Category: Reviews

Unibroue Trois Pistoles (2014) Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 9% ABV (C$8.99 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 750 ml, bottle date 29-Nov-2014, acquired 26-Apr-2015, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear amber-brown with two fingers of light tan head, good retention, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark vinous fruit, figs, brown sugar, some Belgian yeast. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (9/10) Medium-full body, lively carbonation, off dry and mildly warming finish. (4/5)

Well, damn. I just re-read my old notes, and realized I meant to keep this down in the cellar for longer: the last vintage of this I reviewed (a 2012) was just over two years old when I reviewed it, and this was a touch younger than that. Guess I need to go hunting for a dusty one on a shelf somewhere, or try again in about 3 years… or more… No significant variations that I can discern by comparison to my notes, unless perhaps a slightly lighter body and slightly higher carbonation in this version. I wonder of that might be attributable to the larger corked and caged bottle holding pressure a bit better than the small capped bottle I previously tried? Regardless, any way you slice it, this remains a world-class BSDA. (17/20)

8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Mango Tart Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 16-Feb-2016, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 14-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale gold with a short, short-lived fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, horseblankety funk, mango and lemon. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, minimal bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively carbonation, crisp lightly tart and funky finish. (4/5)

I might argue slightly with their choice in yeast here: I’m getting a bready, doughy note that reminds me of nothing so much as baker’s yeast. Though, in reading the bottle notes, I guess the doughy aspect is exactly what they were aiming for, so, well done, I guess? They say they’re using a Saison yeast in a no-boil process, but something like a champagne yeast might be an alternative. I still think it tastes better than it smells, but that’s just personal preference. Overall, very well done – and I really find that lower-gravity Saisons like this feel more authentic than their boozier brethren. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Unibroue Éphémère Bleuet Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 5.5% ABV (C$6.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, bottle date 31-Mar-2016, acquired 26-Jun-2016, reviewed 13-Jul-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy reddish pale amber with two fingers of pillowy light violet head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly artificial or medicinal blueberry, sweet wheat malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, minimal bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp lightly tart and slightly medicinal finish. (3/5)

Pretty similar to the Canneberge and Cerise, both in terms of flavour (not very impressive and not entirely authentic fruit) and overall experience (just plain not very impressive). This is the fourth of the Éphémère series I’ve tried, and I have to say, the more ephemeral these are, the better. With the exception of the Pomme, which is passable, they really don’t compare to the much more solid Belgian-style offerings where Unibroue really shines. It improves slightly with the second glass, with the lees swirled in the final half inch and poured over the head like a hefeweizen (it is a wheat beer, after all) but that’s pretty much a case of too little, too late. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brauerei Heller-Trum / Schlenkerla Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier Rauchbier at 5.5% ABV (C$4.43 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, best before 31-Dec-2016, acquired 9-Jul-2016, reviewed 12-Jul-2016)

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

Mmm… Bacon-y! A very pleasant, easy-drinking Rauchbier, with strong but not overwhelming smokiness. I’m really starting to appreciate Rauchbiers in general and the Aecht Schlenkerla lineup more specifically, and this is quite a nice example. The smokiness in particular is very well implemented, and comes across more as bacon curing (i.e. hardwood) than campfire (i.e. softwood). In fact, this might be an excellent place for neophytes to begin exploring Rauchbiers, given the overall quite mellow character. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. Railside Session Ale Session IPA at 4.2% ABV (C$3.10 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 19-Apr-2016, acquired 19-Jun-2016, reviewed 12-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy malt, grass, honey. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, off-dry slightly metallic finish. (3/5)

Well, it’s a pretty-looking beer. And it’s not actually terrible. Yeah, that’s about all I’ve got. I mean, it pretty much smells and tastes like every other Sleeman product. Which, I guess, isn’t the worst possible outcome for a Session Ale – at least it doesn’t taste watered-down. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Picaroons Traditional Ales  Melon Head Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 4.5% ABV (C$3.87 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 23-Jun-2016, reviewed 11-Jul-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: melon, berry, grainy pale malt, wheat. (5/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild tart, low bitter. (5/10) Medium-light slightly syrupy body, lively carbonation, sweet lightly tart finish. (3/5)

I was initially kind of impressed that there was a significant melon presence upon decapping. That faded quickly as it became apparent just how “Watermelon Jolly Ranchers” the aroma and flavour really were. High sweetness is kept from becoming sickly only by the fizzy carbonation. Better than macro crap, but only just. To be honest, the best feature is the label. What’s the story there, anyway? Riders fans are pussies? Yeah, OK, let’s go with that. (10/20)

5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Super Stellar American IPA at 6% ABV (C$2.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 473 ml, bottle date 4-Apr-2016, acquired 6-Jul-2016, reviewed 6-Jul-2016)

Appearance: pale amber with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resin, pithy grapefruit, caramel and toffee, light onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

An excellent A/IPA. Big but not overwhelming bitter is supported by sweet but not dominant malt. The Mosaic and Citra hops are well-balanced, giving juicy citrus and West Coast dankness without verging into cattiness. There is a slight onion edge coming through that prevents me from ranking this higher, but as it stands it’s definitely worthy of your consideration. Wish I could have had this fresher, and will definitely keep an eye out for the chance to try a newer one. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Radler Radler at 3.5% ABV (C$2.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 473 ml, bottle date 21-Mar-2016, acquired 6-Jul-2016, reviewed 6-Jul-2016)

Appearance: opaque pinkish pale amber with a short white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, grass, pale malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, mild tart finish. (4/5)

Yes, I’m still a sucker for radlers – I apologise for nothing. And this one’s actually halfway interesting. Yes, there’s lots of grapefruit, but it’s not all grapefruit: there’s actually some hop and malt character coming through, reminding you that this does in fact contain beer. (Which is more than can be said for a lot of radlers.) The sweetness is nicely restrained, too, unlike a lot of railers or shandy. Pleasant and refreshing, but don’t let it warm up – I was starting to detect a little burnt rubber towards the end. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Russell Brewing Company Russell The Kettle Sour Sour / Wild Ale at 5% ABV (C$6.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 5-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with a short white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lactic sour, lemon zest, grainy malt, stone fruit, vinous. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, mild tart finish. (3/5)

Meh – I knew going in that it was a kettle sour, so, really, how interesting could it be? So, I really can’t say it’s disappointing. Fairly one-dimensional lactic sour dominates. It’s almost like a Berliner weiss, actually, so it’s not terrible or anything – but it’s a long way from interesting. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Townsite Brewing Inc. / 4 Pines Brewing Company / Tool Shed Brewing Soulless Cedar Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 5.8% ABV (C$10.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 5-Jul-2016)

Appearance: clear red-tinged pale amber, one fat finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: cedar, lemon zest, floral, caramel, earth. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild peppery spice. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, spicy finish. (3/5)

The bottle calls this a “red belgian ale” (yes, capitalized like that). Now, to the best of my knowledge, “Belgian red” typically means “Flanders red”, which means “sour”. This ain’t that. I’m not aware of any other interpretations, so I’m left a bit rudderless here in terms of reviewing this… thing. I wouldn’t know lemon myrtle or pepper berry if they bit me, but Spanish cedar? Yeah, it smells and tastes like Spanish cedar. I guess I should be thankful that there’s no big pissy Citra or Simcoe in there to really round out the “drinking a hamster cage” vibe? Pretty beer, though – but I always was a sucker for a ginger, soulless though they may be. I guess it’s not a bad example of… whatever the hell it is – though the cedar really gets a bit aggressive after a while. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com