RyansBooze

Anchorage Brewing Company Whiteout (Batch #4) Witbier at 6.5% ABV | 20 IBU (C$15.00 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, bottle date 1-Jun-2015, acquired 18-Aug-2016, reviewed 9-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy pale straw with two fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, coriander, straw, white pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate funky tart, mild-moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, bone dry funky finish. (4/5)

Excellent – Brett funk dominates over a pale Witbier base. This is my kind of beer! I don’t know how much I believe that 20 IBU, though: it feels a bit more bitter than that typically implies, possibly because of the astringency from the Brett. In fact, the flavours are more like a Saison or a Tripel, than a Witbier. Any way you slice it, though, this is a really good one. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Fabryka Piwa Deep Space Foreign Extra Stout Foreign / Export Stout at 6.5% ABV | 50 IBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #9, 330 ml, best before 1-Jan-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 9-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear deep brown with one finger of loose beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: roasty malt, coffee, dark stone fruit, hint of liquorice. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, mild tart. (6/10) Palate: medium-full body dropping off to watery, moderate carbonation, dry short duration mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Advent calendar day #9 brings another seasonally-appropriate selection that is unfortunately not all that great. Not terrible, mind you, just not great. It tends a bit thin for the style, especially in the finish, and this isn’t helped by the slightly high carbonation. On the up side, there’s a little tartness that works well with the dark fruit notes, and the appropriately high(er) ABV is well integrated. I was a bit perturbed to see that this was pasteurized, and can’t say that that’s helped the flavour any. Can’t say it’s worth your while to make a special effort to find. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg Silver Bottle Beer Euro Pale Lager at 4.9% ABV (Craft Beer Advent Calendar #8, 330 ml, bottle date 26-Jun-2016, best before 30-Jun-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 8-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw with one finger of fluffy white head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt and corn adjunct, grass. (4/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (4/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (3/5)

Well, that’s a bit of a craptastic choice for an Advent beer: a completely bog standard adjunct Pale Lager. Hell, it could easily be a Coors Light – and given the commercial description, that’s pretty much the intended demographic: club goers who drink from the bottle and can’t be trusted not to break glass. Aggressively unremarkable and seriously disappointing. (8/20)

4/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brewsters Brewing Company Blue Monk Barleywine (2015) American Barleywine at 10% ABV | 65 IBU (C$9.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 28-Sep-2015, reviewed 7-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one fat finger of rocky light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: orange peel, bready caramel malt, dark fruit, resin. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, soft carbonation, lingering bitter and warming finish. (4/5)

A decent implementation of the style: the double-digit alcohol is definitely present, but not solventy or excessively hot, and there are pleasant citrus, dark fruit, and hop notes present. I suspect the year’s cellaring has helped mellow this out, and in any case certainly hasn’t hurt. I’m interested to see how the bourbon barrel-aged version of this compares. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Naparbier Crimson Bird Saison with Raspberries Saison at 6.1% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #7, 330 ml, bottle date 20-Jul-2016, best before 31-Jul-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 7-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy pinkish pale amber with two fingers of fluffy off-white head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: raspberry, citrus, lightly vinous yeasty funk. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, off-dry tart slightly funky finish. (3/5)

Not really all that Saison-ish: the raspberry tart dominates, and any funk is left far behind in its dust. Plus, there’s the old familiar argument about the appropriateness of high(er) ABV’s in Saisons. As a fruit beer, it’s not bad, but as a Saison, it’s a bit of a muddled mess. Still and all, not a bad little drink. And I guess I have to give points for a seriously metal label! \m/(-.-)\m/ (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Divide Brewing Company Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Russian Imperial Stout at 9.5% ABV | 75 IBU (US$10.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 650 ml, bottle date 10-Feb-2016, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 6-Dec-2016)

Appearance: solid unrelieved black with one fat finger of dense creamy dark brown head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Aroma: milk chocolate, coffee, roasty malt, dark fruit, grassy. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full viscid body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter and slightly astringent warming finish. (4/5)

