RyansBooze

Brouwerij Oud Beersel Bersalis Sourblend Sour / Wild Ale at 6% ABV | 20 [?] IBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #14, 330 ml, bottle date 20-Jun-2016, best before 20-Jun-2019, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 14-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, apples and pears, bready yeast, hay funk. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, dry lightly funky finish. (3/5)

I’m a little disappointed by Advent calendar day #14: there are some interesting lambic flavours in this blend, but the 70% Bersalis Tripel dominates – or, at least, mutes the lambic somewhat. And I wasn’t all that thrilled by the Bersalis Tripel when I had it in Belgium, so… All in all, not bad, but I think more lambic character would really have helped. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom Killer Green American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 97 IBU (C$7.43 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, bottle date 27-Sep-2016, acquired 13-Dec-2016, reviewed 13-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, mint, caramel malt, citrus zest. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Killer? Check. Green? Well… not so much. Oh, wait, is “minty” the same as “green”? I think one could argue that. OK, then, that’s that. Again. (Yes, I’m trying to be cute. Not working, is it? Fine, I think I like this one slightly better than the Red. Can’t be arsed to write any more, except to note that there’s no way this is 97 IBU. Oh, and did their 2014 writeup really say “kind herb”? SRSLY? Who let these hippies loose and put them in charge of a brewery, anyway? Yes, I’m aware I’m still writing. Done now.) (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom Killer Red American IPA at 7.3% ABV | 85 IBU (C$7.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 500 ml, bottle date 14-Sep-2016, acquired 13-Dec-2016, reviewed 13-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy coppery pale to medium amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: orange, caramel malt, pine, grassy and earthy. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Red? Check. Killer? Check. OK, then, that’s that. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nøgne Ø Adventurous Brown American Strong Ale at 10% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #13, 330 ml, bottle date 19-May-2016, best before 9-May-2021, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 13-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy brown with one finger of creamy beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: molasses/brown sugar, boozy dark dried fruit, evergreen, coffee, oak. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, medium duration warming finish. (4/5)

I’m starting to feel like the Advent calendar is hitting its stride: day #13 brings us a selection that is both seasonally appropriate and highly enjoyable. The rich flavours are both complex and well balanced, and the mouth feel never becomes cloying, in part due to the nearly prickly carbonation. I particularly like the evergreen notes that come out during warming. The fairly massive alcohol content is well integrated, and really only becomes apparent in the warming finish (although I wouldn’t recommend drinking it quickly, unless you really want to get messed up, in which case have at it). The punny name is pretty great too – although I’ve used RateBeer’s American Strong classification, you could certainly call it a Brown, and as a Brown it definitely occupies the adventurous end of the scale in addition to being highly advent-appropriate. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Browar Wąsosz / Humalove Brewing Pukki Grodziskie at 3% ABV _(Craft Beer Advent Calendar #12, 330 ml, best before 8-Apr-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 12-Dec-2016)_

Appearance: dirty straw with one finger of creamy dense white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: light smoke, grainy malt, cheese, slightly woody. (6/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter, light tart, salt and umame. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lightly briny finish. (3/5)

Advent calendar day #12 brings probably the oddest one yet this year – heck, in any of the years I’ve had the calendar. This is the first Grodziskie I’ve had, which is hardly surprising considering the style was extinct and is still extremely rare. Similar to a Gose, but with a distinct hardwood smokiness, in addition to a slight ham and cheese umame flavour. (I’m not getting any of the spruce referred to on the label, just hardwood smoke.) Deeply weird, but not unpleasant. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery Schleimhammer Roggenbier at 5.3% ABV | 12 IBU (On tap at Mill Street Brewpub YYZ, reviewed 12-Dec-2016)

Appearance: cloudy deep amber with a short off-white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, bready wheat, banana, light sour rye, light pepper. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter, light tart. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-low carbonation, slightly spicy finish. (3/5)

Slightly disappointing as a rye beer, perfectly serviceable as a somewhat darker than normal Hefe. I was hoping for a bit more rye presence here, and although I’m getting hints of both sour and peppery spice from the rye, it’s not as bold as I like to see. Like so many Mill Street beers, it ends up being inoffensive, but fairly forgettable. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery Bob’s Bearded Red Irish Red Ale at 4.8% ABV | 23 IBU (On tap at Mill Street Brewpub YYZ, reviewed 12-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear coppery medium amber with one finger of creamy nitrogen-charged light ivory head, excellent retention and heavy sticky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: mild/muted, caramel malt, bread, faint nutty, hint of coffee. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium creamy body, soft carbonation, short finish. (3/5)

A really pretty beer, with a great nitrogen head and associated creamy body. Unfortunately, that’s really the only thing special about this – the aroma and flavour are mild to the point of boring, and render it almost completely devoid of character. If you want a beer that looks great while you’re drinking it, have at it, but otherwise I don’t really see the point. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brouwerij de Molen Winter Saison Saison at 6.1% ABV | 53 EBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #11, 330 ml, bottle date 10-Jun-2016, best before 10-Jun-2018, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 11-Dec-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with one finger of medium white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: apple, stone fruit, pale malt, pepper, light yeasty funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry spicy and lightly funky finish. (3/5)

I was pretty pleased to see a de Molen beer for Advent calendar day #11, and it didn’t disappoint. Well… not much, anyway. I like that they call it “saison-ish” on the label, and I think that’s a fair description, because it’s not really a saison, but it has some of those characteristics. If you ask me, you could just as easily have called it “Belg-ish” or “tripel-ish”. Solid, if a bit muddled. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

BIIR Brewers Belgium Equinox Triple IPA American Double / Imperial IPA at 9.4% ABV | 100 IBU (Craft Beer Advent Calendar #10, 330 ml, best before 20-Jul-2018, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 10-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale amber with a massive rocky ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, pithy grapefruit, mango, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)

Advent calendar day #10 brings us a completely seasonally inappropriate beer, that I nevertheless enjoyed thoroughly. (Near double-digit ABV’s and triple-digit IBU’s tend to endear me, go figure.) This is a huge hop bomb that’s nonetheless pretty drinkable, with massive hops leading the way over a smooth caramel malt that’s well in the background (where it belongs). Actually, it reminds me of a couple of Mikkeller’s hop bombs – which is all to the good. Despite the aforementioned near double-digits, the ABV is well integrated and barely makes its presence felt. I really quite enjoyed this, and I’m starting to feel like the calendar might have begun to pull out of the nose dive it was in! (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com