonna struggle to drink a mediocre beer, at least let me not have to pay fifty bucks a litre for it? (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Gigantic Brewing Company Superbad (#37) American Double / Imperial Stout at 9% ABV (C$11.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-Mar-2016, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with the merest hint of brown in the margins, one fat finger of dense beige head, moderate retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coffee, cocoa nibs, liquorice, dark fruit, light chili pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light spice. (7/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate-low carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter and spicy warming finish. (3/5)

Decent, but not up to the level I was hoping for, if I’m honest. I was expecting, I dunno, more… presence? Ultimately it’s just a little thin, both in body and flavours. It could certainly stand to be more robust. On the other hand, the mild chili pepper spice goes well with the relatively high ABV, helping create a mild diffuse warming. (Yes, I know it’s the middle of summer. I have way too much dark stuff on hand – gotta drink it down!) (14/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 002 American IPA at 5.9% ABV (C$3.33 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 14-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of loose off-white head, moderate retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, melon, crackery pale malt, citrus, floral, light vinous. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter finish. (4/5)

Awww yeah… Pleasantly hoppy A/IPA, albeit one verging into ISA territory. Nothing aggressive, and the hops are definitely given a run for their money by the malt. It finishes fairly clean, but there is an almost soapy texture to the body. Still, though, very drinkable, in large quantities should the opportunity present. “Crushable”, as the kids say. (See? I’m hip! With it! Cool! … oh god I’m so old…) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ribstone Creek Brewery Great White Combine White IPA at 5.6% ABV (C$2.50 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 27-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: clove/coriander, white pepper, citrus, pine, wheat. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild pepper. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, mild bitter and spicy finish. (4/5)

The usual suspects call this an American IPA, but I beg to differ. It’s definitely a White IPA, or a Belgian-style IPA if you want to be old-school about it, but that’s not much more accurate than the A/IPA designation. Ultimately, this is a great example of why BJCP formally added White IPA as a style as of 2015: it really does marry two very disparate styles to create something entirely new. The aromas are definitely dominated by a Witbier-like pepper and coriander, whether actual spice and/or Belgian yeast, but that’s quickly followed by a citrus and pine hoppiness that wouldn’t normally be present in a wit. Nope, this is its own beast, similar to how the Black IPA is, but I think I prefer this style – and the is a good example of that style. Ribstone Creek has really hit this one out of the park. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Bruery Terreux Frucht: Passion Fruit (2016) Berliner Weisse at 4.3% ABV (C$17.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 21-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short-lived fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: peach, tropical fruit, lactic, wheat, light funk. (8/10) Taste: high tart, moderate sweet. (8/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, tart and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

Whoo, that’s tart!  They claim it’s passion fruit, but to be honest I’m getting peach puree baby food. Not that that’s a bad thing, y’unnerstand. I’m not getting a lot of woodiness from the oak foeder aging, but perhaps that’s a component of the lightly funky finish. Lots of fun, if a whole lot more heavy-handed than traditional Berliner Weisses. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Harvest Hefeweizen: Hazy pale straw with no head to speak of; citrus, grainy wheat malt, light bubblegum/banana; moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart; light body, moderate carbonation, crisp finish. Decent and refreshing, if far too clear for the style. 6/10

ISA: Clear straw, no head and patchy lacing; mild floral, citrus, pine, pale malt; moderate sweet, moderate-light bitter; medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly bitter finish. Light and easy-drinking, but not necessarily watered-down. 6/10

TK IPA: Clear pale gold, low creamy white head and moderate lacing; floral, citrus, pine, caramel malt; moderate sweet, moderate bitter; medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. Very similar to the ISA, just slightly more emphatic. Still quite mild, though, and could almost qualify as an ISA itself. Not getting a lot of the PacNW/NZ hops the board claims, and could definitely stand to be more dry-hopped. 6.5/10

Blowout Stout: Clear brown with a short light beige head, good retention and lacing; roasty malt, coffee, cocoa; medium-full body, soft carbonation, clean dry finish. Decent dry Irish-style stout that manages to be pleasantly rich without becoming heavy. (And no, it’s not “viscous” or “heavy” the way the commercial descriptions claim.) ABV is on the high side for the style but doesn’t detract. 7/10

Bench Creek Brewing White Raven American IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$3.87 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, bottle date 30-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 20-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with three fingers of loose ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, pine, pale/caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Oh hell damn yes – three week old IPA? Sign me up! Yeah, it looks like one of those malt-forward A/IPA messes I love to complain about – but it ain’t that. Lovely citrusy hops lead the way over tropical fruit, pine, and a restrained pale/caramel malt base. Fragrant aromas on moderately high bitter flavours? This would be worth going to Edmonton for – and I don’t say that lightly. (I advise you to just ignore the loony ramblings on the side of the can – crackpots can make good beer, apparently.) (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Ninkasi Brewing Company Beer Run American IPA at 7.3% ABV (C$9.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 20-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, excellent retention and decent lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, pine, pale malt, tropical fruit tones. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Not completely convinced by this one: yes, there’s a fairly big bitter going on – which is definitely to the good – but it seems just a touch unbalanced, or at least not well represented by the aromas. If I had to choose, I’d’ve suggested a bit more dry hopping and a bit less hops in the boil. Not a lot, by any means, but I think a slight tweak of the balance here would be a big improvement. Well, that and hiring an actual graphic artist to do the label, instead of the owner’s 10-year-old child (or maybe 20-year-old mistress-with-pretensions-of-artistry). Yes, it really is that cartoonishly bad. If you don’t want to spend money on your labels, follow De Molen’s lead. Otherwise, step it up like Driftwood did. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com