Damn. Big and bombastic, with enough of a battle royale going on between the sweet and bitter (with the added sideshow of the espresso/coffee) that you’re completely distracted from the high ABV. And when I say “milk chocolate”, I ain’t lying – the head smells and tastes (and feels!) pretty much exactly like a chocolate milkshake. This is really good, verging on great, but I can’t help but wish I had tried the non-espresso version first. Not just because I prefer to try the original before trying variants, but also because in this case I think the espresso might be adding some astringency to the finish that otherwise might not have been there. I rather suspect the base beer has enough complexity that the added coffee notes weren’t strictly necessary. Ah, well – maybe on my next trip to the Excited States. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Privatbrauerei Loncium Sweet Krampus Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 7% ABV | 25 IBU (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #6, 330 ml, best before 18-Jul-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 6-Dec-2016)

Appearance: clear brown with one finger of loose beige head diminishing rapidly to a persistent cap, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: roasty malt, dark dried fruit, vinous red berries, coffee, caramel, cinnamon, orange peel. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending watery, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry slightly thin mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Nice. At day 6 of the Advent calendar, we finally get what I would consider to be both a seasonally-appropriate style, and a decent beer. The usual suspects disagree regarding the precise style (no, Untappd, it isn’t a Stout) but I consider this a reasonable example of a BSDA. It’s not without its flaws – I’d like to see better head retention and lacing, the body tends to fall off to watery a bit suddenly, and that seems to make the finish a bit thin and sharp – but it’s not bad at all. In particular, for a 7% beer, the ABV really doesn’t make any impression whatsoever, other than a mild warming in the finish. Plus, it’s named after a demon who beats misbehaving children, so what’s not to like? Solid. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The Inveralmond Brewery Ltd. Inspiration #2 Series De Mons Belgian Abbey Belgian Pale Ale at 6% ABV | 18 IBU (Craft Beer Advent Calendar #5, 330 ml, best before 30-Apr-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 5-Dec-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: apples, grassy, light dried fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, light bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry mildly warming finish. (3/5)

“Belgian Abbey”? I don’t think so. Reminds me of a typical ESB, more bready than fruity, with slightly more alcohol warming and a slight slickness in the body. I don’t know what other reviewers are trying, but this doesn’t even approach proper conformation for the style. That said, it isn’t unpleasant in its own right. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mill Street Brewery RDF Hefe Hefeweizen at 5.7% ABV | 25 IBU (C$8.05 at Mill Street Brew Pub St. John’s, 945 ml, bottle date 3-Dec-2016, acquired 3-Dec-2016, reviewed 5-Dec-2016)

Appearance: hazy straw with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: banana, wheat, light pepper. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (6/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter and slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Well, the name is eminently appropriate for this province (“RDF” = “Rain, Drizzle,and Fog”, a.k.a our typical weather) even if the style isn’t particularly. (I don’t think it’s even possible to grow wheat in Newfoundland, largely because if the prevalence of RDF!) A fairly solid Hefe, with big banana presence at the outset, and a surprising amount of bitter for the stated 25 IBU, probably emphasized by the slightly astringent finish. Not quite as smooth and easy as I like to see in this style, but pleasant enough. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

The TicketyBrew Company Rose Wheat Beer Wheat Ale at 4.7% ABV (Craft Beer Advent Calendar #4, 330 ml, best before 31-Jul-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 4-Dec-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque cloudy straw with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: rose water, citrus, wheat malt, hint of ginger. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, clean drying and tart finish. (4/5)

Day 4 of the advent calendar brings a seriously oddball little beer in the form of a rose-flavoured Weissbier/Berliner Weiss (but, bear in mind that for me, “odd” isn’t necessarily a pejorative). Certainly this is the first time I had a beer that smelled and tasted like Turkish Delight, but I can’t say it’s disappointing. Matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more it occurs to me that this isn’t wildly dissimilar from a Berliner Weiss “mit schuss”, albeit more floral than the typical herbal character of Woodruff. The rose character is a little overwhelming, though, and I think I’d like it more if it were just a tad less emphatic – but it’s pretty fine as it is. (And, by the by, this could be a crystal-clear straw if that’s your thing, but I tend to follow the German Beer Institute’s recommendation – and that of the brewer – by swirling the bottle and dumping in the lees.) (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com