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Waterloo Brewing Co. Double-Double Dopplebock – Doppelbock at 7% ABV

Waterloo Brewing Co. Double-Double Dopplebock Doppelbock at 7% ABV (C$3.28 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, bottle date 5-Mar-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 9-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear ruby brown with one fat finger of fluffy beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, roasty malt, milk chocolate, vanilla. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Medium-light slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sweet moderate duration mildly warming finish. (3/5)

Just like its namesake, this is too sweet for my preference. (For the non-Canadians in the audience, a “double-double” is the trademark {crappy} coffee with two cream and two sugar typically bought at Tim Horton’s.) Coffee leads out here, but is quickly backstopped by a sweet milkiness reminiscent of milk chocolate. If my interpretation of the date code (“C05612”) is correct, this is a bit old, but that shouldn’t be a problem for this style, especially given the somewhat high ABV. Speaking of the ABV, it’s very well-behaved, and only shows up as a mild warming in the finish. Not bad, overall, but would probably be better in a vanilla ice cream float. I certainly couldn’t drink more than one, regardless. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale – Kölsch at 5.2% ABV | 21 IBU

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale Kölsch at 5.2% ABV | 21 IBU (C$4.70 at NLC Stavanger, 600 ml, bottle date 31-Aug-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 8-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear straw with one fat finger of fizzy white head diminishing to a persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pale crackery malt, bready yeast, light citrus and floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp clean finish. (3/5)

Clean, crisp and easy-drinking. It’s not going to challenge you, by any means, but it’s one you can easily session. The style is classic Kölsch, top-fermented with an ale yeast, but cold conditioned (“lagered”), making it a true hybrid style. The brewer says this one is done with (among others) pilsner and acidulated malts, in addition to wheat and carafoam. I’m not certain I’ve had one done with acidulated malt before, and I’m tempted to attribute at least some of the crispness in the finish to that, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it actually tart. Pleasant enough, if a little pedestrian, and certainly one that wouldn’t be unwelcome under an umbrella on a hot day. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Pilsner – Pilsener at 5% ABV | 25 IBU

Central City Brewers + Distillers Red Racer Pilsner Pilsener at 5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$2.25 at NLC Stavanger, 355 ml, bottle date 3-Jun-2016, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 7-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear pale straw, one finger of slightly fizzy white head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pale biscuity malt, grassy hay, citrus, light floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (6/10) Light body, lively to moderate carbonation, crisp clean finish. (3/5)

I must admit to being slightly disappointed by this. I mean, these guys do a really decent IPA, DIPA, and SIPA, so I was sorta kinda hoping for a highly-hopped interpretation of a Pilsener. Instead, it’s… a Pilsener. It’s a nice, well-implemented, dead-nuts-on interpretation of the style, but it’s… a Pilsener. No more, no less. Hopped slightly higher than normal for the style, perhaps, but with Hallertau, so it’s still quite mild in character. A decent example of the style, if you go in for that sort of thing, I suppose. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Howe Sound Brewing Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout – Imperial Stout at 10% ABV | 75 IBU

Howe Sound Brewing Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout Imperial Stout at 10% ABV | 75 IBU (C$11.35 at NLC Stavanger, 1 l, no bottle date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 6-Oct-2016)

Appearance: clear deep brown, two fingers of fluffy beige head, excellent retention and minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: liquorice, roasty malt, coffee and chocolate, burnt sugar. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Full slightly oily body, moderate-soft carbonation, drying and warming lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

Surprisingly well behaved for a massive behemoth, like an 800 pound gorilla who could rip your arms off and beat you to death with them, but instead wears a top hat and monocle, and argues philosophy with you. He still gets his way, mind you, because you’re terrified of him. Well, this beer has its way with you, eventually. How could it not? In one bottle, you’ve got the same alcohol content as a six pack of “normal” beer. But then, why be normal, right? And I love black liquorice, so this is definitely my cup of tea. The liquorice does come through loud and clear, and yes, dominates, but again in that understated fashion that allows the roasted malt coffee and chocolate tones to be present without being completely swamped by the liquorice. High sweetness is impressively balanced by the high bitterness so that it never becomes cloying. I like it – and I’m interested to see what will become of the second one, nestled safely in my cellar, in a couple of years. (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Creemore Springs Kellerbier – Kellerbier at 5% ABV | 30 IBU

Creemore Springs Kellerbier Kellerbier at 5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.57 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 6-Oct-2016, reviewed 6-Oct-2016)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber, one fat finger of ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy malt, bready yeast, honey, grassy, light citrus. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration bitter finish. (3/5)

Well, the up side to this one was its surprising bitterness, which though not high by comparison to many modern IPAs, might well be the highest I’ve seen for any Molson product. The down side was… well… everything else. Grainy malt and bready yeast dominant the aromas, with weedy, grassy hops lurking in the background. Tastes slightly better than it smells, though, and it’s not terrible overall. Can’t see bothering with another any time soon, thoughdpr_2266-3 – or ever again. (11/20)

5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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New Belgium Brewing Company Lips Of Faith Series Tart Lychee – Sour / Wild Ale at 7.5% ABV | 12 IBU

New Belgium Brewing Company Lips Of Faith Series Tart Lychee Sour / Wild Ale at 7.5% ABV | 12 IBU (C$18.80 at Liquor Crossing Red Deer, 650 ml, best before 14-May-2017, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 5-Oct-2016)

Appearance: hazy to cloudy medium gold, two fingers of off-white head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tart citrus, slightly funky sweet and gritty lychee, crackery pale malt, woody, very light cinnamon. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, light bitter, light spice. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering tart and lightly spicy finish. (4/5)

I was a little hesitant with this one – the LoF series has been a little hit-and-miss for me lately, with really only La Folie being consistently excellent. Others have been a bit “meh” (e.g. the Blackberry Barley Wine) or worse (the Hof Ten Dormaal Golden Ale leaps to mind). The flavours for this one are actually somewhat reminiscent of La Folie, but with less depth. On the other hand I am definitely getting the lychee, so I guess it accomplishes what it sets out to do. On yet another hand (yes, I have three hands) it’s a little pricey for what it is. Ultimately worth it, I think it, but there are better examples of the style (albeit not with lychee) for cheaper – their own La Terroir, for example. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Grand River Brewing Russian Gun – Russian Imperial Stout at 8.5% ABV

Grand River Brewing Russian Gun Russian Imperial Stout at 8.5% ABV (C$6.01 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 29-Apr-2016, reviewed 4-Oct-2016)

Appearance: nearly opaque black with only the faintest hints of clear brown around the margins, two fingers of rocky beige head, excellent retention and good lacing. (4/5) Aroma: roasty malts, coffee and chocolate, liquorice, vinous dark fruits, molasses and toffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and mild warming finish. (3/5)

A bit thin and light for the style. Having no intrusive ABV is all well and good, but this style can and should exhibit much more warming presence than is present. I’m usually all about the hops, but to be frank the little hop character here isn’t helping much. Really more like a Quad than an RIS, but without any of the deep barrel-aged complexity I look for in that case. OK, but not better than that. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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H. P. Bulmer (Heineken) Strongbow British Dry – Cider at 5.3% ABV

H. P. Bulmer (Heineken) Strongbow British Dry Cider at 5.3% ABV (C$3.82 at NLC Stavanger, 440 ml, best before 31-May-2017, acquired 7-Sep-2016, reviewed 4-Oct-2016)

Appearance: crystal clear pale straw with a short fizzy white head dropping rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: sweetish and tart green apple, mildly earthy/funky. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp dry short finish. (3/5)

Yeah, another “all apple, all the time” cider. But, despite being mass-market plonk, this really isn’t bad. It’s nicely dry, with a tart, puckering finish that keeps the sweetness firmly in check. You could do a lot worse – for example, those hellaciously sweet domestic ciders. Plus, I got a free glass! (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Kiwami Plum Sour – Sour / Wild Ale at 6.3% ABV | 7 IBU

Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks Kiwami Plum Sour Sour / Wild Ale at 6.3% ABV | 7 IBU (C$9.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, bottle date 1-Apr-2016, acquired 19-Aug-2016, reviewed 3-Oct-2016)

Appearance: opaque pale amber with one finger of fizzy off-white head settling gradually to a persistent creamy cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: red grape must, stone fruit, lactic, wheat malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate tart, low/no bitter. (6/10) Medium-light slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation, off-dry tart medium duration finish. (3/5)

A bit of a strange beer, that starts off smelling like red grape must, but tastes and finishes like pureed fruit baby food (peaches, maybe, more than plums). On the up side, the sweetness is actually more restrained than initially apparent, dropping off rapidly and leaving an off-dry, slightly astringent mouth feel. Not a lot of complexity, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see it was a kettle sour. Credit where credit is due for using real plums, but that doesn’t save this thing from the doldrums of mediocrity. If a traditional barrel-aged sour is a symphony of flavour, this is a kazoo. Playing the Circus Theme. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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Peller Estates No Boats on Sunday – Cider at 5.3% ABV

Peller Estates No Boats on Sunday Cider at 5.3% ABV (C$3.86 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 17-Jul-2016, reviewed 2-Oct-2016)

Appearance: crystal clear pale straw with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: sweetish and tart green apple, mildly earthy. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp off-dry medium duration finish. (3/5)

Not a lot to say about this, as it’s very much a case of “apple, and not much else”. Tending a bit to the sweet for my preference, but otherwise pleasant. (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

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